UFC Fight Night 52 results: Yoshihiro Akiyama tops Amir Sadollah for first win since 2009

SAITAMA, Japan – Fighting for the first time in the UFC at welterweight, 39-year-old Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) returned from a layoff of more than two years and put a beating on replacement Amir Sadollah (6-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC).

Akiyama pitched a shutout on the judges’ scorecards with unanimous 30-27 scores, snapping a four-fight losing streak and winning for the first time since July 2009.

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

Akiyama opened the fight with a masterfully timed trip that put Sadollah on the mat and forced him on the defensive. Unable to get off his back for much of the round, the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 7” shied away from opening up with the threat of the takedown present.

Sadollah found his confidence in the second, headhunting with kicks until a right straight cracked him in the nose. The shot prompted a smile, and some blood, but a stiff left jab from Akiyama forced him into survival mode.

Akiyama’s punches did the bulk of the work in the third, as Sadollah seemed hesitant to engage and allowed the Japanese vet to take the initiative. A stiff right hand sent Sadollah to the canvas midway through the frame, and a series of thundering punches further bloodied his face.

Sadollah, who replaced the injured Kyle Noke, sees his return from a two-year layoff spoiled by Akiyama and is 2-3 in his past five UFC outings.

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

• Yoshihiro Akiyama def. Amir Sadollah via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Miesha Tate def. Rin Nakai via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Kiichi Kunimoto def. Richard Walsh via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Kyoji Horiguchi def. Jon Delos Reyes via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:48
• Masanori Kanehara def. Alex Caceres via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Katsunori Kikuno def. Sam Sicilia via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:38
• Hyun Gyu Lim def. Takenori Sato via TKO (elbows) – Round 1, 1:18
• Kyung Ho Kang def. Michinori Tanaka via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Johnny Case def. Kazuki Tokudome via technical submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:34
• Maximo Blanco def. Daniel Hooker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 52, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

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