David Teymur and Lando Vannata put on an excellent striking showcase tonight in the co-main event of UFC 209 and in the end it was Teymur who would leave the cage with a unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
Vannata with a side kick. Teymur with a couple of body kicks. Teymur with a kick to the thigh and then a straight punch that doesn’t land.
Leg kicks for Teymur. Vannata walking Teymur down. Another kick lands for Teymur though. Head kick attempt from Vannata.
Another head kick attempt from Vannata and when that doesn’t connect he follows up with a spinning backfist, but it doesn’t land clean.
Cartwheel kick from Vannata actually lands! He continues pressing forward and hurts Teymur again with a strike.
Just when Teymur looks to be in trouble he comes back and seems to hurt Vannata momentarily. He loses his mouthpiece shortly afterwards, but quickly gets it back in again.
Nice head kick from Vannata, he’s so quick and smooth with those. However, not longe afterwards Teymur shows that he has a slick head kick too.
Vannata with a takedown, but Teymur is quickly back up. Teymur connects and Vannata backs up. Teymur chases after him and looks to land again. Action-packed opening round from both men.
Round Two:
Vannata with an interesting low sweeping leg kick to start the round. Now he connects with a body kick. Teymur returns the facor.
Vannata tries to catch a kick and work a spinning kick off of it that doesn’t pay off but looked good. Big punch from Vannata, but Teymur connected too.
Vannata with a flurry. Teymur in close with a some big knees to the body. Teymur with a good leg kick. Head kick attempt from Teymur and Vannata counters with a spinning kick. Fun to watch these exchanges!
Both men connect at the same time. Teymur with a 1-2. Vannata with a punch as his opponent backs up. leg kick apiece and then one upstairs from Teymur.
Hard punch from Teymur knocks Vannata back on his heels. Teymur able to land a takedown, but Vannata is quickly back up.
Body kick for Vannata. Now a solid right hand from him. Punch and then a head kick behind it. He ducks a punch and comes back up with an uppercut.
Another spinning kick from Vannata misses. Teymur with some huge knees to the body and a punch to end the combo that hurts Vannata.
Round Three:
Couple of snapping kicks to the knee from Vannata to start the final round. Teymur steps into a solid knee to the body. Leg kick and a knee to the body from Teymur.
More kicks to the knee from Vannata. Inside leg kick for Teymur that’s almost caught. Teymur tries again for that and gets caught with a counter punch in exchange.
Teymur with a kick to the body. Now to the leg and one upstairs. Teymur presses Vannata against the cage, but they soon break apart.
Low leg kick for Vannata. Half a round to go and Teymur blasts Vannata with a three-piece combo. Teymur with a takedown. Vannata stand right back up and gets away from the clinch shortly afterwards.
Vannata with a strike. Teymur with a takedown again, and Vannata back up again. Big punch for Vannata seems to hurt Teymur, but he lands himself shortly afterwards.
Another three-piece series from Teymur. into another takedown attempt and lands it, but so far he’s been unable to keep his opponent grounded afterwards.
Vannata trying to press forward relentlessly, but Teymur tags him with a body kick. Teymur is getting the upperhand here in the dying stages of the fight, but we’re heading to the judges to decide a winner.
Decision:
High level striking was on display from start to finish here, and it was a close one, but the judges are in no doubt about the winner, handing Teymur a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x3).
