Louie Sutherland happily played spoiler tonight at UFC Fight Night 275 by avoiding a slug-fest with Tai Tuivasa in favor of takedowns and grinding top control to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Round One
Early calf kick for Sutherland. Sutherland in for a single-leg takedown, but Tuivasa does a good job of fending that off to keep this fight on the feet.
A minute in and Sutherland is again in on a takedown and this time lands it. Tuivasa thinking about a guillotine choke, but then manages to scoot back to the cage and stand up.
Sutherland remains clinched up against the cage. Tuivasa firing off an elbow to battle his way out of this.
Spinning elbow from Sutherland catches Tuivasa clean, but somehow he eats it. Sutherland follows up with a right hand and then goes upstairs with a knee too.
Now Sutherland back to looking for a takedown and Tuivasa again threatening to set up a guillotine choke. He’s looking to go to the mat with it, but Sutherland does well to roll on top in full mount.
Tuivasa gets back to half-guard. Still 90 seconds remaining in the round as Sutherland stays patient on top, appearing to be happy just to wear down ‘Bam Bam’.
A few light punches from Sutherland as Tuivasa struggles to find a way out from under him.
Round Two
Low kick for Sutherland. He lands it again. Single-leg attempt from Sutherland, but Tuivasa stuffs it this time. Tuivasa with a couple of short knees to the head as Sutherland continues to try to get him down.
Sutherland manages to unbalance Tuivasa, but he gets up again. Sutherland dumps him back down though and is now in half-guard with plenty of time to work.
Smothering top control from Sutherland as we approach the mid-point of the round. Crowd demanding the fight get stood back up, but the ref sticks to giving warnings for now.
Sutherland able to improve to almost full mount position and is looking at a potential arm-triangle choke, but it doesn’t pay off.
Tuivasa struggles back to his feet. Sutherland is ducked down looking to take his legs out again so Tuivasa blasts him with a couple of hammerfists, but is then knocked off-balance to return to the mat.
The increasingly worn-down Tuivasa is prevented from getting right back up again this time. A couple of right hands from Sutherland and then in the last few seconds he tries for a guillotine choke.
Round Three
Sutherland pumps the jab. Tuivasa fires off a right hand. Leg kick for Sutherland. He lands another.
Tuivasa sprawls to prevent a takedown, but Sutherland then executes a good sweep to get him back down and into side control.
Right hand from Sutherland. Now a short-elbow. Tuivasa tries to scramble out, but nothing doing. He’s half-heartedly going for a guillotine choke and trying to improve his position, but Sutherland stays on top.
Half the final round remaining and the ref warns Sutherland to do more if he wants to keep this fight on the mat.
Tuivasa gets to his knees, but is then on his back again with Sutherland in half-guard now.
Finally with a minute to go the ref stands them up. Tuivasa tired as he stand up.
Odd flop to the mat from Sutherland, but gets back up. Tuivasa able to take him down now. Barely any time left as he tries to figure out a way to get off some offense.
Tuivasa’s eagerness to find a finish gets the better of him as he lands an illegal knee to the head of his grounded opponent. Sutherland is ok though and rolls on top as the ref shouts out that he’s deducting a point from Tuivasa.
Decision
Sutherland’s risk-averse strategy may have frustrated fans, but three rounds of grinding ground work earns him a dominant unanimous decision victory(30-26 x3) over Tuivasa, who has now lost seven fights in a row.
