Evan Dunham showed once again that he's one of the best young lightweights in mixed martial arts Saturday at UFC 115, defeating Tyson Griffin in an impressive split decision.
The fight started out with a couple minutes of good stand-up action, with Griffin showing off some of the best takedown defense you'll ever see early in the first round, hopping around the Octagon on one foot while Dunham grabbed onto his other leg and tried to force him to the canvas. Griffin then landed a series of leg kicks that hurt Dunham before Dunham found his range and started to take advantage of his superior reach.
Late in the first Dunham took Griffin down, got his back and tried to sink in a rear-naked choke, but Griffin did a nice job of staying out of trouble and was never in any real danger before the horn sounded to end an action-packed round.
Early in the second Dunham took Griffin down again, and throughout the round Dunham controlled the pace of the fight, although Griffin showed incredible leg strength in twice standing up while Dunham was on his back. By the end of the second round, Randy Couture, who was in Griffin's corner, was telling Griffin he needed a third-round knockout if he was going to win the fight.
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But Griffin didn't get the knockout. In the third Dunham put on a jiu jitsu clinic, controlling Griffin throughout the round to clinch the decision. The judges scored it 30-27 and 29-28 for Dunham and 29-28 for Griffin; the fact that one judge gave it to Griffin was a major surprise.
The 28-year-old Dunham, who improved his record to 11-0, showed once again why so many MMA observers are so excited about what he can accomplish. He's a star in the making.
The fight started out with a couple minutes of good stand-up action, with Griffin showing off some of the best takedown defense you'll ever see early in the first round, hopping around the Octagon on one foot while Dunham grabbed onto his other leg and tried to force him to the canvas. Griffin then landed a series of leg kicks that hurt Dunham before Dunham found his range and started to take advantage of his superior reach.
Late in the first Dunham took Griffin down, got his back and tried to sink in a rear-naked choke, but Griffin did a nice job of staying out of trouble and was never in any real danger before the horn sounded to end an action-packed round.
Early in the second Dunham took Griffin down again, and throughout the round Dunham controlled the pace of the fight, although Griffin showed incredible leg strength in twice standing up while Dunham was on his back. By the end of the second round, Randy Couture, who was in Griffin's corner, was telling Griffin he needed a third-round knockout if he was going to win the fight.
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But Griffin didn't get the knockout. In the third Dunham put on a jiu jitsu clinic, controlling Griffin throughout the round to clinch the decision. The judges scored it 30-27 and 29-28 for Dunham and 29-28 for Griffin; the fact that one judge gave it to Griffin was a major surprise.
The 28-year-old Dunham, who improved his record to 11-0, showed once again why so many MMA observers are so excited about what he can accomplish. He's a star in the making.