Lucas Fernando beat Billy Elekana up for the first two rounds at UFC Fight Night 293 to ensure he emerged with a unanimous decision victory.
Round One
Fernando with a few early kicks. Now a straight right hand. A few punches are followed by a low kick.
Fernando bursts forward again throwing a head kick that whiffs the target and follows up immediately with a spinning kick to the body.
Fernando with another dangerous flurry. Straight punch for Elekana. Big body kick for Fernando. Elekana clinches up and presses him into the cage.
Fernando reverses the position and blasts him with a knee to the body. He backs off for a moment and then lands a hard jab.
Jab for Elekana, but eats a punch in return. Big blows from Fernando. He clinches up for a moment and then rips to the body and a kick behind it.
Fernando continues to pour on the pressure with more strikes, and they are all thrown with power.
Body kick for Fernando. Elekana tries for a takedown, but is greeted by a knee. Elekana gets backed up to the clinch and you can tell he’s really not enjoying the way this has gone so far. Fernando mixing in elbows late in the round.
Round Two
Inside leg kick for Fernando. Now a short left as Elekana was coming forward. Solid punch for Fernando and now a knee to the body.
Elekana able to clinch up and get Fernando over to the cage. Fernando reverses, but Elekana does the same.
Fernando gets away. Jabs exchanged. Inside leg kick from Fernando. Body punch for him. Back to the inside leg kick. Jab lands. Heavy one-two for Fernando.
Fernando clinches up against the cage. Elekana reverses. They continue to jockey for position.
Back to striking range and Fernando is immediately chipping away again. Body kick from Elekana. Back into the clinch for him. Fernando reverses. Knee to the body for him. And again.
Round Three
Fernando comes close with a head kick attempt. Elekana straight back into the clinch against the cage.
Back to striking range. Elekana lands and clinches again. He works for a takedown and lands it. Finally something positive for Elekana, but he’s not got all that much time to work for the finish he needs.
Elbow lands for Elekana. Half the round remaining. Not much work from Elekana as Fernando keeps his guard closed.
Fernando lands an elbow from his back. Elekana with an elbow. Still not much urgency as the round is drawing to a close, only landing a few punches.
Decision
Fernando landed punishing strikes from the opening bell here and Elekana had to lean heavily on his durability to survive past the first two rounds. Elekana did get the better of the final five minutes with control time on the mat, but it’s Fernando who emerges with a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x3).
