Kevin Lee claimed a first round rear-naked choke submission win over Michael Chiesa tonight at UFC Fight Night 112, but it proved to be a controversial stoppage.
Round One:
The main event of the evening us underway in Oklahoma!
Leg kick for Lee. Chiesa tries for a head kick but doesn’t find the target. Another leg kick for Lee. Front kick to the body for Chiesa.
nice left hand for Chiesa sends lee backwards. Chiesa lands another left hand that sets up a takedown opportunity for him.
Lee soon able to get back to his feet though and immediately is looking for a takedown. He hoists Chiesa up and dumps him to the mat.
Chiesa trying for a triangle choke, but Lee defends and is able to break out of the that. Lee now settles into Chiesa’s open guard and looks for ground and pound.
Suddenly Chiesa is in on an armbar attempt, but that doesn’t pay off and Lee is able to take Chiesa’s back. Chiesa stands and then drops back down with lee still hunting for a potential rear-naked choke.
Two minutes of the round remaining with Lee riding Chiesa’s back with a tight body triangle and landing a few ground and pound punches.
Hard punches to the head here from Lee. Chiesa stands again momentarily, but then is back down again. Chiesa bleeding from a cut to the head.
Lee sinks in the rear-naked choke and it’s in deep. Chiesa showing no sign of tapping though. Chiesa looks to be going slightly limp, but he’s still conscious when referee Mario Yamasaki steps in and ends the fight, handing Lee the submisison victory with 4.37mins on the clock.
Chiesa is furious and immediately protests that he didn’t tap out. It looks like a premature stoppage, but the decision has been made and it’s Lee who reels off to celebrate his victory.
Chiesa was in a bad spot there, but he definitely didn’t tap, so he’s got every right to be angry with that stoppage.
