Jun Yong Park edged out Eryk Anders on the scorecards tonight in Las Vegas via a split decision victory.
Round One:
Inside leg kick for Park. Anders presses forwards, lands nicely with a punch and then presses Park up against the cage.
Park threatening to sink in a guillotine choke here as Anders continues to clinch up. Illegal knee strike to the groin from Anders forces the referee steps in and resets them away from the cage at striking range.
Anders lands a nice punch and then is right back into the clinch against the cage seeking a takedown. Park stays upright though and threatens with a sweep of his own. They move to the other side of the cage and now Park turns into Anders.
They break for a moment with Anders landing on the exit and then back to the clinch again.
Anders breaks away throwing more strikes. Back to striking range now. Park with an inside leg kick. Anders comes forward and Park lands a couple of counters off the back foot.
Park strikes again, but this time Anders counters with punches of his own. Anders clinching again and immediately Park is threatening with a potential guillotine choke again.
Anders works for a takedown and this time he lands it as he turns off towards the center of the Octagon. However, Park is quickly back to his feet.
Round Two:
Park lands the inside leg kick and then does so again. A third lands, and a fourth. Anders tries to get his hands going, but Park counters before he can land anything.
Park back to the leg kick, but then Anders gets into the clinch again looking for a takedown, but Park is soon free from that.
Park with another kick. He tries to land another kick, but this time eats a nice punch from Anders. Anders connects with another couple of solid punches to the head. Park lands one of his own. Anders finding his range now though.
Park punches. Anders into the clinch again, trying for a single leg, but Park defends it and gets away.
Anders with a clean left hand and an uppercut. He clinches up and throws a knee, but it strays to the groin and Park drops to the canvas in pain, forcing a stoppage for him to recover.
The ref warns both fighters not to land to the groin again or he’ll take a point.
The action gets underway again. Anders with a couple of punches. Park with one of his own. Anders tries to clinch, but Park keeps him at bay.
Winging punches from Anders that don’t find the target. A left hand does get through. He attempts a kick upstairs and then thinks about a takedown, but doesn’t commit to it. Now Anders is into the clinch again against the cage.
Park with an elbow strike. They break apart. Both men missing with punches and Anders is right back into the clinch.
Anders with some sort punches and then is working hard for a takedown. He drives into it and gets him down. Anders slides off Park’s back, but there’s not much time left in the round for Park to capitalize.
Round Three:
Both men feel out with the jab and then Anders lands a one-two. He threatens with a hook. Anders with a high kick attempt and a left hook.
Park gets Anders up against the cage and lands two heavy body punches and then another punch upstairs. Park marching forward now and trying to put pressure on Anders.
Park getting a few punches through now as he builds some momentum. Anders trying to go for takedowns, but Park is stuffing his attempts.
Back in the center of the Octagon now. Anders letting his hands go. He lands a nice left hand. Anders pumps out the straight left and then ducks down looking for a takedown that doesn’t pay off.
One-two counter from Park. Now a hook. He lands another punch, but now Anders connects with a couple of punches and gets into that clinch position again.
Park breaks away. Body punch from Anders. He reaches for a single-leg and that’s easily brushed aside. Inside leg kick for Park. Leg kick from Anders in return. Another inside leg kick for Park.
Again Park with the leg kick. Anders with a punch and a head kick attempt. He walks into a punch from Park.
Solid one-two for Park as Anders attempts his latest takedown without success. Body punch for Anders. He gets a right hand through. Right hand from Park too now. Anders with a leg kick.
Body punch and head kick attempt from Anders. Solid flurry of punches to the head from Park. Park lands an uppercut. Anders tries to clinch. Park the busier man here though and lands a couple more punches as the round is drawing to a close, but will it be enough to win on the scorecards?
Decision
Anders was the more active fighter in the first couple of rounds here, though there were a lot of failed takedown attempts along the way. The third round was more clearly in Park’s favor though as he started to up his pace and pressure with some success.
It’s come down to a split decision verdict and it’s Park who emerges with his hand raised (29-28 x2, 28-29).
