Saturday Night Takeaways: UFC Pittsburgh
UFC Fight Night in Pittsburgh saw a host of finishes on an entertaining night of fights in the Steel City this past weekend. Here’s a breakdown of some of the key takeaways to keep in your back pocket for when the fighters next appear inside the octagon.
Rockhold’s a finisher
- Luke Rockhold’s last SIX wins have all come inside the distance, with four of them coming by way of submission.
- Rockhold hasn’t gone the distance in any bout, win or lose, since his five-round decision victory over Tim Kennedy in Strikeforce in July 2012.
- Rockhold called for Georges St-Pierre to step aside and allow him to fight UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping at UFC 217. He suggested St-Pierre wouldn’t make it to fight night, but St-Pierre has no track record of missing fights.
Platinum wants to face the man who had the gold
- "Platinum" Mike Perry either knocks you out, or he loses. His one defeat came to Alan Jouban via unanimous decision last December, but all 11 of his career wins have come via either KO or TKO. His KO of Alex Reyes at UFC Pittsburgh this weekend was the fastest win of his professional MMA career.
- Perry called for a bout with former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. If that bout comes to pass, the judges can take that fight off. They won’t be needed.
Usman says he’s a ‘problem’ for the welterweight division
- Rising welterweight contender Kamaru Usman extended his winning streak to 10 in a row with his first-round knockout of Sergio Moraes. He’s also 6-0 in the UFC, with those six consecutive wins putting him at the top of the list of active win streaks in the UFC’s welterweight division.
- After the fight, Usman called out former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, who now fights at 170lbs, and was being lined up as a super-sub to stand in against champion Tyron Woodley in the event of Demian Maia pulling out of their recent contest. That’s a very smart call-out.
Gillespie's go-to move
- Fast-rising lightweight prospect Gregor Gillespie’s arm-triangle choke is fast becoming his go-to technique for finishing fights. Of his 10 career wins, four have come via submission, with three of those by way of the arm-triangle (or head-and-arm) choke.
EVENT STATS
Number of fights: 10
Number of finishes: 8
KO/TKOs: 6
Submissions: 2
BONUSES
Fight of the Night: Gregor Gillespie def Jason Gonzalez (both win $50,000)
Performance of the Night: Mike Perry and Uriah Hall (both win $50,000)
[Photo Credit: © Don Wright-USA TODAY Sports / © Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports]
Follow Simon Head on Twitter @simonhead.
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