Henry Cejudo endured a rough first round against Marlon Moraes tonight in the main event of UFC 238, but then turned things around by taking the fight to his opponent and it paid off as he started to find his mark and then found a third round finish via ground and pound to win the vacant bantamweight title and become the UFC’s latest two-division champion.
Round One:
Hard leg kick from Moraes to start. He tries for a quick head kick, but It’s blocked as Cejudo moves away. Missed leg kick for Moraes. Kick upstairs from Cejudo also misses.
Moraes throwing big strikes to start. Kick for Cejudo and Moraes retaliates with a big flurry of power punches.
Head kick attempt from Moraes. Leg kick for Moraes. Leg kick for Moraes and Cejudo tries to dive on that and force a takedown, but Moraes gets it free and keeps the fight standing.
Cejudo moves out of the way of a leg kick attempt. Cejudo tries for a head kick that doesn’t pay off and they both throw punches but don’t find the mark with anything meaningful at close range.
Leg kick for Moraes. Head kick just misses. Inside leg kick for Moraes and then follows up with it again. Now a body kick for Moraes.
left hook for Moraes. Leg kick for Cejudo and a couple of punches behind it. The low inside leg kick for Moraes. Brief lull in the action to close out the last few seconds of the round.
Round Two:
Head kick attempt from Cejudo doesn’t quite land and they throw punches off it. Head kick attempt from Moraes also misses>
Low kick on the outside this time from Moraes. Clipping shot from Cejudo knocks Moraes off-balance. That’s his best punch of the night, but Moraes seems unphased.
Inside leg kick for Moraes. Moraes almost connecting with a head kick as Cejudo ducked in there.
Against Moraes flashes out a speedy head kick attempt. Cejudo trying to take the center of the Octagon here, but eats another inside leg kick.
Cejudo rushes in, but Moraes reads it and counters with a right hand. Back to the inside low kick. Another leg kick takes Cejudo off his feet for a second.
Hook lands for Moraes. Hard exchange from both men here and Cejduo connected solidly there. They both trade again in striking range. Cejudo very aggressive now and imposing his will.
Cejudo wades in again and Moraes lands a nice uppercut counter. Great pressure from Cejudo. He lands the uppercut and a knee upstairs.
Cejudo manages to get the thai clinch again and blats him with several big knees upstairs. Moraes showing a tremendous chin to take these shots.
Cejudo suddenly in the ascendency here and he goes back to that clinch knee again in the dying seconds of the round, but then Moraes lands a big punch that seemed to rock him a little.
Round Three:
Cejudo leading the dance now as he presses forward. However, a head kick whistles just by his head. Cejudo ties up in the clinch and presses Moraes up against the cage.
Moraes able to get off the cage. Few light punches for Cejudo. Grazing right hook for Moraes. Moraes suffers an eyepoke, but the action soon continues.
Takedown attempt for Cejudo almost pays off. Back to the clinch knees for Cejudo and lands two in quick succession.
Again Cejudo gets it and lands a knee. Moraes almost gets a takedown off another knee.
Cejudo presses Moraes up against the cage and lands knees to the body. Now Cejudo rolls for an anaconda choke, but Moraes is able to survive that.
Knee to the body from Cejudo. Moraes sitting against the cage here as Cejudo looks to work on top. Armbar attempt from bottom comes from Moraes, but Cejudo is quickly free.
Big elbow strikes now being dropped down by Cejudo from half guard. Final 40 seconds of the round. More big elbows from Cejudo and then he changes it up to punches.
Moraes is wilting here, he can’t take much more, and that’s it, the ref waves off the fight and Cejudo earns another impressive TKO victory.
