Paige VanZant once again showed enormous potential tonight at UFC 191 as she dominated Alex Chambers with her relentless pace and aggressive clinch work before finishing her off in the third round with a slick armbar submission.
Round One:
PVZ out quickly and closing the distance. Chambers with punches, but PVZ gets to the clinch. Chambers breaks free. Chambers with a kick to the body.
Chambers closes in again and starts throwing strikes in close, but Chambers is returning fire. PVZ presses her opponent up against the cage. They jockey for position. PVZ lands an uppercut and a good knee to the body. Nos she moves away to the center of the Octagon again.
Leg kick from VanZant. She lands a right hook. Right hand gets through for Chambers and then PVZ goes back reaching for the clinch. Each time she does so Chambers is able to land some strikes though.
Chambers reaches down looking for a takedown, but PVZ stuffs it and reverses the position. Now PVZ lands a nice hip-toss takedown. Doesn’t opt to work there though and quickly gets back to her feet after just a brief taste of ground and pound.
PVZ working back in the clinch against the cage. Chambers lands a few punches. They split and PVZ continues to push the pace. Leg kick for Chambers. Superman punch attempt from PVZ and then into that clinch yet again. She lands a good knee to the body. Another knee lands now. Another one and Chambers reaches for a single leg. Now Chambers is on the mat trying for a leg lock, but there’s nothing doing.
Chambers back up and straight back into PVZ’s clinch. she lands one last knee to the midsection to end the round.
Round Two:
Push kick from PVZ. Right hook and now a body kick. She gets the thai clinch, lands a hard knee and then muscles her opponent to the cage.
They separate and PVZ just keeps coming forward, throws a few strikes then is into the clinch against the other side of the cage. Relentless pressure from the 21 year-old here. She’s in the muay thai clinch again and utilizing more knees there. Chambers own offense from these positions has diminished as the fight has gone on.
Continuing in the clinch, PVZ tries to get Chambers to the mat. It doesn’t pay off first time, but she continues working for it and Chambers does briefly go to the mat. Back up she gets, but PVZ almost has her back and thinks about a submission, but lets it go. Knee and good elbows from PVZ now as she really starts to break Chambers down.
Punches and knees from PVZ and Chambers staggers away against the cage. She’s struggling now and PVZ realizes it, turning up the heat with more strikes as Chambers sinks to the mat. It looks like Chambers is almost about to give in, but she digs deep and stands back up. PVZ just continuing to batter her though and the bell saves Chambers from further punishment. Just all Paige VanZant at this stage.
Round Three:
VanZant immediately throwing rangey punches as she presses forward, though she gets tagged with a shot on the way in. Chambers sinks to the mat looking for a submission, but there’s nothing there. The ref stands them back up.
PVZ straight forward to the clinch, Chambers down to the mat again, but it’s VanZant who’s working for a possible choke. She opts to go for ground and pound instead and then slickly spins into an armbar and a clearly in pain Chambers frantically taps. Great submission victory by VanZant at 1.01mins of the third round to cap off a dominant victory.
