UFC Fight Night 27 results: Jason High chokes James Head in first round

INDIANAPOLIS – After three years and three fights, Jason High owns his first UFC win.

“The Kansas City Bandit” got it in impressive fashion, grabbing the neck of James Head and never letting go.

The welterweight bout was part of today’s UFC Fight Night 27 event at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. It aired on FOX Sports 2 following additional prelims on Facebook and ahead of a main card on FOX Sports 1.

After a few fits and starts, Head charged High, whose neck was briefly caught when he ducked under to take the fight down. The difference between the fight’s opening sequence and end, however, was in High’s landing, which put him in side control as the two settled.

High soon stood up and looked to land a few big shots from overhead, but Head immediately sprang up. That’s when High grabbed his opponent’s exposed neck and started cranking on a guillotine.

Head tried with all his might to escape the submission hold, but after several rolls and adjustments, High adjusted his legs and finished the choke from mount. The bout’s stoppage came at the 1:41 mark of the first frame.

In addition to getting his first UFC win, High (17-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) gets back in the winner’s circle after a first-round submission loss to Erick Silva in his previous outing, which served as his first octagon bout since a one-and-done loss to Charlie Brenneman in 2010.

“It’s been a long time coming,” High said after the win. “I’m glad to get the win because I felt like I had to just to stick around. You’ve got to win to keep your job, and I did that tonight.”

Head (9-4 MMA, 2-3 UFC), who this past year dropped to welterweight after a stint at middleweight, is now wrestling with back-to-back losses after winning his first two at 170 pounds.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 27 results include:

• Jason High def. James Head via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:41
• Zak Cummings def. Ben Alloway via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 1, 4:19
• Roger Bowling vs. Abel Trujillo declared a no-contest (unintentional illegal knee) – Round 2, 4:57

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 27, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

Matt Erickson contributed to this report on-site in Indianapolis.