Carla Esparza earned a solid TKO win tonight at UFC Fight Night 188 as she controlled Xiaonan Yan on the mat and made the most of nasty elbows from crucifix position to secure a second round stoppage.
Round One:
Esparza immediately lands a takedown as Yan presses forward. Yan looks to get back up, but Esparza adjusts and keeps her down.
Esparza in side control inside the opening minute of the fight. A few knees to the shoulder from Esparza from this spot.
Nice elbows to the head from Yan despiet being on her back. Yan gets Esparza to half-guard, but then Esparza gets back to side control quickly.
Esparza now moves around to north-south position momentarily and then to side control again. She lands some light ground and pound to the head despite Yan trying to push her away.
Yan trying to land elbows again. Esparza goes to north south position and then tries for an armbar, but nothing doing there for now. Side control again for Esparza and she lands some hard elbow strikes that open up a cut to the forehead as the round comes to a close.
Round Two:
Yan has to keep her distance and working her striking now. However, she lands a body kick and that enables Esparza to grab hold and then work a takedown again.
Esparza in half-guard, but soon has to settle for full guard. Esparza postures up and passes through to side control. She’s easily bossing the action on the mat in this fight.
More elbows from Esparza to that same cut Yan already suffered in the opening round from the crucifix position and it’s getting very bloody in the center of the Octagon.
Yan can’t get out from under this onslaught of elbows from Esparza, and as the blows continue to land the referee steps in to end the fight and hand the former champ a second round TKO victory at the 2.58min mark.
