Arman Tsarukyan largely controlled his fight with Joaquim Silva tonight at UFC On ESPN 47, but did suffer a scare when he was rocked by a left hook in the second round, before rallying strongly to deliver a third round TKO finish.
Round One:
Head kick attempt from Silva misses. He goes for it again but it comes of the guard. He does land a body kick though.
Silva lands a low kick, but Tsarukyan catches it quickly and takes him down from it. Tsarukyan in Silva’s guard up close to the cage.
Tsarukyan with good control on top here and a little ground-and-pound. Silva attempting to stand and Tsarukyan goes around to his back with one hook in. Punches to the ribs from Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan puls Silva down onto him for a moment then they scramble with Silva trying to stand against the cage. Final few seconds of the round as Silva gets upright Tsarukyan lands elbows and a knee to the chest.
Round Two:
Body kick for Tsarukyan. Silva throws a punch but Tsarukyan is backing up rapidly. Solid kicks land from Tsarukyan.
Another body kick for Tsarukyan. Right hand from Silva lands. Tsarukyan just misses with an uppercut. Tsarukyan drives into the clinch against the cage.
They break free and go back to striking range. Nice left hook from Tsarukyan. Calf kick for him. Now a body kick. Brief cinch and Tsarukyan landed a hook before they broke free.
Missed hooks from Silva. Elbow strike from Silva. Axe kick from Tsarukyan just glancing the target. Tsarukyan works into the clinch against the cage. Silva lands a knee to the body. Silva able to get away from the clinch.
Calf kick for Tsarukyan. Now a body kick. Jab for Tsarukyan and Silva lands a punch. Silva lands a big left hook and Tsarukyan is wobbled by that and eats a right hand too. Worrying moments for him but on unsteady legs he manages to bring Silva down.
Tsarukyan getting some time to clear the cobwebs here in Silva’s guard. Then he throws out a little ground-and-pound.
Round Three:
Head kick attempt from Silva misses, as does Tsarukyan’s. Tsarukyan misses an axe kick but connects with a body kick and now works his way into the clinch. Silva with an elbow. Tsarukyan working hard for the takedown and eventually does nicely bring him down.
Tsarukyan in Silva’s guard and crushes him up against the cage. Light ground-and-pound. Silva scrambles to his knees and stands, then gets back to striking range.
Straight punches from Tsarukyan. Now a spinning backfist into a body kick from Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan with a big takedown and Silva landed on his head and seems a bit dazed as Tsarukyan rattles him with big ground-and-pound. Heavy elbow lands but Silva somehow hanging in there.
Tsarukyan moves into full mount and blasts Silva with heavy hammerfists. Silva on the verge of being knocked out here as the ref rightly dives in to save him from further punishment. Good TKO finish for Tsarukyan at 3.25mins of the final round.