It wasn’t exciting to watch, but Tecia Torres racked up a win tonight against Angela Hill at UFC 188 by embracing the grind with long spells of control in the clinch and from half-guard on the mat.
Round One:
Torres with a low kick to start. Now a push kick to the mid-section. Another few leg kicks now as Hill tries to press forward and find her range.
Torres in on a takedown attempt now, but Hill stuffs it and so Torres opts to just clinch against the cage instead. Hill almost breaks free, but Torres gets back to the clinch again. Not for long though as Hill reverses the position. They battle for position and Torres reverses. Torres backs away with a right hand landing as she does so.
Into striking range now and before Hill can get anything off Torres moves in nicely on a takedown and lands it. Torres in half guard, but not doing a lot with the position. She starts looking to pass, but for now Hill has her contained. Torres will need to stay busy to stop the ref standing this up. She does lands a few short punches to the head now. She’s not having much luck passing and Hill now gets her to full guard.
Final 10 seconds of the round and Torres postures up and tries to get a little more active with her ground and pound to finish the round.
Round Two:
Torres with a side kick to the body and tries for a takedown, but Hill stops it. Another side kick from Torres. Torres with a short flurry of punches. Hill just pawing at the air rather than finding a home for her own punches.
Swift takedown from Torres and she gets Hill down again. This time she gets to work from side control, but Hill does a nice job of bringin her quickly back to half-guard. Torres trying to pass again, but without a lot of success. A few punches to the body now, but nothing significant. Ref calling for action. Finally Torres does move to side control.
Torres looks to get to mount and settles for taking Hill’s back. Hill turns and Torres is into mount momentarily, but then Hill does well to get her right back to where she started in half-guard. A little ground and pound from Torres, but not enough to prevent ‘Big’ John McCarthy from standing them back up.
Into the clinch and Hill is fighting hard to get something going, muscling Torres around here, but Torres still manages to take control and press her against the cage as the round comes to a close.
Round Three:
Torres working her leg kick again while Hill paws at the air. Hill does land a nice leg kick of her own. Another kick for Hill now as she presses forward, but doesn’t offer a whole lot of offense.
Nice punch and a kick from Hill. Torres thinks about a takedown, but doesn’t fully commit to it. Hill tries a head kick that doesn’t pay off. Torres with a left hook. Hill lands a leg kick.
Torres clinches up in the center of the cage, but then lets it go. Right hook for Torres and Hill counters with a punch of her own.
Torres tries again for a takedown, but there’s less spring in her step now and it doesn’t pay off. She goes into the clinch instead and works again for a takedown and Hill does a solid job of preventing it which leads to a stalemate. real lack of action here and the ref separates them.
Torres looking for a flurry of punches, but Hill lands a counter over the top. Torres into the clinch and we’re right back where we were a few seconds previously with the crowd getting impatient.
Nothing happening again from this clinch position and so the fight fizzles out at the finish.
Decision:
No doubt about the winner here, Torres grinds out a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x2, 29-28).
