James Krause shrugged off an injured knee and secured a decision victory over Claudio Silva tonight at UFC Fight Night 180.
Round One:
Silva with a head kick attempt to start. Now he works to the leg with a kick. Swing and a miss from Krause as he tries to let his hands go.
Overhand attempt from Silva misses. Front kick to the body from Silva. Body kick for Silva, but he slips from that.
Left hand from Silva. Nice right to the body from Krause. He lands a counter hook. Body kick attempt from Silva.
Overhand left from Silva. Right hand for Krause and Silva grazes with a punch of his own. Silva closes the distance and starts to work on a takedown from the back. Krause able to stay upright. Silva drags him down on top of him and Krause throws an elbow to the head from behind. Back up and Silva still has his back trying to get him down, but he’s unable to and they eventually break free.
Silva reaching with punches and Krause keeps out of range. He comes in again and Krause lands a counter right.
light left hand from Krause. Kick for Silva. Silva trying for a takedown and Krause stuffs it and gets back up.
Body kick for Silva. Left lands for Silva while Krause was throwing a right hook. Silva wading forward with looping strikes and lands with the right.
Krause catches the tiring Silva with a punch. Silva tries for a takedown to buy himself some time and stays that way until the end of the round.
Round Two:
Inbetween rounds Krause told his corner that his knee is torn, but says he’s ok to continue and still seems confident.
Hooks exchanged at the same time but miss. Body punch from Krause. He lands there again, trying to suck even more wind out of Silva’s depleting gas tank.
Silva comes forward and gets caught with the right counter again. Now back to the body. Again he lands a counter.
Silva tries for a single leg, but Krause gets his leg free and forces him to stand back up and fight him on the feet.
Body punch for Krause. Two straight punches for him. Hooks from Silva miss. Jab for Krause. He clips Silva with a right as Silva slugs forward with somewhat sloppy punches.
A bit of hand-fighting and then a glancing right for Kreause and a grazing right hook for Silva.
Overhand left for Silva doesn’t connect cleanly. Krause lands and Silva stumbles to the mat off-balance for a split-second.
Silva tries for the takedown and Krause sprawls well. Kick for Silva. Now a winging hook. Uppercut for Silva. Right hook for him, but Krause lands a leg kick that trips his opponent partially.
Silva lands a punch and another. Now a kick. Krause lands a nice counter as they exchange in close. Krause connects well, but Silva keeps throwing. Good knee upstairs from Krause. Silva still firing back regardless.
Round Three:
Krause catches a kick, but eats a punch soon after. Solid leg kick for Silva knocks Krause off-balance.
Punch lands for Krause. Silva with a hook. Leg kick for Silva and Krause staggers a bit, which will give Silva a clue that something’s not quite right with Krause’s leg (he said inbetween the rounds again that his knee is bad).
Jab for Krause. Hard right lands now. Leg kick for Silva. Left hook counter from Krause. Kick from Silva. Right and a left from Krause, but Silva lands a punch too. Now a kick from Silva.
Silva working a punch to the body. Straight right for Krause. Left hand for Krause. Glancing left for Silva. He misses on a head kick.
Silva with a body punch and then both men miss with follow-up punches. Silva threatens with a takedown, but nothing doing.
Inside leg kick from Silva and a punch from Krause. Krause lands the right hand. More winging punches from Silva that miss. Body punch from Krause.
krause attempts a takedown, but it’s stuffed by Silva this time. Solid left hand for Silva. Body punch from Krause.
overhand right glances the target from Krause. Hammerfist from Krause at close range. Nice combo from Krause. Leg kick from Silva buckles Krause’s knee again.
Silva misses with a big winging hook. He tries a kick and Krause catches it as the round ends.
Decision:
Krause appeared to have the striking edge for much of this fight despite injuring his knee early, but Silva proved to be a game opponent and kept swinging for the fences until the end. In the end though it was Krause who did enough to earn a clean sweep on the scorecards (30-27 x3).
