Bryce Mitchell had a lot of control time on top against Santiago Luna tonight at UFC Fight Night 278, but then put the icing on the cake by securing a submission stoppage with just 8 seconds left in the final round.
Round One
Exchange of kicks to start. Side kick from Mitchell is almost caught. Left hand from Mitchell.
Luna lands his right hand now. Mitchell with a punch as a distraction to set up the takedown attempt, but doesn’t get it as Luna defends. Luna trying for a takedown of his own, but it’s Mitchell who ends up on top in side control.
Tight control from Mitchell for now. A minute passes by like this with Mitchell not really looking for offense.
Luna works him back to half-guard, but then Mitchell manages to pass through to full mount and cinches up the legs.
Luna landing light punches off his back to the head and body as Mitchell continues to just focus purely on control.
There’s a scramble late in the round and Mitchell gets to the back with the body triangle in. Mitchell not able to get the choke in though before the five minutes comes to an end.
Round Two
Push kick from Luna. One-two from him. Mitchell pressures forward and gets into the clinch against the cage.
Mitchell working for a takedown now, but Luna is fending it off for now. A few knees to the body from Mitchell. Now he’s back to the takedown and does get Luna down. However, Mitchell doesn’t have full control here and Luna is able to scramble and end up on top.
Luna opts to back off and stand up. Back to striking they go. Mitchell with a brief flurry of punches, but not much getting through there. Now he’s back into the clinch against the cage.
Mitchell lands a takedown and is now in half-guard. Light punches to the head from Mitchell now, while still staying tight to his chest.
Mitchell trying to move to mount, but doesn’t quite get it, but is able to shift to side control and then north-south. Back to side control on the other side.
A few punches from Mitchell late in the round.
Round Three
Luna firing off a few punches. Now a push kick. Mitchell opts to pull guard under pressure.
Luna in half-guard now with four minutes left. Luna trying to set up a potential d’arce choke, but Mitchell is calm here as he adjusts position to get on top and get free, ending up in a high half-guard.
Mitchell smothering Luna’s face now while trying to isolate an arm. Luna trying to disrupt Mitchell’s balance to get out of this, but is unable to and Mitchell has full mount.
Luna able to get back to full guard. Only a little over a minute to go though. Luna scrambles, but Mitchell takes his back and flattens him out while trying to get the choke in. He doesn’t quite have that though.
Mitchell rolls on top and is going for a late arm-triangle choke. He’s able to get off to the side to complete the submission and Luna has to tap out, suffering the first loss of his nine-fight career at 4.52mins of the third round.
