Mike Pyle turned up the heat against TJ Waldburger in the third round of their encounter at UFC 170 this evening and produced a TKO finish after a somewhat late stoppage by referee Herb Dean.
Round One:
Waldburger starts off with a solid leg kick. He reaches for a head kick, but there’s nothing doing.
Pyle with a couple of leg kicks of his own now. They exchange low kicks. Waldburger wades in with a few wide hooks to set up a clinch attempt and looks to press Pyle up against the cage. Pyle gets away though.
Waldburger tries a kick, but stumbles. He’s back up though and soon after he starts to piece together a few nice punches.
Front kick from Pyle and then he lands a nice trip takedown. Waldburger thinking about a choke, but Pyle shift position and stays on top, working his way into side control.
He lands a knee to the shoulder of his opponent and a couple of shoulder shrugs, but Waldburger finds space and gets back up.
Waldburger pushing Pyle up against the cage now, but Pyle’s landing a few knees from the muay thai clinch. Final 10 seconds of the round and Pyle manages to get off the cage and land another takedown.
Round Two:
Pyle tries a front kick to the face, but it misses. Both men throwing kicks again early in the second. Waldburger closes down Pyle up against the cage and tries a head kick, but it’s blocked.
They’re continuing to indulge in the stand-up battle and Pyle catches a kick from Waldburger and uses it to dump him to the mat.
They’re scrambling and Pyle stays on top in half guard, then tries to mount, but has to settle for side control.
Waldburger gets him back to his guard and then uses the fence to get up to his feet and they reset.
Pyle still looking for the front kick to the face, but it’s speculative more than anything. A flurry of punches from both men. Pyle lands a spinning kick to the midsection.
Waldburger lands a right hook then soon after another one followed by a head kick attempt. Waldburger clinches up against the cage.
Pyle comfortable here though and lands a knee before then spinning around and landing a takedown. Not for long though as Waldburger gets back up fairly quickly as he’s done a number of times now.
Back to the striking we go and Waldburger’s sporting a little blood on his face now from one of th earlier knees. He lands a nice body kick and that’s the last action of the round.
Round Three:
Waldburger starts with a solid jab and a leg kick behind it. Another solid combination lands hard for Waldburger.
Waldburger throwing with real purpose now in the final five minutes. Another jab and leg kick follows.
Pyle piecing together a punching combo of his own. Waldburger with a punch to the body and then a head kick gets blocked.
Pyle scores with a right hand and then another which stiffens Waldburger’s leg a little and he immediately tries for a takedown. Doesn’t happen though, but he seems ok and is back trading punches again.
It’s Pyle who’s picking up momentum now and as he puts together some offense he goes for a spinning elbow and it lands, stunning Waldburger and sending him to the mat.
Waldburger is hanging tough though and gets right back up. Pyle right back on him with punches and Waldburger tries to shoot only to be met with a big knee.
Pyle attempts to drop down with a guillotine choke, but he can’t get it. He settles for rolling on top and rains down some big elbows and Waldburger looks practically out on his back.
Surprisingly the ref is letting this one go though and Pyle continues to rain down punishment as Waldburger weakly tries to defend and turtles up, until finally the TKO stoppage is awarded with 4.03 mins of the third round gone.
