Jessica-Rose Clark got the better of Paige VanZant tonight at UFC Fight Night 124 by outgrappling her opponent in the first 10 minutes, though PVZ claimed to have been hampered by breaking her arm in the opening round.
Round One:
Body kick for PVZ to start. She comes in with a short flurry of punches and Clark looks to counter. Superman punch from PVZ. Now a push kick to the body.
Switch kick to the body now from VanZant. Nice counter-punch from Clark in close and they look to clinch up. PVZ goes for the schoolyard headlock throw, but Clark gets the better of the scramble.
They soon stand and Clark has an arm triangle set-up here. She brings VanZant down to the mat and continues trying to work this arm triangle choke, but it’s not happening for now. Clark in half-guard, but not doing a whole lot. PVZ unable to shift her though and the ref allows her to continue working from this advantageous position.
Clark perhaps a bit lucky to keep that position for as long as she did with so little offense, but in the final seconds of the round she does land a few strikes.
Round Two:
Body kick for PVZ again to start the round. Switch kick from VanZant misses. Now a spinning backfist lands. Into the clinch against the cage and Clark looks to reverse the position, then opts to pull guard. She tries for a leg lock, but PVZ defends it.
Clark now able to bring VanZant to the mat. As in the first round, Clark works at a slow pace from Half-guard, just maintaining position more than anything else.
PVZ able to scramble and get on top, but meanwhile Clark is trying to lock up a triangle choke submission. PVZ in some trouble here. Final minute and Clark is locking this in tighter, but VanZant has no intention of quitting and even manages to land some solid punches to the head of her opponent.
Final seconds of the round and Clark starts to land some offense.
Round Three:
PVZ looking for kicks to start the third. Inbetween rounds she seemed to claim that she had broken her right arm in the first round!
Flying knee attempt from VanZant. now a kick. left hook lands. Switch kick attempts now, but the second one is greeted by a punch from Clark.
Nice kick from PVZ. She’s toughing it out here, but nothing coming from that broken right arm. Two body kicks in a row from PVZ.
Clark applying pressure, but not too much offense. Flying knee from PVZ. Clark lands a couple of punches. PVZ still working mostly kicks, but does try to piece togeher a few punches as well. A head kick is blocked by Clark.
Spinning elbow attempt from PVZ. Clark looking to fire back now, but overall it looks like she believes she’s done enough in the two previous rounds to emerge with the win on the scorecards.
Decision:
Clark outgrappled PVZ in the opening two rounds and was also aided by an apparent PVZ broken arm as she comes away with a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 29-28 x2).
