The UFC Atlanta prelims featured a wild back-and-forth battle between gritty welterweights.
UFC welterweights Phil Rowe and Ange Loosa treated fans to a roller coaster ride during the UFC Atlanta prelims.
Rowe and Loosa helped kick off the action at UFC Atlanta, headlined by a star-studded main event between two rising welterweight contenders. But hours before the welterweight headliners were set to walk to the Octagon, Rowe and Loosa helped bring an early spotlight to the division during the UFC’s long-awaited return to Atlanta.
As he looked to snap a two-fight losing skid, Rowe stole the show at UFC Atlanta, albeit while suffering some early-round adversity.
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Phil Rowe uses one hand to pin Ange Loosa while using the other hand to knock him out at UFC Atlanta
Rowe vs. Loosa was a prototypical ‘striker vs. grappler’ matchup in the welterweight division. Loosa proved this early on, as he repeatedly found success with his grappling and gave Rowe fits in Rounds 1 and 2.
Loosa dropped Rowe late in Round 2 and put his opponent on the verge of a TKO loss. But Rowe was able to survive Loosa’s ground-and-pound pressure to make it to the third and final round.
With Loosa visibly exhausted to kick off Round 3, Rowe smelled blood in the water, stalking Loosa on the feet and wobbling him with his technical boxing. During the exchanges, Loosa lost his mouthpiece, which was missed by referee Brent McKeehan in the third round.
As Loosa backpedaled, Rowe cornered Loosa against the cage, before using his left hand to hold Loosa’s head still as he attempted to land additional damaging blows. While pinning Loosa, Rowe utilized his right hand to repeatedly land approximately 10 punches to Loosa’s jaw that left him in deep trouble late.
Despite dropping the first two rounds of the fight on the judges’ scorecards, Rowe rallied in Round 3 to earn a brutal TKO finish and snap his recent skid. Check out Rowe’s highlight-reel finish below.
UFC Atlanta marked the return of a welterweight legend
The victory marked the latest finish of Rowe’s career (R3, 4:03) as he earned his first TKO/KO victory since a 2022 win over Niko Price. Before UFC Atlanta, Rowe lost back-to-back fights to Neil Magny and Jake Matthews.
UFC Atlanta marked the long-awaited comeback of former champion Kamaru Usman, who returned to the division he once reigned over against Joaquin Buckley. Buckley entered UFC Atlanta on a lengthy win streak since making the full-time move to 170 lbs.
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