Ray Borg dominated Louis Smolka on the feet and particularly on the mat tonight at UFC 207 en-route to a convincing unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
Circling to start from both men. Smolka pumps out the jab in rapid-fire fashion as he attempts to establish his range.
Borg clinches up in the center of the cage and lands a knee. Smolka catches one of his legs and then opts to just push him away.
Head kick attempt from Borg, but he slips and then creates space with an upkick to get back to his feet. Smolka looking to put him to the mat, but Borg manages to end up on top.
Borg looking for a possible d’arce choke here. Smolka able to keep clear of that and almost transitions on top again, but Borg re-establishes himself in top control.
Smolka stands momentarily, but Borg slams him back down to the mat. Borg taking his back now. Smolka bleeding from a cut close to his right eye that came from an earlier elbow.
There’s a scramble and Borg works on an omaplata submission. Smolka gets free of that, but Borg stays on top and lands some solid ground and pound strikes in the closing stages of the round.
Round Two:
Borg with a heavy body kick to start the second round. Borg neatly avoids a punch with good head movement. Leg kick for Borg and a counter punch from Smolka.
Nice uppercut for Borg. He transitions to the back clinch and takes Smolka to the mat. Nice scramble from Smolka and almost gains a dominant position, but Borg recovers and gets back on top.
Borg gets to mount, but Smolka then threatens with a leg kick, which puts his opponent in defense mode. Not for long though as Borg gets himself free and drops a big punch down on Smolka, then goes back to grappling.
Borg in half-guard and almost gets the back. Now he’s looking for an arm triangle submission. Smolka scrambles to his feet, but Borg is still on him.
First attempt from Borg to get him back down doesn’t quite work out, but he’s successful on the second attempt and gets his head free from a hopeful guillotine choke from his opponent.
Borg finishes the round on top landing a few ground and pound blows.
Round Three:
Inbetween rounds Borg told his corner he thinks he broke his ankle, but he has no intention of quitting.
Into the clinch they go. Borg presses Smolka against the cage and works for the takedown. Smolka does his best to stay upright, but Borg keeps working and puts him flat on his back.
Smolka throws up his legs looking for a possible submission, then settles for rolling to his knees. Borg gladly attempts to take his back, but Smolka rolls to his back again to prevent that.
Borg working an arm triangle submission again and this time he shifts over to the other side to lock it up. It looks good, but Smolka is staying calm. It’s an awkward position as Borg is right up against the cage here and in the end he bails on the attempt and steps back into full mount.
Soon after Smolka’s crafty scrambling enables him to get back up to his feet, but Borg continues to press him up against the cage. Borg takes the back clinch and then tries to jump up onto his opponent, but he slips back off and falls to the mat.
Before Smolka can capitalize, Borg is back up and grappling with him again.
Final seconds of the round and they decide to start trading blows. Borg with a crafty spinning elbow as Smolka clinches up, and that’s the last action of the round.
Decision:
Very assured grappling display from Borg here as he earns himself a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-26 x2).
