Legacy FC 54 results: Lovato claims vacant belt, Todhunter retires undefeated

Rafael Lovato

Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Rafael Lovato (3-0) toppled fellow submission ace Marcelo Nunes (5-1), scoring a second round TKO to claim Legacy FC’s vacant middleweight title.

The contest served as the main event of Friday’s Legacy FC 54 event, which took place at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa in Catoosa, Okla. The night’s main card aired on AXS TV.

Lovato opened the fight with a flurry of kicks, allowing Nunes to take the action to the floor. However, Lovato calmly worked himself back to the feet and eventually reversed the position with a takedown of his own.

The two continued to battle back and forth for position with some high-level grappling exchanges. Lovato eventually worked himself to mount, unleashing punches to gain access to his opponent’s back. He would take it, though Nunes survived until the bell.

Lovato slipped on a high kick in the second, allowing Nunes to try and take top position. However, Lovato calmly found a way back to his feet and again scored his own takedown before moving to mount. Nunes again rolled to avoid punches, and Lovato happily accepted his position on the back. While he was unable to sink in a choke, he simply teed off with punches until he was awarded a TKO victory.

In the night’s co-feature, middleweight Andrew Todhunter (8-0) – an athlete who once signed with the UFC but never fought for the promotion – ended his pro fighting career on a positive note, scoring a first-round submission win over Evan Thompson (5-3).

After a brief feeling out process on the feet, it was Thompson who initially looked for the clinch. But Todhunter slipped around to the back and eventually drug the action to the floor. Once there, he went immediately for the neck and was able to secure the tap.

Todhunter, who declared before the fight that it would be his last, confirmed after the win that he will indeed walk away from the sport and entered his final contest with a broken rib and thumb. Todhunter finishes his career with eight submission wins in eight professional contests, six of which came in the opening round.

Williams, Cunningham impress in early action

Welterweight Bilal Williams (5-2) picked up a quick win in his contest with Ed Cline (8-6-1), overwhelming his opponent in the opening seconds.

As they exchanged in the early going, Williams grabbed a Thai clinch and waited until he saw an opening before delivering a crushing knee to the head. Cline wobbled and tried to cover, but Williams rushed forward with additional blows and finished the fight with punches in just 21 seconds.

In a welterweight contest, Derrick Adkins (6-2) simply overwhelmed previously undefeated opponent Daryl Wilson (2-1) en route to a clearcut decision win.

Adkins wasn’t ever close to finishing the fight, but his complete domination of positioning earned him the unanimous nod.

In featherweight action, Justin Rader (4-2) used a stifling ground game to snap a two-fight losing streak, picking up a decision win over Aaron Robinson (5-4).

The action was back-and-forth throughout, as Robinson showed his skill on the feet, but Rader repeatedly took the fight to the floor and worked for submissions. To his credit, Robinson somehow escaped each and every attempt, but Rader’s constant offense earned him the unanimous nod.

In a lightweight matchup, Logan Cunningham (5-0) picked up a quick submission win over Kyle Driscoll (0-1), though it didn’t come without some struggle.

Cunningham was aggressive from the start, looking for submission after submission. And while Driscoll somehow survived a pair of deep guillotine chokes, he wasn’t quite as lucky with an armbar that forced him to tap.

For more on Legacy FC 54, check out the MMA Events section of the site.