Rose Namajunas earned a unanimous decision victory over Tecia Torres tonight at UFC On FOX 19 in a very closely fought encounter.
Round One:
Namakunas feeling out with the jab to start, looking to establish her superior reach. she flicks out with a side kick to the head, but doesn’t find the target.
Leg kick for Namajunas. She steps in nicely with a punch. Good use of range so far from her. Another strike for Namajunas, but this time Torres responds with a kick and punch.
Namajunas bursts in with a potential takedown attempt, but Torres defends and she backs away from it.
Namajunas with a kick, but Torres catches it and lands a few solid punches in return. Namajunas with a leg kick. A couple of solid jabs land for Namajunas and Torres responds with a hard leg kick. Namajunas clinches briefly.
Torres bursts forward with a short flurry. Torres tries to land a body kick.
Torres starting to work her own game now, darting in with combinations and she appears to clip Namajunas with a hook. Namajunas trying to clinch the ‘Tiny Tornado’ here.
In the closing stages of the round Namajunas is able to land a takedown and starts to work some strikes, though Torres does a decent job of defending and limiting her opportunities to land shots.
Round Two:
Leg kick for Torres. Namajunas lands and seems fiired up afterwards. She goes up the middle with a kick. Solid jab for Namajunas. Body kick from Namajunas and a very nice combo counter from Torres, piecing together punches and a kick. However, Namajunas nails her with a straight punch straight afterwards.
Jab for Namajunas. solid left lands for her. And again. Torres trying for a leg kick, but gets countered by another punch. Jab for Namjunas, leg kick for Torres.
Side kick to the body for Namajunas. However, she gets wild on a higher kick and falls to the mat momentarily. Torres with a kick of her own. Now it’s Torres with a side kick to the body as they continue to exchange.
Namajunas comes charging forward and tries for a takedown, but it’s a bit sloppy and she ends up having to settle for a clinch. Torres reverses the position, but then they separate.
More exchanges at striking range now and Torres lands a couple of kicks. Nice body punch for Namajunas. Now upstairs with a jab. Namajunas’ best work is definitely coming when she works from range and uses her length.
Torres getting more aggressive, but Namajunas clocks her with a punch. Then a hook. Namajunas with an energetic offensive burst to end the round.
Round Three:
Torres coming forward with kicks, but not quite connecting. Side kick grazes Namajunas. Solid leg kick for Torres. Nice side kick down low for Torres. Hard right hand for Namajunas.
Side kick to the leg again from Torres. Another outside leg kick for Torres. Namajunas to the body. Leg kick for Torres. Left hand for Namajunas. She tries to follow up, but this time Torres counters with a kick.
All kicks from Torres at the moment. Jab for Namajunas. Leg kick for Torres countered by a short uppercut from Namajunas. Brief flurry of punches from both ladies.
Namajunas with the jab to the body. Right hand for her too. Steps into the jab this time. Misses a left, but connects with the right. Torres with a three piece combo, finished off with a kick.
Front kick attempt to the face for Namajunas, but doesn’t quite land. Leg kick for Torres. Overhand right for Namajunas and then into a takedown. She has to work for it, but does land it and that’s big for her at this stage in the fight.
Namajunas in Torres guard with less than 30 seconds to go. Namajunas not really able to get anything off from this position so she stands over Torres in the final 10 seconds and tries to get something going, but nothing comes of it and the fight is headed to the judges.
Decision:
So, a closely fought encounter then, but the judges are unanimous in their decision, awarding Rose Namajunas the victory (29-28 x3).
