Gegard Mousasi no longer has to deal with the ghost of his past after avenging his loss to Uriah Hall on Saturday in Belfast, Northern Ireland at UFC Fight Night 99.
WOOOOOOOW!!!! First round stoppage for @Mousasi_MMA!! Unreal!! #UFCBelfast
— UFC (@ufc) November 19, 2016
Mousasi wasn't a crowd favorite going into Saturday's fight against Hall, mainly because of his beef with Ireland's own Conor McGregor. But his first-round stoppage of Hall was impressive and has surely put him in line for title contention in the middleweight division.
While Michael Bisping and Yoel Romero appear to be the next fight for the title, what's next for Mousasi?
A winner of six of his last seven fights, Mousasi deserves to be in the conversation for a title shot or at the very least, next in line for a bout with Jacare Souza or Luke Rockhold, if Rockhold can get healthy soon.
For Hall, it's the second fight in a row he's been stopped in the first round. The skill set of a champion is clearly there for the Jamaican, but questions surrounding his chin and will to fight will be asked after Saturday's beatdown.
Results
Artem Lobov def. Teruto Ishihara via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Alexander Volkov def. Timothy Johnson via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Stevie Ray def. Ross Pearson via split decision (27-30, 30-27, 30-27)
Gegard Mousasi def. Uriah Hall via technical knockout (Round 1, 4:37)
The Russian Hammer is back
Artem Lobov distinguished himself as a legitimate UFC fighter on Saturday against Teruto Ishihara with a dominate performance. Lobov is not just a sparring partner for Conor McGregor; he's the real deal, ladies and gentleman.
Your winner @RusHammerMMA!! #UFCBelfast pic.twitter.com/CElSVWe1K9
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) November 19, 2016
Lobov took control of the ring from the get-go and all credit to Ishihara for taking that many shots to the leg and chin. It looked like Lobov could've gotten the finish at the end of the second round, but Ishihara was saved by the bell.
Trading shots at the end of round 2!! What a fight! How do you guys have it scored? #UFCBelfast https://t.co/eSrp7qrbty
— UFC (@ufc) November 19, 2016
There was a brief moment in Round 3 when Ishihara landed flush on Lobov's chin, knocking him to the ground, but Lobov recovered quickly and almost immediately established full-guard.
With the victory, Lobov is 2-0 in the UFC and will surely be looking for a Top-15 fight in the featherweight division next.
'Drago' wins UFC debut
There's no other way to describe this fight other than a brawl.
Volkov came out the victor in a fight that, somehow, went the distance. The Russian came out in the first round like a man on a mission and tagged Timothy Johnson with a combination of straight punches to the nose and chin which backed him up against the fence.
But Johnson only needs one opening to change the dynamic of a fight.
WHOA!!! @TBearTim doesn't give a damn about the hype!! #UFCBelfast https://t.co/QI0vUMLQE5
— UFC (@ufc) November 19, 2016
It seemed that Johnson would continue to ground and pound Volkov, but the Russian just kept coming and landed some nice knees to the body which slowed down Johnson from advancing towards the end of the fight.
This fight easily could've been a draw as both fighters had some great moments. While some fans may not be happy with Volkov winning the decision, no one can argue that it was one of the best fights of the night.
Agree? #UFCBelfast pic.twitter.com/ANIwNUHrae
— UFC (@ufc) November 19, 2016
Stevie Ray grinds out the victory
Stevie Ray came out on top in a scrappy three-round fight against Ross Pearson in the co-main event that didn't really have any exciting moments which stood out.
Your winner @StevenRayMMA!! #UFCBelfast pic.twitter.com/Rzsjt0VxBr
— UFC (@ufc) November 19, 2016
It's clear Ray respected Pearson's power and experience in the Octagon, making sure he kept his distance throughout the fight while using leg kicks to keep the distance intact. Taking the fight on four weeks notice, it was clear Ray wasn't as sharp as he would've liked, but he still came out on top.
The most interesting aspect of the fight actually happened after the fight was over. Ray won the fight and deservedly so, but one judge gave the fight to Pearson outright, giving him the fight at 30-27.
Classic 30-27 for the wrong guy followed by 27-30. That judge should be fired. How can you be so wrong? At least right guy won. https://t.co/I7s44lGwsK
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 19, 2016
At the end of the day, one judge's scorecard didn't matter but should cause the UFC some concern over how some of these judges are scoring fights.
