Not the most thrilling fight to start the UFC Fight Night 93 main card in Hamburg, but Germany’s own Nick Hein does just enough to earn a unanimous decision victory over Tae Hyun Bang.
Round One:
Hein takes the center of the Octagon to start. Cautious stuff from both men as they keep just out of range in the opening minute.
Leg kick from Bang is the first contact of the fight. Hein aims for the body with a punch. Head kick attempt misses for Bang. Soon afterwards it’s Hein who also misses with the kick upstairs.
Punch lands for Hein. Short flurry of strikes land for Bang. Hein lands a right hand and rushes in to take Bang down. He’s working from half guard, but before he can do too much with the position, Bang does nicely to get back upright.
Overhand right lands for Bang. Now a body kick. Both men miss with hooks thrown at the same time. Another exchange of hooks in close.
The round comes to a close without too much in the way of meaningful action.
Round two:
Body kick for Bang and a right hook in response from Hein. Right hand for Bang, but Hein lands a punch of his own as he stumbles to the mat off-balance.
Hein moves into the clinch now and presses Bang against the cage. Knee strike for the German to his opponent’s leg. More knees, but nothing with much power behind it, and they eventually break apart.
Body shot and a punch upstairs from Hein. Both men coming up short with punches as they continue to be quite cautious in their approach. Bang with a head kick attempt that doesn’t connect.
Hein lunges in with a left hand that lands a couple of punches behind it that don’t. Big swing and a miss on the overhand from Hein. Another head kick thrown more in hope than expectation.
Right hand for Bang lands and gets Hein’s attention. Hein suddenly swoops in for a nice trip takedown, though Bang is quickly back up. Hein presses him up against the cage. From the clinch Bang is able to land a nice judo style takedown of his own.
Final body kick from Bang as the round comes to the close, with the crowd booing at the relative lack of action shown so far.
Round Three:
Both men throwing punches, but not finding a home for them. Hein with a front kick upstairs that just misses, but he does score with a left hand.
Nice punch from Bang. Know it’s a straight left from Hein that lands and gets a nod from his opponent. Body kick from Bang.
Both men fire off hooks at close range, but there’s a clash of heads that leaves Bang bleeding from cut above his eye which forces a brief stoppage.
Back to it and despite that clash moments ago they are back to exchanging toe-to-toe. Hard left for Hein and Bang gets put on his heels and stops in his tracks just for a moment, but then gets right back to it.
Both men close to clashing heads again. Hein ducks under a punch and works for a takedown, but it’s Bang who utilizes a judo throw to get the German down for a brief moment.
Hein gets caught with a punch and that must have hurt because he starts to back up for just about the first time in teh fight. Short flurry from Bang. Hein tries to clinch, but Bang drills him with a nice series of short, sharp strikes.
Hein using a lot more movement with Bang now the aggressor. As Bang comes in Hein manages to clip his jaw with a hook. They continue to look to strike as the fight comes to an end.
Decision:
Not a whole lot between the two fighters here, but it’s Hein who’s done enough in the judges eyes to come away with a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 30-28, 30-27).
