Thales Leites lost the striking battle to Tim Boetsch tonight at UFC 183, but still emerged on top after taking the fight to the mat and slickly tying up a fight-ending arm triangle choke that sent his opponent to sleep.
Round One:
Boetsch initiates first with a combination of punches and a kick. Leites with a kick and Boetsch looks to land with another punch.
Boetsch pressing forward again looking for another flurry, but gets poked in the eye which forces a brief stoppage.
Boetsch looking to get going again aggressively, but Leites meets him halfway and they trade in close before momentarily clinching up.
They separate and Leities lands with a left and soon after a kick to the leg. Boetsch with a right hook and an uppercut. Boetsch checks a leg kick from Leites. He barrels forward again with punches, but Leites moves away.
Leites with a punch, but a harder counter comes back from Boetsch. Leites walks through it and lands another strike.
leg kick for Boetsch. Punches miss for him and Leites lands a clean counter. Body kick misses for ‘The Barbarian’. They exchange hooks. A clinch follows soon afterwards initiated by Leites. He tries to bundle Boetsch to the mat, but it’s stuffed and they separate.
Right hand lands for Leites, but Boetsch responds with left and right hooks of his own that drops The Brazilian to the mat. Boetsch secures top control and ends the round there.
Round Two:
Hard leg kick from Leites to start the second. He tries another, but this time it’s checked. exchange in close and Leites gets the better of it this time. Boetsch finds a home for a couple of punches now and Leites opts to clinch up, though they separate soon after.
Leites coming up short with a couple of punches, but Boetsch lands hard with a counter. Boetsch clinches and when the disengage Leites lands a knee and a punch.
Kick from Leites that’s checked. Toe-to-toe exchange and Leites is hurt as Boetsch connects with a few strikes. Leites looking wobbled and reels across the Octagon, but then does very well to take Boetsch down under duress.
Leites smoothly passing guard here and goes for an arm triangle. It looks deep, but Boetsch toughs it out and manages to escape. Leites still on top though and again carves through Boetsch’s defense and soon has another arm triangle attempt locked in. There’s no escape this time, but rather than tap Boetsch slips into unconsciousness and it’s all over with 3.45mins of the second round gone.
Very nice comeback from Leites on the mat after coming off second best in the striking exchanges tonight and that takes his impressive unbeaten recent run in the UFC to five fights.
