Neil Magny Edges Philip Rowe on Cards

In a scrappy, clinch-filled fight between two tall welterweights,
No. 11 ranked Neil Magny
(28-10) protected his ranking against the surging Philip Rowe
in the featured preliminary bout at
UFC on ABC 5 in Jacksonville (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Magny and Rowe did very little to separate themselves throughout
the fight. Both sported a lanky 6-foot-3 frames and similar braided
hairstyles that made them almost indistinguishable. Rowe found
success with his jab early but Magny’s pace began to show in Round
2. The final period was another back-and-forth stanza that was
tough to judge, but ultimately it would be the Haitian Sensation’s
hand that was raised.

Brown Denies Turman’s Plans at 170

Former middleweight Wellington
Turman had his hands full in his welterweight debut against one
of the division’s lankiest combatants.

Randy
Brown (17-5) edged out Turman (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) to bounce
back from his February loss against Jack Maddalena. Despite the
long frames from both fighters, Brown and Turman spent much of
their fight battling for position in the clinch. Brown found
success against the fence and took the first two rounds with key
takedowns late. Turman (18-7) changed the tide in Round 3 with an
array of sneaky, yet damaging elbows inside. Turman bloodied Brown
and caused his eye to swell, but Brown’s two-round lead was too
much to overcome.

Rebecki Forces Merciful Stoppage of Radzhabov

Mateusz
Rebecki brutally tenderized Loik
Radzhabov’s legs until they were too weak to stand in his
second round TKO stoppage win Saturday.

Rebecki (18-1) has won 15 straight fights and is off to a 2-0 start
in the UFC after following a submission win on
Dana White’s Contender Series last August.

The Polish lightweight showcased his grappling against Radzhabov
(17-5-1) in Round 1 and nearly closed the show with an armbar in
the final 20 seconds. Rebecki wasted little time in the second
frame and viciously battered his man against the cage until referee
James Larry Folsom was forced to step in.

Ricci Advances Winning Streak

Tabatha
Ricci has quickly built a following on her path up the
strawweight rankings.

No.15 ranked Ricci (9-1) added a fourth straight win to her ledger
after decisioning former flyweight Gillian
Robertson (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). “Baby Shark” had some issues
with the game Robertson, but her solid takedown defense and clear
edge in striking gave Ricci the nod on the scorecards. For
Robertson, who was hoping to find a fresh start at strawweight,
she’s forced to go back to the drawing board.

Van Dazzles in Octagon Debut

Joshua
Van looked impressive in his UFC debut. The former Fury Fight
Club prospect took on flyweight veteran Zhalgas
Zhumagulov but wasn’t phased by the experience gap. After a
slow first round, Van (9-1) found his range and punished Zhumagulov
every time he was in distance.

Zhumagulov (14-9) hoped to shake off a three-fight losing streak,
but struggled to match the speed of Van. Zhumagulov’s work in the
clinch, however, did earn the Kazakhstan native a nod on one of the
three scorecards (28-29, 29-28, 29-28). Van was simply too sharp
and could be an interesting addition to the flyweight division.

‘Chepo’ Hits the Brakes on Peek’s Rise

Jose
Mariscal put a halt on Trevor
Peek’s rise in the lightweight division in a fight violent
enough to give ringside viewers contact bruises.

Peek’s offense makes him one of the most exciting prospects in the
UFC, but his lack of defense makes him lunchmeat for sharper
fighters like Mariscal. Mariscal (14-6) cracked Peek with
everything he had but the formerly undefeated prospect wouldn’t
back down. Peek ate shots that would’ve floored most, and returned
the punishment. Despite losing on the cards (30-27, 30-27 30-27),
Peek’s promise as a fan-favorite, action heavy fighter only
grew.

Jenkins Outguns Emmers

Jamall
Emmers vs. Jack
Jenkins proved to be a featherweight barn burner for the 15
minutes it lasted. Emmers and Jenkins traded on the feet and both
fighters found their moments. Emmers, sporting a lanky 5’10 frame,
fought brilliantly on the outside and chopped through Jenkins’
guard with tight one-twos.

Jenkins was relentless with his forward pressure and chopped at
Emmers’ (19-7) legs. All three rounds were tough to score and the
cards reflected that. After 15 minutes of violence, Jenkins (12-2)
won a disputed split decision (27-30 29-28, 29-28) to secure his
consecutive victory.

Dumas Upsets Brundage

After losing his UFC debut by submission, Pensacola, Florida,
native Sedriques
Dumas surprisingly dominated former Colorado state wrestling
runner up Cody
Brundage on the ground, cruising to a unanimous decision win
(30-27, 29-28, 30-27).

Brundage (8-5) took the bout on a week’s notice and looked gassed
throughout the fight. Expecting to obliterate Dumas on the ground,
Brundage tried to sink in a closed guard guillotine multiple times
throughout the match, but Dumas (8-1) routinely slipped his head
out and responded with vicious elbows. Forced to fight from his
back, Brundage was bullied on the ground against the middleweight
prospect and lacked the gas tank to turn the tide.