Midway through the FX Prelims broadcast of UFC 150, Michael Kuiper faced off against Jared Hamman. Using his superior striking, Kuiper stopped Hamman via TKO at 2:16 of the second round. A solid win for Kuiper, who rises finally gets his first UFC win (1-1 UFC, 12-1 Overall). For Hamman, it’s another bump in what has been a rocky road, falling to 2-4 in the UFC (13-5 Overall).
Kuiper and Hamman traded early and often at the start of the first round, although Kuiper seemed to be landing the heavier blows. Despite all the heavy punches from both fighters, however, the most influential strike of the match was a low kick landed by Kuiper, in the first round. The kick buckled Hamman’s leg and he announced between rounds that he thought he tore a muscle. With an incredible display of heart Hamman still answered the second round bell. Kuiper capitalized on his opponent’s weakness and bullied him to a stoppage halfway through the bout.
What was the high point of the fight?
There were multiple exciting exchanges throughout the fight, with Hamman falling twice in the second round. But, without a doubt, the strike that impacted the fight the most was the leg kick. Even watching it, you can see Hamman’s leg turn at a very unnatural angle.
Where do they go from here?
Michael Kuiper will have made an good impression on the UFC brass with this win. Dana & Co. love fighters that fearlessly engage, especially those with the ability to finish. Kuiper had the look and style the UFC wants, but a win over Hamman and a loss to Rafael Natal will only get him so far. He’ll need another good showing to really establish himself in the UFC’s Middleweight division.
Jared Hamman has not had an easy road in the UFC. Hamman had the unenviable task of welcoming Light Heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson to the UFC in both fighters’ promotional debut. He lost that fight to The Mauler and two fights and one loss later found himself heading to 185 lbs. The new division looked good fro him as he successfully knocked C.B. Dolloway in his debut. However, he’s now lost his last two fights since then and the UFC only gives so many second chances. On the other hand, the UFC may give him a pass for being injured in the first round.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Watch it later. Overall the fight is fun, but seeing Kuiper brutally beat a wounded Hamman for 5 minutes isn’t as much fun as it sounds.
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