Technically Mateusz Gamrot beat Rafael Fiziev by TKO tonight at UFC Fight Night 228, but it wasn’t in the way he would have hoped as what appeared to be a freak knee injury to his opponent while throwing a kick left him unable to continue.
Round One:
The lightweight main event is underway in Las Vegas.
They circle just out of range to start. Jab lands for Gamrot. Fiziev with a reaching punch to the body. Leg kick for him.
Leg kick for Gamrot. He misses on a head kick attempt. Fiziev comes up sort with a kick of his own.
Jab and a left hook from Gamrot. He goes for a leg kick now. Gamrot steps in with a punch, but Fiziev immediately fires back with a powerful flurry of punches in return.
Hard one-two connects for Fiziev. Gamrot drives in for a takedown and hoists Fiziev’s leg way above his head, but is unable to knock him off-balance.
Back to striking range. Right hand lands for Gamrot. He gets anothher through. Body punch for Fiziev. Leg kick from Gamrot.
Body kick from Fiziev. Now one from Gamrot. Push kick from Fiziev. Solid strike lands for Fiziev. Now Gamrot with a nice punch. Final seconds of the round and Gamrot is suddenly working very hard to get a takedown. Fiziev showing very good balance though and still defending this as the round ends.
Round Two:
Jab for Gamrot. Body kick from Fiziev and Gamrot works for a takedown. It doesn’t work out straight away, but he keeps the pressure high by chaining the attempts and does get him down at the third attempt. Fiziev immediately looking to stand though, working his way over the cage and getting to his feet.
Gamrot still clinched up though and trying for a single-leg. Fiziev does well to escape though and get back to his feet.
Fiziev throws a right kick but his left knee buckles in the process and it looks like he’s hurt himself badly as a result as he yells in pain as he drops down to the mat. He’s not going to recover from that so the fight is over, with Gamrot getting the TKO victory due to what appears to be a freak knee injury while throwing that kick at 2.03mins of the 2nd round.
That’s a very unfortunate way to end what was shaping up to be a good fight, and now there will be an anxious wait to find out just how badly injured Fiziev’s knee is, and hope long it may keep him out of the Octagon for.
