UFC 171 results: Sean Strickland chokes out Robert McDaniel in first

DALLAS – If Sean Strickland was feeling the Octagon jitters ahead of UFC debut, he hid it well. The unbeaten 23-year-old looked calm and confident as he outstruck and outgrappled Robert McDaniel before taking his back and locking in a rear-naked choke for the submission finish at 4:33 of Round 1.

The middleweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 171 event at American Airlines Center in Dallas. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass ahead of additional prelims on FOX Sports 2 and a main card on pay-per-view.

Though Strickland took the fight on late notice after an injury to Tor Troeng left McDaniel without an opponent, he showed no ill effects inside the cage. If anything, he looked to be the sharper fighter right from the start, as he tagged McDaniel with straight right hands in the early going before dominating him on the mat as well.

Just when it seemed like McDaniel might escape the first round and get the chance to regroup on the stool, Strickland turned up the pressure on his ground and pound and seized the former “Ultimate Fighter” contestant’s back. When he locked up the choke and felt the tap, Strickland told UFC color commentator Joe Rogan after the bout, it was the “greatest day of my life.”

“I’ve been waiting 10 years to step foot in this cage,” Strickland said. “I can’t express to you how amazed I feel.”

Strickland (14-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) remains undefeated with the win in his debut. McDaniel (21-8 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has now lost two straight in the UFC.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 171 results include:

• Sean Strickland def. Robert McDaniel via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:33
• Robert Whiteford def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of UFC 171, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan and Steven Marrocco contributed to this report on-site in Dallas.