Ryan Bader and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante stepped into the Octagon at UFC 174 on Saturday night in Vancouver looking to take the next step up the light heavyweight ladder.
The winner of season eight of The Ultimate Fighter, Bader has yet to realize his full potential in the UFC, while Feijao is struggling to regain the form that saw him win the Strikeforce 205-pound title.
Bader opened strong, not surprisingly utilizing his superior wrestling to take Feijao down on a couple of occasions in the opening, and doing particular damage in the final minute hammering the Brazilian with left hands to the head and then driving a vicious knee to the ribs just before the horn.
In the second round, Bader only seemed to pick up steam, using his jab to set up multiple takedowns, while Feijao appeared to be gassing, becoming more and more of a stationary target.
Knowing he was down two rounds to none, however, Feijao came out headhunting in the final round, immediately rushing Bader and landing flurries of punches.
Bader finally clinched and slowed the former Strikeforce champion down just before the midway point of the round, again putting Feijao’s back to the mat. Bader pummeled Feijao’s ribs with elbows and hammerfists, controlling from top position for the final two minutes of the round, grounding and pounding the former champion until the final bell.
It wasn’t flashy, and there wasn’t the finish that most fighters pine for, but Bader dominated Feijao all three rounds and it showed on the scorecards. The judges saw it in Bader’s favor, all three of them scoring the fight 30-27.
It won’t put him in immediate talk for a title, but it was a big step forward for Bader.
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