The UFC 278 main card is underway, and Salt Lake City fans didn’t have to wait too long for a finish. Light heavyweight Tyson Pedro made short work of Harry Hunsucker, while Lucie Pudilova’s return to the UFC was a triumphant one against Wu Yanan. Here’s how the fights played out.
Lucie Pudilova def. Wu Yanan by TKO (strikes) at 4:04 of Round 2 – Women’s Bantamweights
Pudilova wasted very little time shooting for a double leg takedown. Wu stopped Pudilova from taking her down and they returned to the center of the cage. The next shot by Pudilova resulted in a completed takedown and then a hard right hand on the ground. Pudilova had top pressure in side control. Not much was happening so Pudilova threw an elbow or two just to stay busy. Pudilova tried passing to full mount but was too high, so the Czech athlete instead attacked the back. Wu Yanan returned to her feet but obviously lost the round.
Wu threw several kicks in the second round but in terms of landing anything damaging it just wasn’t happening. It was still more than the tepid display of striking from Pudilova. Luckily for her, the head-and-arm throw got the Chinese fighter down, and she expertly spun to the back and threatened a rear-naked choke. She backed out of that and just rained down massive elbows from full mount and back mount. No response or intelligent defense meant a TKO win for Pudilova in her return to the UFC. Wu Yanan has now lost four in a row.
Tyson Pedro def. Harry Hunsucker by TKO (strikes) at 1:05 of Round 1 – Light Heavyweights
This was not a competitive fight on paper and it played out as such. Pedro hurt Hunsucker with a jab, and he sensed a finish was coming. Hunsucker collapsed in a heap when Pedro punted him in the gut with a wicked front kick. It’s a second win in a row for Pedro after a four-year absence from competition, and Hunsucker’s UFC career is surely over after dropping his third straight.
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