Li Jingliang picked up an impressive TKO victory over David Zawada on home soil tonight at UFC Fight Night 141 in Beijing, China, battling back from early adversity to outlast and outstrike his opponent prior to a body kick finish.
Round One:
Zawada taking the center of the Octagon to start. Overhand attempt from him, but it misses. Zawada feeling out with punches, but not quite finding the mark yet.
leg kick for Jingliang. However, Zawada throws a right hand and drops Jingliang. Zawada follows him down, but Jingliang gets to his knees and stand back up.
Zawada lands another punch and presses him to the cage. However, Jingliang then manages to land a nice takedown of his own and from half-guard has Zawada trapped up against the cage.
Jingliang starts to land punches. Zawada does a good job getting back to his feet and returns to striking range though.
Another big right hand lands for Zawada. He swarms Jingliang against the cage, but he manages to avoid most of it and stuffs a takedown attempt to.
They get back to the center of the cage. Jingliang misses with a spinning backfist and then gets caught by a strike. Zawada with a flying knee that lands. Jingliang having to hang tough, he’s getting all he can handle on the feet from Zawada so far.
Jingliang manages to back Zawada up against the cage and lands a few punches. Back in the center of the cage now. Zawada comes forward with strikes and then works into the clinch as the round ends.
Round Two:
Zawada with straight punches to start the round, but not quite landing. Jingliang still looking light on his feet. He tries a spinning backfist, but his opponent isn’t there to be hit.
Nice counter punch from Zawada as Jingliang swings a little too wild. inside leg kick for Jingliang. left hand connects to the jaw from Jingliang. Leg kick for him, but counter from Zawada.
Left hand gets through from Zawada. Overhand right for Jingliang. Right hand grazes Zawada. Now Zawada lands a leg kick. Jingliang returns fire with one of his own that’s almost caught.
Kick and a punch from Zawada. Leg kick for Jingliang, but yet again he gets countered with a punch as he does so.
They trade again in close. Right hands for Zawada. Jab for Jingliang. Knee to the body for Zawada. Uppercut for Zawada and a hard right hand in response from Jingliang.
Solid leg kick for Jingliang. Big left hook from ‘The Leech’. Short punches in close for him. Double jab for Zawada. Front kick for Zawada, but Jingliang lands a hard punch that seems to trouble his opponent a little. Final seconds of the round and Jingliang starts teeing off on him, landing a couple of big hooks. Jingliang lands a few punches after the bell though.
Round Three:
Zawada working straight punches to start the final round. Leg kick for Jingliang. Hook for Jingliang and a leg kick behind it.
Leg kick for Jingliang and then tries to go upstairs with another one. Zawada flurries to force Jingliang backwards briefly. Jingliang hurls a straight right.
Double jab and a leg kick for Jingliang. Now a kick upstairs and more strikes behind it as his confidence surges. Zawada fakes a takedown and comes back up with punches, but Jingliang catches him again. Zawada looks tired.
Heavy leg kick from Jingliang. Zawada with straight punches, but not with the same crispness and power as earlier in the fight. Now he tries for a takedown, but Jingliang defends that successfully.
Back to striking range. Exchange of punches inbetween rounds. Jingliang with a punch to the body. He wades in with overhands that miss.
Final minute of the fight. Side kick to the body from Jingliang and Zawada winces in pain, folds up and sinks to the canvas. Jingliang wades in with follow-up punches and it’s clear Zawada is in no position to continue as the ref comes in to wave of the fight, giving ‘The Leech’ a big TKO victory with 4.07mins of the third round gone.
