Both fighters hhere gave a good account of themselves tonight at UFC 292, but in the end it was Mario Bautista who emerged with a unanimous decision victory over late replacement Da’Mon Blackshear.
Round One:
Kicks exchanged straight away, with Bautista going to the legs, while Blackshear connects to the body.
Leg kick from Blackshear, but eats a punch on the way in. Bautista swings wild and just misses.
Blackshear in on a takedown and they spin around repeatedly in the center of the Octagon and then Blackshear walks him over to the cage.
A couple of knees to the body from Blackshear and lands to the legs too. Now he lands a good takedown and Bautista closes up his guard for now.
Bautista now gets his legs up looking for a possible takedown, but then opts to stand against the cage. Blackshear remains in the clinch though. Bautista able to reverse and then break away though.
Now it’s Bautista whho engages back int the clinch but is looking to strike. They break away again. Inside leg kick for Blackshear and Bautista felt that one.
Punch from Bautista and Blackshear is on on another takedown. He gets him down, but Bautista stands right back up. Blackshear pulls him down again. Bautista able to get up. Blackshear tries for the takedown again, but Bautista is is staying high and stuffing it for now.
Blackshear refuses to give up though and does finally get him back to the mat again. Bautista threatens immediately with a guillotine choke. He’s got it in, but Blackshear survives and gets his head free.
The action spills back to the feet with both fighters looking to engage before the horn sounds.
Round Two:
Bautista with a right hand. he swings and misses on a combo. He lands a punch to the body. A couple more missed punches. They clinch up but break free quickly.
Bautista in on a takedown of his own now against the cage. Blackshear defending nicely. He lands elbows and ten moves away.
One-two from Bautista. Bautista tries to drive into a takedown, but it’s Blackshear who clinches up and turns him into the cage.
Bautista reverse the clinch and they separate. Head kick attempt from Bautista. Body kick or Bautista. Couple of inside leg kicks from Blackshear. Body punch from Bautista and body kick from Blackshear.
Bautista tries for a single-leg, but Blackshear defends it. In the clinch Blackshear lands a couple of elbows.
Back to striking range now. Right hand up top from Bautista. Swings and misses on both sides. Jab for Bautista. Blackshear tries for a jumping knee and then ducks into a takedown attempt. Bautista scrambles to his feet immediately.
Bautista into the clinch. Both land a strike before separating. Right hand for Bautista. Now a right from Blackshear.
Grazing right hook for Bautista. Missed knee from Blackshear. Right hand for Bautista. Uppercuts int the clinch from Blackshear. Bautista into the clinch against the cage. He lands a left hook over the top.
Round Three:
Punch lands for Blackshear as he backs up. Now a punch from Bautista. leg kick for Bautista and then a missed head kick. Inside leg kick for Blackshear.
Solid straight right from Bautista as he stepped into range. Now a left hand for him as he steers clear of punches from Blackshear.
Right hand for Bautista again. Blackshear just feeling out with the jab repeatedly without connecting and Bautista steps in with a right hand that gets through.
Bautista into the clinch. Blackshear trying to reverse without success. Knees to the body from Bautista.
Back to striking range. Question mark kick attempt from Blackshear. Bautista gets the body lock and lands a nice takedown.
Bautista gets Blackshear’s back close to the cage. Two minutes remaining. Blackshear rolls to his knees and tries to stand. Bautista dragging him back down. Blackshear scrambles to his feet but is brought back down again.
Blackshear won by twister a week ago and Bautista seems to be trying to set up his own! He gives up on that quickly though and looks to punch. Blackshear scrambles and gets back up.
They go to striking range. Blackshear firing off strikes and Bautista falls. Bautista right back up. The action goes to the mat again as Bautista slickly goes for the throw and rolls on top.
Decision:
Both fighters fought well here, and credit goes to Blackshear for putting on a good performance just a week after his last Octagon outing. He did start to slow a bit later in the fight though as Bautista picked up his own pace and in the end it is Bautista who emerges with a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x2, 30-27).
