Sodiq Yusuff triumphed in a competitive striking battle with Sheymon Moraes tonight at UFC On ESPN 2, with a late knockdown helping him seal a unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
Push kick high to the leg from Moraes. Right hand with plenty of power from Yusuff but doesn’t land. Leg kick for Yusuff.
Stepping jab for Moraes. Hard leg kick for Yusuff. Front kick to the body from Moraes. Another low kick from Yusuff. One-two from Moraes.
Kick to the thigh from Yusuff, now one in response from Moraes. Yusuff continues chopping away at Moraes’ lead leg. Kick for Moraes. He almost catches a kick.
Jab for Yusuff. Oblique kicks for Moraes. Crushing body punch from Yusuff. Now he moves into the clinch against the cage. Moraes reverses him, but Yusuff spins him around again. Knees getting traded in close and then they are broken up.
Both fighters land a jab at the same time. Good let hook from Moraes. Yusuff connects with a clean punch now and then into the clinch again. Yusuff tries to force a takedown, but Moraes stuffs that. They jockey for position and it’s Moraes who trips Yusuff for a moment and then presses him to the cage.
Knee to the body from Yusuff, but misses on a big punch as they separate. Yusuff with a jumping back kick to the body as the round ends.
Round Two:
Body kick for Moraes and only just avoids a counter punch. They both wind up on big overhands that miss. Yusuff back to the clinch against the cage, but Moraes reverses and breaks free. Again they load up on a big punch and miss simultaneously.
Very nice body punch from Moraes. He catches a kick, lands one of his own upstairs and then a punch as Yusuff clinches.
Moraes moves him to the cage, but Yusuff shoves him aside. Moraes with a body hot and then a head kick attempt. Now a leg kick. Uppercut misses for Moraes, but then a straight lands.
Moraes pushes Yusuff up against the cage. Yusuff looking for knees though and tries to reverse him, but doesn’t manage it and they break apart.
Good body shot from Moraes. Now a head kick from him that just grazes Yusuff’s head. Yusuff trieying to get something going but they clinch up.
Now Yusuff gets a partial trip takedown. He tries to go for another one, but Moraes blocks it and stays upright. Yusuff staying in the clinch, but Moraes eventually manages to break free.
Moraes just missing with a big punch. Yusuff fires back and then Moraes throws a punch followed by a head kick.
Round Three:
Body kick for Moraes and then a front kick from Yusuff to the midsection. Good left hook from Moraes but misses on the kick. Yusuff landing too with a punch, then into the clinch.
They break apart. Big body kick for Moraes. Low leg kick for Yusuff that’s checked. Moraes catches a kick, but can’t do anything with it.
Nice uppercut from Moraes. Now a right hand. Yusuff just coming up short with his counter. Head kick attempt from Moraes and he slips and falls to the mat.
Yusuff doesn’t captalize on that though and he stands back up. Spinning body kick from Moraes. Nice elbow for Moraes too now. Hook for Yusuff.
Body strike for Moraes. Leg kick, left hook and head kick from Moraes. Suddenly Yusuff lands a thudding right hook and Moraes goes down!
Yusuff swarms on him with punches and Moraes is in danger of being stopped, but he somehow digs deep and survives. He stands back up but he’s still badly hurt on wobbled legs.
He bites down on his gumshield though and starts swinging back regardless. Yusuff not fully able to take advantage of this and surprisingly opts to clinch up in the final minute of the round.
Moraes is very tough as when they go back to striking range he starts swinging again and even goes for a head kick attempt, and as such he keeps Yusuff at bay and this one is headed to the judges for a decision.
Decision:
Entertaining fight between two quality strikers then and that late knockdown from Yusuff helps him to secure a unanimous decision victory (29-27, 29-28 x2).
