Phil Hawes looked good tonight at UFC On ESPN 24 as he got the better of Kyle Daukaus on the feet and on the mat to secure a convincing unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
Both fighters throwing early kicks here and one strays to the groin of Daukaus, but he’s ok to continue.
Exchange of punches. Good left hand for Daukaus. Another left gets through for him. Front kick to the body from Hawes.
Hawes with a cuffing left hand over the top. Hawes in on a takedown now and lands it. Daukaus working a choke from his back, but gets caught in a potential Von Flue choke. However, he then sweeps nicely on top.
They work back to the feet and Daukaus looks for a takedown against the cage. He gives up on the takedown for now and lands a knee as he continues to remain in the clinch.
Short punches from both men in close. Hawes with a couple of knees. Daukaus goes in on another takedown attempt, but soon abandons it. Hawes punches out of the clinch, but there’s only a few seconds left in the round.
Round Two:
Push kick to the body from Hawes. Daukaus lands a body punch. Daukaus with a kick and Hawes with a knee to the body.
Daukaus misses a head kick attempt, but then spins into a backfist and it connects. Hawes a bit rocked here as Daukaus looks to capitalize. Hawes able to clinch up though and buy some time to recover.
Daukaus reverses the clinch. They go back to striking range and Daukaus lands a series of punches.
Body punch for Hawes. He lands another. Solid two-piece from Daukaus. Hawes lands solidly to the body again. Right hand for Daukaus.
Hawes lands a heavy right hand and Daukaus clinches up and walks over to the cage. A few punches being exchanged to the leg and body, then they go back to striking range.
Daukaus steps into a knee to the body and then a punch. Front kick to the body from Hawes. Now a punch to the body and tries to work a liver punch too. Knee from Hawes at close range strays to the groin and forces a stoppage.
Back to it they go. Solid left hand for Hawes. Another body punch and one lands upstairs too. Again he goes to the body. And again. Jab from Daukaus.
Heavy right and left hand from Hawes. Now a kick. In close he gets another kick up to the head. Now a left as Hawes stalks his opponent around the cage to end the round.
Round Three:
Left hand for Hawes and now a right lands too. Back to the left he goes. He’s really looking to put the pressure on. Hawes goes for a takedown and lands it.
Daukaus trying to set up a triangle choke, but Hawes brushes that aside and settles into his opponents guard while looking to land ground-and-pound.
Hawes in half-guard now with more than half the final round remaining. Punches to the body and head from him and now an elbow as Daukaus starts to wilt a little. However, Daukaus does then scramble and turtles on his knees, then has to roll to his back again as Hawes continues to maul him from half guard.
Hawes staying busy, but Daukaus is doing his best to try to stifle his offense and manages to do so for the most part in the final minute to take this one to the scorecards.
Decision:
Good performance from Hawes here then, showing both his striking and wrestling skills at times, along with good cardio to earn himself a unanimous decision victory (30-26 x2, 29-27).
