UFC 174 results, photos: Kiichi Kunimoto taps out Daniel Sarafian for upset win

VANCOUVER – All it took was one trip takedown, a smooth transition to back control, and a rear-naked choke that left no space for Daniel Sarafian (8-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) to escape, and Kiichi Kunimoto (17-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) had himself an impressive first-round victory, forcing the tap at 2:52 of Round 1.

The welterweight bout closed out the preliminary card of today’s UFC 174 event at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. It aired on FX following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

Kunimoto controlled the action in this one right from the start. After a brief feeling out period, the Japanese fighter used a nifty trip to put Sarafian down before moving straight to side control. When Sarafian attempted to turn away and scramble up, Kunimoto seized the opportunity to take his back and sink the choke.

From there it was only a matter of time. Sarafian did his best to hand fight and delay the submission, but Kunimoto kept squeezing, rendering Sarafian’s attempt at defense essentially useless. With no escape in sight and his grip on consciousness slipping away, Sarafian had no choice but to submit.

For Kunimoto, the victory marks his first definitive win in the UFC, coming on the heels of a disqualification victory in January. Sarafian has now lost two in a row in the UFC.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 174 results include:

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(John Morgan and Mike Bohn contributed to this report on-site in Vancouver.)