UFC Fight Night 52 results: Katsunori Kikuno taps Sam Sicilia with second-round choke

SAITAMA, Japan – Keeping his hands at his sides throughout the fight, Katsunori Kikuno looked as if he could eat a fight-ending punch from Sam Sicilia at any moment.

But Kikuno (22-6-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) smiled through the entire fight, almost as if he knew what he had in store for Sicilia (13-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC), whom he choked out in the second round.

The featherweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC Fight Night 52 card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

Sicilia kicked up the middle early as Kikuno looked to sit back and wait for an opening. As Kikuno kept his hands low and came forward, Sicilia drilled him with a kick. Kikuno smiled through the first few minutes of the round as Sicilia tried to outstrike him. Kikuno’s best offense was to work kicks to Sicilia’s lead left leg, and he was effective with it.

Fifty seconds into the second, Kikuno landed a pair of big punches that put Sicilia in a little trouble. Then he took the American’s back and went after a rear-naked choke with lots of time left. Sicilia fought Kikuno’s legs, and that allowed the Japanese fighter to get his arm under the chin. That was enough to get the finish, as Sicilia had to tap.

Kikuno is back in the win column after a May loss to Tony Ferguson. Sicilia is back in the loss column and has dropped two of his past three fights.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 52 results include:

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(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan contributed to this report on site in Japan.)