UFC Fight Night 117 results: Shinsho Anzai returns from 2-year layoff, outpoints Luke Jumeau

After two years away from the sport, Shinsho Anzai had a successful return to the UFC with a unanimous decision in a hard-fought win over Luke Jumeau.

Anzai (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) topped Jumeau (12-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with a pair of 29-28 scores and a 30-27 thanks to solid work in the clinch and with his takedown game in front of his home-city fans.

The welterweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC Fight Night 117 event at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, near Tokyo. It aired on FXX following an early prelim on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of the main card on FXX.

Jumeau stayed patient early, but got cracked by an Anzai right hand when he threw one of his own. Not long after that, Anzai dove for a takedown, but Jumeau easily defended it to stay on the feet. Jumeau landed a low kick two minutes in. But seconds later, Anzai landed a cracking right hand and put together a combination after it. Jumeau clinched up in defense, but ate some knees to the midsection for his troubles. Jumeau broke away with two minutes left in the frame and showed some damage near his right eye. Jumeau timed a right hand when Anzai pushed forward, which led to an Anzai clinch right after. With just 15 seconds left, Jumeau landed a solid left hook, then a front kick to the face in a close round.

Anzai landed a brief takedown to open the second round, then came forward quickly after the fight moved back to the feet. Jumeau ducked under a huge right kick that when missed, put Anzai on his backside. The recklessness elicited applause from the typically reserved Japanese crowd. With three minutes left, Anzai landed a solid takedown and went to work on top. He kept Jumeau stifled there for much of the rest of the round. Jumeau worked back to his feet with 30 seconds left and tried to save the round. He landed a right uppercut to stun Anzai with 15 seconds left, and another followed just before the horn.

Anzai again wanted a takedown in the third, but Jumeau stayed upright. When Anzai went after a takedown again a minute later, he had to stay after it – and again couldn’t get it. Midway through, Anzai came forward with big right hands, and Jumeau tried to follow. Anzai landed knees in the clinch after that when the two briefly tied up on the fence. Jumeau landed some heavy punches down the stretch to keep the third round close. But in the end, it was Anzai who got the unanimous nod.

Anzai won for the second straight time since a loss in his UFC debut and now has eight wins in his past nine fights. Jumeau had a seven-fight winning streak snapped.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 117 results include:

• Shinsho Anzai def. Luke Jumeau via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
• Daichi Abe def. Hyun Gyu Lim via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 117, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s Ken Hathaway contributed to this report on site in Japan.)