Daniel Zellhuber was able to show off his striking skills from range tonight at UFC Fight Night 237 to earn a unanimous decision victory over Francisco Prado.
Round One:
Body kick for Zellhuber. Now a high kick attempt. Prado lands a couple of inside low kicks. Zellhuber threatening with a high kick again.
Low kick for Prado. Prado applying pressure early. Again Zellhuber probes upstairs with a head kick. High body kick from him.
Inside leg kick from Prado but then gets peppered by Zellhuber’s jab. Nice right hand from Prado. Kicks exchanged. Zellhuber with a body kick. Zellhuber with a punch. Prado drives in and clinches up.
They are soon back to striking range. Zellhuber continually working the head kick attempts. Left hand from Prado as he continues to pressure relentlessly. Into the clinch and Prado lands an elbow.
Back to striking. Front kick to the body from Zellhuber. He pumps out the jab. Prado throwing hooks. Now a body kick.
They go into the clinch and exchange a few knees. Prado presses Zellhuber into the cage. Zellhuber able to angle away.
Stepping leg kick from Prado. Zellhuber with the jab. Calf kick for Prado.
Round Two:
Body kick for Zellhuber. He lands it again. Now a jab for him. Body punch from Prado under that jab from Zellhuber.
Zellhuber jabs landing well and Prado now has a nasty cut to his right eye. Prado attempts a spinning backfist that misses.
Body kick for Prado. Zellhuber working his straight punches and Prado’s eye is really bloodied up.
Zellhuber with big connections, but Prado is still firing back, there’s no quit in him. Zellhuber continuing to work those long punches from range and Prado lands couple of low kicks.
Zellhuber lands to that already bloodied eye. Two more land and then the right hand behind it. Front kick to the body for Zellhuber. Prado marches forward throwing hard punches but doesn’t find the mark.
Jab landing at will for Zellhuber. Prado with a spinning backfist attempt that comes off the guard. Now a high kick attempt that comes off the arm.
Calf kick for Prado. Jab for Zellhuber. Calf kick again for Prado. Heavy right hand from Zellhuber after missed punches from Prado.
labored left hook from Prado. Front kick upstairs for Zellhuber seemed to partially get through. Grazing left hook from Prado.
The round ends and Prado goes back to his corner with very significant swelling to his right eye and surrounding area.
Round Three:
Zellhuber throwing out front kicks to the body. Now a knee upstairs for Zellhuber but Prado somehow takes it.
Front kick upstairs for Zellhuber. Chopping left from Zellhuber as Prado also lands. Jabs from range for Zellhuber. Now a left hook from him. Prado steps into a right hand.
Right hand from Zellhuber snaps Prado’s increasingly bloodied head back. Grazing punches from Zellhuber. Calf kick for Prado.
Hook for Prado. He misses on a spinning backfist. Body kick for Prado. Now one from Zellhuber. Prado drives into the clinch, but Zellhuber lands a knee upstairs.
Punch to the body from Prado. He wades forward winging hooks but misses. He does land a calf kick now. Jab for Zellhuber. Prado trying to make a connection with the left hook.
Body kick for Prado. Jab for Zellhuber. High kick just glances Prado’s head. Body kick from Zellhuber. Prado wades forward throwing punches. Back to the jab for Zellhuber. Low kick for Prado. Prado goes off-balance after a head kick attempt misses.
Final few seconds and both men land significant punches in one last exchange.
Decision:
Zellhuber’s crisp striking from range proved too much for a battling, but bloodied Prado over three rounds of fighting and earns him a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x2, 30-26).
