This UFC Fight Night 147 main card opener was perhaps not the all-action battle of the Welshmen that fans had hoped for, but Jack Marshman was able to survive an early knockdown to come back and then narrowly outland John Phillips on the feet to claim a split decision victory.
Round One
Marshman giving Phillips the center of the Octagon to start. Front kick upstairs from Marshman misses. Leg kick and then a powerful left hand from Phillips lands flush.
Phillips moving into the clinch against the cage now. Not much doing though and they separate. Marshman reaches for a single leg and then comes back up with a right hook.
Leg kick for Phillips. Three-piece combo from Marshman and Phillips grins and waves him on. Phillips targets the body with a punch.
Marshman goes for the takedown again, but it doesn’t pay off, throwing a punch instead.
Phillips clocks Marshman with a big right hook and it floors him. Marshman looks a little dazed for a moment, but rather than following him to the mat, Phillips bows to him and lets him back up – a show of respect between the two Welshmen.
Back to it they go and Marshman lands a nice combination. High kick for Marshman comes off Phillips shoulder. Body kick for Marshman. Both men winging punches, throwing caution to the wind with their chins up.
Body kick for Marshman. wide right hook from Phillips as Marshman backs up and that’s the end of the round.
Round Two
Overhand left from Phillips and Marshman connects with a body kick. Leg kick from Phillips. Body kick for Marshman again.
Phillips steps into clinch range, but they separate. Body kick for Marshman. Straight left for Phillips. Leg kick for him now.
Phillips tries for a kick, but gets clocked by a few punches and that knocks him off-balance to the mat. he’s soon back up to his feet though.
Hard body kick from Marshman. Left hand and a nice digging body shot behind it from Marshman. Now it’s Phillips turn to work nicely to the body with a punch as he presses forward.
Phillips continuing to pressure and Marshman doubles up on the jab. Coming towards the final 10 seconds of the round and Phillips motions at Marshman to trade with him, but he sticks to his gameplan on the outside.
Round Three:
The two Welshman embrace to start the final round. Left hand for Phillips. Overhand from Phillips comes up short.
Body kick for Marshman lands solidly. Punches coming up a little short for Marshman as he remains way of geting into range with the heavy-handed Phillips.
Right hand for Marshman and then moves out of range. Body punch for Phillips. Body kick from Marshman. Phillips trying to find a home for the left hook there, but not quite landing it.
Two jabs for Marshman. Phillips with a body shot and then upstairs with a hook. Phillips upping the tempo here and getting more aggressive.
Marshman moving rapidly from side to side but not doing much in the way of offense. Phillips lands a hook. Leg kick now. Hook for Marshman. Straight from Phillips.
left hook for Marshman. Now a left hook for Phillips. Phillips trying to encourage Marshman to just stand and trade with him in the center of the Octagon, but he’s having none of it and only lands a jab in the final seconds.
Decision
A close fight then with Phillips looking to be the aggressor and that paid off for him in the first round, but Marshman became more elusive in the 10 minutes that followed and picked his shots, and that’s enough to earn him a split decision victory (29-28 x2, 28-29).
