Colby Covington got back to winning ways with a convincing win over Tyron Woodley tonight in the main event of UFC Fight Night 178.
Round One:
The main event of the evening is underway in Las Vegas.
Woodley feeling out with the jab to start as he looks to find his range early. Covington tries for a head kick without much conviction.
Leg kick for Covington, but Woodley partially caught that and returned fire with one of his own.
Woodley tries for a punch, but Covington times it perfectly to duck under and land a nice takedown early. Covington in Woodley’s full guard and landing to the body and head with a few punches.
Covington posturing up, but Covington finds some space and is able to get up against the cage. Covington lands a knee to the body. Woodley marching forward and then breaks free from the clinch.
Head kick from Covington is blocked. Body punch from Woodley. Woodley comes up short with punches. Left hand lands for Covington.
leg kick for Covington and just avoids the punches coming in return from Woodley. Another body punch from T-Wood. Hard body kick from Covington.
left hand for Covington. Good right hand gets through for him and then he’s into the clinch against the cage. A couple of knees to the thigh lands for Chaos.
Hook lands for Covington. Nice couple of elbows land for Covington as they break free from the clinch.
Covington quickly back into the clinch though with 20 seconds of the round remaining. They break apart again with 10 seconds to go, but Covington’s final punches of the round miss the target.
Round Two:
Woodley comes forward throwing punches without landing too much. Left hook for Covington. Now a kick. Woodley going to the body with a punch. Side kick from Covington.
Reaching right hand lands for Woodley. Now a leg kick. Body kick for Covington. Covington tries for a jumping knee that doesn’t pay off, but ends up in the clinch against the cage. Light knees from Covington to the body.
Woodley battles his way out of the clinch. left hand for Covington. Body kick for Chaos. Covington tries for a takedown, but then it’s Woodley who counters with his own takedown and wraps an arm to the neck here, potentially threatening with the guillotine. Covington able to stand back up and Woodley lets the neck go.
Woodley pushing away from the clinch and back to striking range. Covington with a left hand off the guard. Same story for a right hand.
Short punches inside from Covington as Woodley goes into the clinch this time, but Covington quickly reverses and pushes him to the cage. Woodley hustles forward and moves away.
Grazing left hand for Chaos. Light two-piece from Woodley. Side kick to the knee from Covington and then a body kick behind it.
Superman punch from Woodley off the cage. Head kick attempt from Covington and then a right hand gets through. Woodley fires back now.
Inside leg kick for Covington and then a flying knee to the body. Body punch from Woodley at the end of the round.
Round Three:
left hand from Covington off the guard. Woodley with a punch. Eyepoke from Covington forces a stoppage for Woodley to recover.
Woodley finally able to continue and presses forward with purpose. However Covington lands kicks. Now a punch. He connects with a right hook.
Oblique kick from Covington. Right hook for Woodley. Covington clinches up and pushes him into the cage.
Covington working on a single leg takedown now, but Woodley defends it. Knees exchanged to the body. Left hook upstairs from Covington. Woodley reverses the position, but not for long. Another left hook from him. He starts landing a series of knees to the inside of the thigh. Now light body punches.
Woodley tries to push away, but Chaos prevents that. Knee for Woodley. They continue to jockey for position with not too much happening here. Finally they break apart with both landing on the way out and the round ends soon after.
Round Four:
Head kick attempt from Covington and it’s blocked by Woodley. Body kick from Woodley. He lands that again. Right hook from Covington and then trying to work into a takedown attempt against the cage.
Not too much happening here for now. Good high-crotch takedown from Covington with plenty of time to work. Covington in half-guard. he lands a punch to the head. Woodley gets him back to full guard. Covington gets to work with body-head ground and pound.
Elbow over the top from Chaos. Now punches to the side of the head, down to the body and then back up again. Woodley bleeding from a cut above his right eye now.
Hard right hand lands from Covington and an elbow. Another elbow scores. Back to body-head punches from the relentless Covington. More body work from him as the round comes to an end. Woodley stays on his knees for a few extra seconds after the round ends.
Round Five:
Body kick for Chaos to start the final round. Another kick lands. Now a leg kick for him. Woodley with a leg kick. Chaos lands a harder one.
Covington into the clinch and he works a takedown. Woodley has Covington’s neck wrapped, but Chaos is taking his time to get out of that and seems ok.
Woodley still cranking on this guillotine attempt, but then suddenly yells out in pain and says he’s hurt a rib, which leads to the referee stepping in and ending the fight by TKO in anti-climactic fashion at 1.19mins of the final round.
There was little doubt that Covington was cruising towards a decision victory anyway there, with Woodley having given another underwhelming performance, and that unexpected finish just adds insult to injury.
