Niklas Backstrom upset Tom Niininaki tonight in the opening fight of the main card at UFC Fight Night 41, tapping him out with a choke in the first round.
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Round One:
Backstrom with a leg kick to start. He doesn’t have time to do much else though a Niinimaki manages to secure an early takedown.
‘Stoneface’ moves into half guard, but Backstrom gets back up. Niinimaki still clinched with him though and drags him back down. Backstrom on his knees shuffles over to the cage and stands up.
Niinimaki with a knee and then looks to get another takedown. Backstrom defending, but is back down on his knees. Back up again, but ‘Stoneface’ is still locked on to his legs.
In the end Stoneface gives up on the attempt and Backstrom spins him around against the cage. Niinimaki tries to go for a trip, but ends up stumbling himself.
Back up again Stoneface perhaps thinking about a takedown again when suddenly Backstrom jumps up with a guillotine choke falls back to the mat with it. Dangerous moments for Niinimaki, but he stays patient and escapes.
Backstrom steps forward and lands a big knee that clearly hurts Niinimaki. Stoneface now desperately looking for a takedown, but Backstrom goes for the old schoolyard headlock and pulls him down to the mat.
He’s holding onto this choke and it looks tight and Niinimaki is forced to tap with 4.15mins of the first round gone. Big win for the underdog here!
