On Saturday night the UFC returned to Texas for a night of fights and a very exciting line up of prelims on paper and they didn't disappoint.
Yves Edwards vs Akbarh Arreola
To start of the main prelims it was Texan native, Yves Edwards taking on Akbarh Arreola in a lightweight bout. Edwards came in as the clear fan favourite but got caught early with a big right hand which stunned him although he managed to regain his senses it didn't stop Arreola pushing forward and he got the takedown and Edwards left his arm open which Arreola grabbed hold off and didn't let go until Edwards tapped.
I am not sure what is next for Edwards as he is now 42-22-1-1 and has not won any of his last five fights, could it be time for the 38 year old to consider his future? As for Arreola he gets back to winning ways and takes his record on to 23-8-1.
Official Decision: Akbarh Arreola defeats Yves Edwards by Submission (Armbar) 1:52 Round 1
Nick Hein vs James Vick
Hein came in to the fight making his first appearance in an MMA fight outside of Germany, while James Vick was competing in his home state of Texas.I was expecting Hein to come out looking for the takedown to eliminate the reach and height advantage which Vick possessed in this fight. However, he was happy to stand and bang with Vick and dropped Vick twice in the first round. In fact it took nearly nine minutes before Hein went for his first takedown attempt in the fight.
The second round was a fairly slow affair as Hein was happy to follow Vick around but wasn't able to get the strikes off which he did in the first round and by doing this gave up the second round as Vick was able to control the pace of the fight and got his shots off.
Hein comes out in the third and is a lot more aggressive looking to win the fight in the third but by the end Vick is happy to wind down the clock running away from Hein.
I am not sure what Hein's game plan was coming in to the fight but I think dropping Vick in the first round could have changed his plan to keep the fight standing instead of using his world class Judo skills which may have cost him the decision. In the end the reach advantage of Vick looked to be the crucial factor in this fight as Hein just couldn't land his big punches.
I am not sure how a judge could score that 30-27 after Hein dropped Vick twice in the first round though.
Official Decison: James Vick defeats Nick Hein by Unanimous Decision 30-27, 29-28, 29-28
Luke Barnatt vs Roger Narvaez
Both men come in to this fight looking to get back to winning ways and it was a cautious start from both men in the first. Barnatt looked like he wanted to be more active but Narvaez wasn't engaging which led to a slow first round. After Luke's previous fight I am sure this is exactly what he didn't want.Only a minute in to round two and the crowd do not appreciate the fight as boos start to sound in the arena. Narvaez looks to take the fight down, where he should have the advantage but Barnatt sprawls well and defends the attempt. Barnatt finishes the round with the much better striking and could be two rounds up by this point but the first round could have gone either way.
Round three is a complete turn around as Narvaez rocks Barnatt with a huge head kick before following it up and flooring Barnatt who is hurt badly before jumping on him and going for a number of submission attempts which Luke somehow manages to defend well. Luke still doesn't look like he has totally recovered from the knockdown and with 15 seconds left Narvaez lets him up.
The judges give the decision to Roger Narvaez who picks up the huge win after being a big underdog in this fight. As for Luke Barnatt it's back to the drawing board following a 3-0 start to his UFC career he is now 3-2 and needs a big performance next time out.
Official Decision: Roger Narvaez defeats Luke Barnatt by Split Decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
Josh Copeland vs Ruslan Magomedov
Both men come out willing to throw bombs in this heavyweight showdown and its Copeland who connects big first but Magomedov takes it and then replies with his own which drops Copeland before following it up with a big head kick. Magomedov starts to take control of this fight as it progresses through the first round.Magomedov is now mixing up his strikes working both his punches and kicks, he is easily out striking Copeland now. Half way through the round he hurts Copeland with a high kick which makes Copeland turns his back and moves away but Magomedov charges in to attempt to finish the fight. Copeland manages to recover and lands his own attack to give himself a bit of space and a chance to recover fully.
Magomedov controls the third round as well and the judges agree giving him a good win with a solid performance against the heavy hands of Josh Copeland.
Official Decision: Ruslan Magomedov defeats Josh Copeland by Unanimous Decision 29-28, 30-27, 30-27
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