Beneil Dariush controlled Tony Ferguson on the mat for long periods tonight at UFC 262 on his way to a convincing decision victory.
Round One:
Ferguson moves into range and gets caught by a straight punch from Dariush. Dariush bursts forward with a punch and then a leg kick. Nice combo.
Kick from Ferguson. Dariush misses on a punch. Dariush darts into an early takedown attempt, but Ferguson steps aside.
Dariush driving forward. He lands kick. Now a punch. Lots of pressure from Dariush and he uses punches to set up a takedown attempt and lands it.
Ferguson tries to make space and then lands an upkick, but Dariush is quickly back on top. Dariush looking to settle here, but Ferguson’s trying to get his crafty ground game going as he looks for a possible triangle choke.
Dariush stays calm and gets free of his legs and starts to work from full guard, landing some ground and pound.
Ferguson thinking about a kimura, but Dariush gets to half-guard. Potential leg lock attempt from Ferguson, but Dariush avoids that and is back in full guard and then to half again. He wraps an arm under the neck and lays heavily on the former interim champ. A few punches from Dariush to end the round.
Ferguson shoves Dariush away after the bell.
Round Two:
Leg kick for Dariush. Front kick to the body for Ferguson. Dariush throwing hands as he rushes into a takedown attempt and lands it.
Ferguson immediately working a d’arce choke. Dariush remaining patient here as Ferguson stays on this choke, but the positioning makes it tricky to finish and eventually he gets his head free.
Dariush now in full guard and immediately landing some nice ground-and-pound strikes. Aggressive work from Dariush and making some clean connections here.
Dariush postures over Ferguson and then back down again, getting half-guard now. Good work from Ferguson as he scrambles up, but then Dariush drops bac kdown working a heel hook.
Ferguson is grimacing in pain here. Nasty stuff, but he’s just not willing to quit though and instead starts landing heel kicks with his other leg.
Dariush opts to abandon the leg lock attempt and instead gets back on top. He’s in half-guard and smothers him.
30 seconds left in the round. A couple of elbows from Ferguson from the bottom. Ferguson tries to transition, but he can’t get Dariush off him as the round comes to an end.
Round Three:
Front kick attempt from Ferguson, but Dariush lands and Ferguson moves awkwardly, suggesting the heel hook from the previous round really did damage him.
Dariush driving into a takedown against the cage and Ferguson threatens with a guillotine, but Dariush slams him down to the mat.
North south position her with Ferguson’s legs up against the cage. Dariush staying tight to him here. Dariush carefully trying to move to side control here. It’s trick though with the way Ferguson is positioned.
Dariush does get to side control eventually and still has half the round remaining. Dariush grinding his elbow into Ferguson’s face. Back to north-south now.
Side control again now and Dariush has an arm wrapped under the neck. Ferguson trying for a submission from bottom, but Dariush is able to pass to mount, but then back to side control on the other side.
Ferguson brings him back to his full guard. Dariush with a couple of left hooks on the mat. He lands a little bit more ground-and-pound to end the round.
Decision:
No doubt about the winner here as Dariush dominated from start to finish. He was aggressive on the feet when needed, but it was his wrestling that bossed the action for large periods of time to earn a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x3).
Tough loss for Ferguson, who at 37-years-old has now lost three fights in a row as his previous 12-fight winning streak fades in the rear-view mirror.
