Sean Strickland outworked and outstruck Uriah Hall for five rounds tonight at UFC On ESPN 28 to earn a unanimous decision victory and extend his winning streak to five fights.
Round One:
Jab for Hall and then one in return from Strickland. Strickland pressures with more punches. Hall with a reaching punch. Quick jab from Strickland.
Jab gets through again for Strickland. He’s finding a home for that jab several times already. Now a right hand.
This sticking jab frome Strickland is keeping Hall off his own striking game for now. Finally Hall comes over the top of one of those jabs. He lands another punch soon afterwards.
Calf kick for Hall now as he starts to warm up. Hall with an open hand as he pushes Strickland away and seems to apologise. Strickland with punches after that, but then Hall connects too.
Strickland cracks Hall with a couple of big punches and Hall starts to back up under this constant pressure.
Strickland catches Hall again with punches. Hall starts to let his hands go . He connects with a hard straight that snaps Strickland’s head back.
Strickland with a quick series of punches there. Now a right hook. Back to the jab. More punches and then a head kick attempt.
Hall with a body punch. He ducks again as if to punch to the body, but then goes upstairs with a power punch instead.
jab for Hall. Now a fast right hand. Strickland looks for the jab and Hall comes over the top with his own punch as the round ends.
Round Two:
left hand for Hall gets through. jab for Strickland. Hall with a right hand. Jab for Strickland, body punch from Hall.
Hall lands to the body again. Strickland staying behind the jab. Hooks for Strickland and Hall looks troubled as another lands. Hall definitely hurt here as he’s backed up against the cage eating more strikes. Hall tries to go for a takedown and it’s shrugged aside easily.
Strickland works into the clinch. Hall with a knee to the body. Strickland grinding on him, but not getting offense off and Hall is able to back away.
Hall pressing forward now. Strickland with a jab. Leg kick from Hall. Now a punch. Hall starting to put Strickland on the back foot more now, but not landing too much.
leg kick again from Hall. He lands a hard jab. Now a body punch. He ducks again and Strickland almost timed a head kick attempt there.
Strickland has slowed down offensively a bit here. Hall with a leg kick. Stray kick from Strickland lands to the groin and Hall goes down requiring time to recover from that illegal blow.
Hall recovers and they get back to it. Hall pumps out the jab. Strickland lands his. He connects again. Powerful calf kick for Hall.
Jab for Strickland twice and Hall lands a nice counter. Jab for Hall, calf kick from Strickland. Body punch for Hall, now a spinning kick upstairs, but Strickland avoids getting caught by that and then almost lands a knee as the round is coming to a close.
Round Three:
Hall pumping out the jab. Now a calf kick. Now an inside leg kick. Solid body punch from Hall. There’s more power to his work now.
Strickland looking to land the jab. Another body punch from Hall. Strickland checks a low kick. Fundamental jab for Strickland is starting to work again as Hall slows down.
Several punches land heavily from Strickland and Hall seemed hurt there as Strickland takes him down.
Strickland looking for the finish and Hall is wilting, but then finds the determination to drive back to his feet.
Strickland staying on Hall though and then is able to bring him back down. Hall’s attempt to get up again doesn’t last long as he’s put on his back again.
Strickland close to the center of the Octagon here and in half-guard and briefly thinks about the arm triangle, then thinks against it and lands a good elbow.
Hall trying to escape and Strickland takes his back and is fishing for a rear-naked choke set-up as the round ends.
Round Four:
Solid jab for Hall. Strickland back behind his jab. Hall misses a leg kick. jab for Strickland. Hard low kick from Hall.
Hall lands another low kick. Strickland snapping out the jab. He’s getting it through repeatedly. Body punches from Hall.
Right hand from Strickland and Hall counters with a hard punch of his own. Body punch for Hall.
Hall gets through with a jab. Strickland lands his jab too. Midsection work for Hall. Another two land.
left hand gets through for Hall. Jabs exchanged. left and a right get through for Strickland. Another punch has hall backing up hurt. Strickland drags him down to his knees.
Hall stands facing the cage and Strickland lands a couple of knees. Hall with a cut to his eye, but starts to press forward. He lands a light leg kick and then a punch upstairs. He swings hard for the fences a couple more times, but doesn’t find the target.
Round Five:
Solid body punch for Hall. Strickland with the jab. Hall pressing forward. He lands a leg kick. Inside leg kick too. He just misses with a left hook.
left and a right for Strickland. Right hand counter from Hall. They clinch up momentarily, but Hall pushes away. Solid right hand for Strickland and then clinches against the cage.
Hall pushes out of the clinch again. Almost a clash of heads there. Punches exchanged toe-to-toe.
Hall running out of stram, but still trying to throw. Strickland tired too, but with a little more pop left as he marches forward with lefts and rights back into the clinch.
Hall shoves Strickland away but his opponent lands a right hand and goes straight back into the clinch.
Hall trying to get him away again, but Strickland happy to grind in the clinch here as we approach the final minute of the round.
Knee to the body from Strickland. Hall breaks free. Strickland pressing forward and trying to clinch. Hall still looking to make space, but Strickland bullies his way back into the cage clinch. Final 10 seconds and Strickland goes for a spinning elbow, then tries to work a takedown, then back to striking as Hall covers up.
Decision:
No doubt about the winner here then, with Strickland pressure and ever-present jab throwing Hall off his game, while also managing to hurt him several times over the course of five rounds on his way to a unanimous decision victory (50-44, 50-45, 49-46).
