UFC 206: Max Holloway vs. Anthony PettisDec 11, 2016 by FloCombat Staff
UFC 206 Results: Holloway Stops Pettis, Swanson & Choi Tear the House Down
UFC 206 Results: Holloway Stops Pettis, Swanson & Choi Tear the House Down
UFC 206 brought the thunder to Canada Saturday evening. Here's what happened at the Holloway vs. Pettis fight card.
After a crazy build-up littered with fight changes, late injuries and fighters missing weight, UFC 206 took place at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada, Saturday evening, providing another wild night of MMA action.
Max Holloway def. Anthony Pettis via TKO (punches) Round 3, 4:50
In the main event, Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis were supposed to fight for the UFC interim featherweight title, but after Pettis missed the 145-pound weight limit Friday, only Holloway was eligible to win the belt on the night.
Regardless of the title situation, fight fans around the world were still eagerly anticipating this clash between two of the UFC's most exciting and flamboyant strikers, and after it was all said and done it was easy to see why.
Round one was very tight, as both men looked to find their range, with Pettis landing kicks early while Holloway later looked to get his boxing going at closer range.
After a tense opening five minutes, Holloway began to work his counter jab very well, and he put Pettis on his backside early with a clipping blow. The Hawaiian let Pettis back to his feet, and the rest of the round saw him land more smooth counter jabs as Pettis looked to be creative with his kicks. Pettis looked for a takedown late in the round, but his attempts were stuffed easily by Holloway.
Pettis' right eye was starting to look ugly at the beginning of round three, but his groin was the more immediate concern, as Holloway landed low with a kick.
After a brief pause in the action, the fight got back underway, and a pattern began to emerge, as Holloway continued to counter well off Pettis' forward attacks as he peppered him with punches to both head and body.
With the end of the third round approaching, the fight was sealed. Holloway landed a stiff kick to the midsection and a follow up straight right that landed flush. Pettis crumpled back into the cage and Holloway poured on the strikes with left and right hooks flying in from all angles. The referee saw Pettis was in no position to defend himself and waved the fight off.
Max Holloway is the new UFC interim featherweight champion and will likely go on to face Jose Aldo in a title unification bout in 2017.
Donald Cerrone def Matt Brown via KO (head kick), Round 3, 0:34
The co-main event of the evening saw Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Matt Brown go at it in an intriguing welterweight clash.
The fight began with both men boxing intelligently and using stiff kicks to both the legs and body to work into range. Cerrone had success with two head kicks, but the most intriguing part of the round came when Brown slipped to the mat and somehow used it to his advantage as he came close with a triangle choke.
Cerrone wriggled out before Brown could lock it completely in, but before the end of the round Brown landed a big kick to the body.
Both men were really in the groove in round two, each finding success with stiff punches and scoring flash knockdowns. As the round wore on, Cerrone appeared to be handling the pace the better of the two, and Brown's face started to mark up with cuts around both of his eyes.
After a close opening two rounds, round three brought as definitive finish as you'll ever see. After touching gloves and hugging as a mark of respect, Cerrone landed a monstrous head kick to send Brown to the mat unconscious in the most brutal fashion imaginable. It was a remarkable ending to another barn burner of a fight.
Cub Swanson def. Doo Ho Choi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
The "People's Main Event'" of the evening saw Cub Swanson take on the babyfaced South Korean Doo Ho Choi in a featherweight battle of the young gun taking on the old master.
Both went at it from the opening bell, intelligently slipping each other's punches and countering well with stiff hooks and jabs. Both men had their moments in a tight opening round where there was little to choose between the two men.
While round one was good, round two was sensational. Swanson opened the aggressor, rocking Choi was a massive combination of punches and dropping him near the cage. The South Korean somehow rallied and fought back and landed big shots of his own to turn the tables and send the American staggering down to the mat. Choi unloaded on Swanson against the cage looking for the finish, but the American survived and by the end of the round had the Korean in all sorts of trouble again as the round ended with the crowd going insane.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MMA_Jim/status/807805136760356864" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Round thee started, and it was just as crazy as the previous. Both men left it all in the cage as they traded massive blows in the pocket. Swanson again looked to have Choi finished, but the "Korean Superboy" somehow powered through with blood gushing from his nose and mouth.
With one minute to go, the crowd was on its feet for both men, and it was Swanson who poured forward landing a huge superman punch with Choi pushed against the cage. After a few follow up shots Choi hit the mat again and Swanson poured on the ground and pound as the clock ran out.
Every man and woman in the arena finished the fight on their feet and roared as the fight came to a close. The judges gave it to Swanson on the scorecards 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, but really the real winners were the people around the world who got to witness one of the most incredible fights in UFC history. Incredible scenes at Air Canada Centre.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MMA_Jim/status/807807558442512386" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Kelvin Gastelum def. Tim Kennedy via TKO (punches), Round 3, 2:45
American Tim Kennedy returned to the Octagon for the first time in two years last evening, taking on Kelvin Gastelum in a bruising middleweight battle.
Kennedy looked to have the advantage early on in the grappling exchanges, but as the minutes ticked by, Gastelum grew in confidence as he landed some hefty blows to the right eye of his opponent.
Round two followed a similar pattern emerged as Kennedy again looked to grapple Gastelum to the mat. Twenty-six months outside of the Octagon really started to look like it was taking its toll by the end of round two, though, as Gastelum again started to catch Kennedy with big shots.
Gastelum came out in round three looking to finish his man, and he poured on the offense with big hooks and head kicks landing flush as Kennedy staggered around the Octagon. Kennedy bravely fought on throwing back the occasional punch, but it was really all one-way traffic.
After taking multiple flush shots to the face, Kennedy finally crumbled after a massive left hook. It was a violent ending to an extended beatdown. It was a great performance by Gastelum who proved he's going to be a force to contend with at middleweight.
Emil Weber Meek def. Jordan Mein via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
The pay-per-view opened with the returning Jordan Mein taking on Norway's own, Emil Weber Meek. The Norwegian came into the bout with a ton of hype following a highly unexpected win against Brazilian wrecking machine Rousimar Palhares earlier in the year on the European circuit.
Like many of the fights that had gone before, the action started a frenetic pace with both men mixing up hard strikes with desperate takedown attempts. Mein tried on several occasions to take the fight to the ground, but Meek repelled him and caught him hard late in the first with a one-two combination.
In round two, the fight slowed down in pace as Meek got an early takedown and slowly worked into position for a head-and-arm choke. Mein managed to wriggle free but took punishment in the form of ground-and-pound as he did.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/UFCEurope/status/807789327212167168" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
With it likely one apiece heading into round three, it was all down to the final five minutes, and it was Meek who got the all-important takedown midway through the round.
From there, the Norwegian controlled Mein again on the mat and managed to see out time avoiding a late submission attempt on the way a unanimous decision victory and a win on his UFC debut.
Misha Cirkunov def. Nikita Krylov via submission (guillotine), Round 1, 4:38
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Drew Dober via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:57
Viviane Pereira def. Valerie Letourneau via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Matthew Lopez def. Mitch Gagnon via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Lando Vannata def. John Makdessi via KO (head kick), Round 1, 1:40
Rustam Khabilov def. Jason Saggo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dustin Ortiz def. Zach Makovsky via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Max Holloway def. Anthony Pettis via TKO (punches) Round 3, 4:50
In the main event, Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis were supposed to fight for the UFC interim featherweight title, but after Pettis missed the 145-pound weight limit Friday, only Holloway was eligible to win the belt on the night.
Regardless of the title situation, fight fans around the world were still eagerly anticipating this clash between two of the UFC's most exciting and flamboyant strikers, and after it was all said and done it was easy to see why.
Round one was very tight, as both men looked to find their range, with Pettis landing kicks early while Holloway later looked to get his boxing going at closer range.
After a tense opening five minutes, Holloway began to work his counter jab very well, and he put Pettis on his backside early with a clipping blow. The Hawaiian let Pettis back to his feet, and the rest of the round saw him land more smooth counter jabs as Pettis looked to be creative with his kicks. Pettis looked for a takedown late in the round, but his attempts were stuffed easily by Holloway.
Pettis' right eye was starting to look ugly at the beginning of round three, but his groin was the more immediate concern, as Holloway landed low with a kick.
After a brief pause in the action, the fight got back underway, and a pattern began to emerge, as Holloway continued to counter well off Pettis' forward attacks as he peppered him with punches to both head and body.
With the end of the third round approaching, the fight was sealed. Holloway landed a stiff kick to the midsection and a follow up straight right that landed flush. Pettis crumpled back into the cage and Holloway poured on the strikes with left and right hooks flying in from all angles. The referee saw Pettis was in no position to defend himself and waved the fight off.
Max Holloway is the new UFC interim featherweight champion and will likely go on to face Jose Aldo in a title unification bout in 2017.
Donald Cerrone def Matt Brown via KO (head kick), Round 3, 0:34
The co-main event of the evening saw Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Matt Brown go at it in an intriguing welterweight clash.
The fight began with both men boxing intelligently and using stiff kicks to both the legs and body to work into range. Cerrone had success with two head kicks, but the most intriguing part of the round came when Brown slipped to the mat and somehow used it to his advantage as he came close with a triangle choke.
Cerrone wriggled out before Brown could lock it completely in, but before the end of the round Brown landed a big kick to the body.
Both men were really in the groove in round two, each finding success with stiff punches and scoring flash knockdowns. As the round wore on, Cerrone appeared to be handling the pace the better of the two, and Brown's face started to mark up with cuts around both of his eyes.
After a close opening two rounds, round three brought as definitive finish as you'll ever see. After touching gloves and hugging as a mark of respect, Cerrone landed a monstrous head kick to send Brown to the mat unconscious in the most brutal fashion imaginable. It was a remarkable ending to another barn burner of a fight.
Cub Swanson def. Doo Ho Choi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
The "People's Main Event'" of the evening saw Cub Swanson take on the babyfaced South Korean Doo Ho Choi in a featherweight battle of the young gun taking on the old master.
Both went at it from the opening bell, intelligently slipping each other's punches and countering well with stiff hooks and jabs. Both men had their moments in a tight opening round where there was little to choose between the two men.
While round one was good, round two was sensational. Swanson opened the aggressor, rocking Choi was a massive combination of punches and dropping him near the cage. The South Korean somehow rallied and fought back and landed big shots of his own to turn the tables and send the American staggering down to the mat. Choi unloaded on Swanson against the cage looking for the finish, but the American survived and by the end of the round had the Korean in all sorts of trouble again as the round ended with the crowd going insane.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MMA_Jim/status/807805136760356864" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Round thee started, and it was just as crazy as the previous. Both men left it all in the cage as they traded massive blows in the pocket. Swanson again looked to have Choi finished, but the "Korean Superboy" somehow powered through with blood gushing from his nose and mouth.
With one minute to go, the crowd was on its feet for both men, and it was Swanson who poured forward landing a huge superman punch with Choi pushed against the cage. After a few follow up shots Choi hit the mat again and Swanson poured on the ground and pound as the clock ran out.
Every man and woman in the arena finished the fight on their feet and roared as the fight came to a close. The judges gave it to Swanson on the scorecards 30-27, 30-27, 29-28, but really the real winners were the people around the world who got to witness one of the most incredible fights in UFC history. Incredible scenes at Air Canada Centre.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MMA_Jim/status/807807558442512386" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Kelvin Gastelum def. Tim Kennedy via TKO (punches), Round 3, 2:45
American Tim Kennedy returned to the Octagon for the first time in two years last evening, taking on Kelvin Gastelum in a bruising middleweight battle.
Kennedy looked to have the advantage early on in the grappling exchanges, but as the minutes ticked by, Gastelum grew in confidence as he landed some hefty blows to the right eye of his opponent.
Round two followed a similar pattern emerged as Kennedy again looked to grapple Gastelum to the mat. Twenty-six months outside of the Octagon really started to look like it was taking its toll by the end of round two, though, as Gastelum again started to catch Kennedy with big shots.
Gastelum came out in round three looking to finish his man, and he poured on the offense with big hooks and head kicks landing flush as Kennedy staggered around the Octagon. Kennedy bravely fought on throwing back the occasional punch, but it was really all one-way traffic.
After taking multiple flush shots to the face, Kennedy finally crumbled after a massive left hook. It was a violent ending to an extended beatdown. It was a great performance by Gastelum who proved he's going to be a force to contend with at middleweight.
Emil Weber Meek def. Jordan Mein via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
The pay-per-view opened with the returning Jordan Mein taking on Norway's own, Emil Weber Meek. The Norwegian came into the bout with a ton of hype following a highly unexpected win against Brazilian wrecking machine Rousimar Palhares earlier in the year on the European circuit.
Like many of the fights that had gone before, the action started a frenetic pace with both men mixing up hard strikes with desperate takedown attempts. Mein tried on several occasions to take the fight to the ground, but Meek repelled him and caught him hard late in the first with a one-two combination.
In round two, the fight slowed down in pace as Meek got an early takedown and slowly worked into position for a head-and-arm choke. Mein managed to wriggle free but took punishment in the form of ground-and-pound as he did.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/UFCEurope/status/807789327212167168" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
With it likely one apiece heading into round three, it was all down to the final five minutes, and it was Meek who got the all-important takedown midway through the round.
From there, the Norwegian controlled Mein again on the mat and managed to see out time avoiding a late submission attempt on the way a unanimous decision victory and a win on his UFC debut.
Misha Cirkunov def. Nikita Krylov via submission (guillotine), Round 1, 4:38
Olivier Aubin-Mercier def. Drew Dober via submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:57
Viviane Pereira def. Valerie Letourneau via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Matthew Lopez def. Mitch Gagnon via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Lando Vannata def. John Makdessi via KO (head kick), Round 1, 1:40
Rustam Khabilov def. Jason Saggo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Dustin Ortiz def. Zach Makovsky via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)