UFC light heavyweight Tuco Tokkos overcame multiple mid-fight obstacles at UFC Nashville.
UFC Nashville featured plenty of highlight-reel finishes in every facet of Mixed Martial Arts. From stunning knockouts, to slick submissions, the UFC’s return to Music City didn’t disappoint.
To kick off the UFC Nashville main card, light heavyweights Tuco Tokkos and Junior Tafa squared off in one of the wildest fights of the night.
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Tuco Tokkos overcame dislocated shoulder, near-knockout to submit Junior Tafa
Tokkos had his way early in Round 1 with his wrestling and slick grappling transitions. He left the light heavyweight debutant Tafa frustrated with his Octagon control and wrestling strength.
But Tafa found some momentum at the end of Round 1 with a beautiful reversal followed up by big ground-and-pound shots as the round concluded. Tokkos looked visibly exhausted as he walked back to his corner in between rounds.
As the second round kicked off, Tafa continued to put his foot on the gas pedal with a crafty kickboxing arsenal. But Tokkos was able to withstand Tafa’s barrage and secure another big takedown, finishing the fight with nearly 8 minutes of control time.
As the second ticked in Round 2, Tokkos closed the show with an arm-triangle choke.
It was an impressive, gritty performance by Tokkos as he snapped a recent two-fight losing skid. But in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, Tokkos revealed that he suffered a mid-fight shoulder dislocation at some point during the bout.
Despite the mid-fight hindrance, Tokkos was able to trap Tafa in a nasty submission and kick off the UFC Nashville main card in style.
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Tuco Tokkos adds to finish-heavy event at UFC Nashville
It was an eventful night at UFC Nashville with plenty of jaw-dropping finishes inside the Octagon. UFC strawweight prospect Fatima Kline kicked off the action with a brutal head kick knockout on her 25th birthday.
UFC heavyweight Valter Walker continued the stoppage trend with his third-straight heel hook submission win on the UFC Nashville prelims. UFC flyweight Lauren Murphy fought valiantly despite a loss in her retirement fight.
Tokkos returned to the win column after recent losses to Navajo Stirling and Oumar Sy. Tafa was making his 205lb debut after fighting for the majority of his career at heavyweight.
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