Shana Dobson was a major underdog heading into her fight with rising prospect Mariya Agapova tonight at UFC On ESPN 15, but she managed to stave off talk of being cut from the promotion by emerging with a second round TKO victory.
Round One:
Leg kick for Dobson to start, but then Agapova start to return fire with aggressive kicks and punches. However, then Dobson manages to land a takedown close to the cage.
Agapova staying busy from her back looking to land elbow strikes and then is able to stand back up. She’s looking for more strikes in close and then is able to get a takedown of her own.
Agapova with ground and pound, but Dobson works back to her feet. Agapova immediately striking again, landing a few straight punches and a kick behind it.
Agapova off-balance and Dobson is able to get another takedown. Dobson manages to take her back, but she’s high up and Agapova is trying to shake her loose. Dobson starts to work for an armbar attempt. Agapova defending the position and then breaks free from it entirely and is launching punches again as soon as she gets an opportunity.
Now it’s Agapova looking for a submission, trying to work a rear-naked choke. That’s not going to pay off just yet, but she gets the body triangle and starts to flatten out Dobson.
Dobson rolls so she’s no longer belly-down. Agapova trying to get to full mount, but Dobson does well to prevent that and get her back into her guard. Both ladies then start trading punches from the position and that’s how the round ends.
Round Two:
Left hand for Agapova and then a head kick from Dobson that partially lands. They are slugging it out here, but then Agapova is able to get a takedown in the center of the Octagon.
Agapova in Dobson’s full guard for now. Dobson does well to get a sweep. Agapova perhaps tired after her first round exertions here and Dobson has her back and is landing punches, though it looks like several of them may have landed to the back of the head there. Eventually the ref does warn her for doing that.
Dobson still in this advantageous position though and Agapova looks spent as more blows start to land, and that’s it, the ref has seen enough and waves and end to the fight, giving Dobson a major upset victory here at 1.38mins of the second round.
Agapova may have some cause for complaint here regarding what appeared to be illegal blows to the back of the head, but that aside she made some big errors during the fight that ultimately paved the way for her undoing, and at just 23-years-old that’ll prove to have been an important, and somewhat painful, learning experience..
