UFC Fight Night 121 results: Adam Wieczorek fights up close, seizes moment to top Anthony Hamilton

In a close fight, promotional newcomer Adam Wieczorek took a unanimous decision from a stunned Anthony Hamilton to jerk the curtain at UFC-Sydney.

Wieczorek (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) won with a trio of 29-28 scores against Hamilton (15-9 MMA, 3-7 UFC), who appeared to think his strong first round and decent third were enough for the win.

The heavyweight bout opened up the preliminary card of today’s UFC Fight Night 121 event at at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass ahead of the rest of the card on FS1.

The two threw kicks early, and Hamilton had to block a high one from Wieczorek. Thirty seconds in, Hamilton pushed forward and locked Wieczorek up along the fence looking for a takedown. He got it after 20 seconds and worked to get on top. He got to half-guard and pounded away at Wieczorek’s body. He passed to side control and kept working the body, keeping Wieczorek uncomfortable. Wieczorek worked to get his guard back, then tried to threaten Hamilton’s left arm. Midway through the round, Hamilton went back to his feet and kicked at Wieczorek’s legs, then dove back down to work ground-and-pound. With a minute left, Hamilton let Wieczorek back to his feet, where Wieczorek landed a solid jab and a knee, which forced Hamilton to push back in to clinch. Hamilton couldn’t get a second takedown late, though.

Wieczorek started in the center in the second round, then glanced a head kick off Hamilton’s head at the same time Hamilton was losing balance from a kick of his own. Wieczorek took advantage and got on top in half-guard in position for a potential arm-triangle choke. Wieczorek worked elbows, then heard a warning from the referee to stay busy – odd, considering Hamilton never heard any warnings in the first round from a similar position. Wieczorek dropped elbows down and tried to work to mount, but Hamilton used the opportunity to get back to his feet midway through the round. There, Hamilton landed a counter right, then tried a left-right combo that pushed Wieczorek back. With 70 seconds left, Hamilton caught a Wieczorek kick and used it to tie him up. Wieczorek reversed the position on the fence, but with 40 seconds left in the round, Hamilton took him down and pressed his back to the cage. Wieczorek got back to his feet with a few seconds left in the round.

Wieczorek threw a right hand early, then another. But Hamilton chased him down soon after and landed a right of his own. Thirty seconds in, Hamilton tied Wieczorek up on the cage. After a minute, Wieczorek landed a knee to force the break. Hamilton tried a head kick, but had it blocked. Two minutes in, Hamilton again pushed forward for a takedown attempt, but Wieczorek avoided it – though he had to eat a body kick to break apart. With 90 seconds left, Hamilton again went after a takedown. He nearly got it, but Wieczorek found a way to stay on his feet. Hamilton kept after it, though, and landed knees while pushing Wieczorek around the cage. With 45 seconds left, they broke apart and went back to the center of the cage. Hamilton landed a body kick, then ate a knee. He drove forward with 30 seconds left to tie Wieczorek up again, but couldnt’ get a takedown to finish the fight.

Wieczorek won his eighth straight and hasn’t had a setback in six years – coincidentally against UFC Fight Night 121 headliner Marcin Tybura on a regional card in Poland. Hamilton lost for the fourth straight time and has setbacks in five of his past six fights.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 121 results include:

• Adam Wieczorek def. Anthony Hamilton via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 121, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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