Marvin Vettori got the better of Jack Hermansson on the scorecards tonight in the main event of UFC On ESPN 19 after a very hard fought striking battle.
Round One:
The middleweight main event is underway in Las Vegas.
Low outside leg kick from Hermansson. Left hand from Vettori grazes the target. He lands it cleaner now.
Another leg kick for Hermansson. Two-piece combo from Vettori. Uppercut sneaking in from Vettori and the straight left again.
Body punch for Vettori. Heavy body kick in return from Hermansson. Overhand left for Vettori, but Hermansson returns fire. Vettori with a crisp combo.
Good right hand lands for Hermansson. Now a body kick as they exchange again. Vettori continually getting through with the left hand.
Vettori lands it again, but Hermansson scores a big uppercut. Vettori fires back. Vettori connects hard with a straight left and Hermansson goes down.
The fight looks almost like it’s going to be over, but Hermansson gets his bearings and is able to stall the action as he grabs on slow Vettori’s ground and pound offense.
Vettori starts to settle into Hermansson’s guard. He lands a few punches. Vettori works for a guillotine choke. Hermansson easily steers clear of that and Vettori lands a few body punches.
Hermansson trying to work a reversal and Vettori signals a willingness to go back to the guillotine as a detterent. In the final seconds of the round Hermansson works back to his feet and lands an uppercut.
Round Two:
Hermansson presses forward with urgency and lands a right hand. Now an inside leg kick. He misses with a hook. Hard high kick from Hermansson is blocked.
Hermansson tries for a takedown, but he’s on his knees in the center of the Octagon and having to battle hard for it. He gets Vettori down just for a second, but then Vettori pops up to his feet. Hermansson works the takedown again, but then Vettori switches and ends up on top.
Vettori in Hermansson’s guard in the center of the Octagon now. Hermansson with an omaplata and tries the reversal, but Vettori is wise to it and stays on top.
Vettori in half-guard now. Hermansson staying busy from his back and gets him back to full guard. Vettori being patient and then gets back to half-guard. However, soon after he opts to stand up and starts to kick at Hermansson’s legs.
Hermansson gets to his feet. One-two for Vettori. Now a body punch. Right hand for Hermansson. Leg kick for him as Vettori was coming in.
Body punch for Hermansson. Hermansson trying for a takedown, but it’s stuffed and he opts to land a knee instead, then presses his opponent up against the cage.
Vettori circles out and lands a punch. Body kick for Hermansson. Vettori lands a punch just as the round is coming to an end.
Round Three:
Body kicks exchanged to start the third round. Left hand for Vettori. Low leg kick for Hermansson. Now a front kick to the body.
Left hand for Vettori. Right hook for Hermansson and a head kick attempt that’s blocked. Hermansson ducks under a punch and works for a single-leg, but Vettori is showing good defense and keeps this fight upright.
Hermansson with a body kick. Again Hermansson ducks in for a single-leg. He awkwardly goes to ground with Vettori and then straight back up.
Right hand for Hermansson. Now a jab. Another lands clean. For the third time in this round Hermansson goes for the single-leg, but again it’s stuffed.
Right hands for Hermansson. Now a left. Another right hook lands and Vettori fires back with a couple of punches.
Vettori scores with an uppercut. left hand from Vettori. Three-piece combo from Hermansson and a right gets through for him there.
Punches off the guard from Vettori. Both land a punch at the same time. Body kick for Vettori. Right hand grazes for Hermansson.
Left hand sneaks through for Vettori. Double jab for Hermansson. Good pressure from Hermansson in this round as Vettori starts to show signs of slowing.
Round Four:
Busy hands from both men without too much connecting cleanly. Vettori landing off the guard. Hard punches do get through for him now.
Solid jab for Hermansson. Right hand for him. Left for Vettori. Now a jab. Right hook loops through from Hermansson.
Now a left breaks through Hermansson’s guard. Cuffing right hook from Hermansson after Vettori got close. Now a left hand for Hermansson.
Low outside kick from Hermansson. Straight left for Vettori. Vettori gets a right and then a body punch.
Clipping right hand from Hermansson. Body punch for Hermansson. Left for Vettori. Hermansson’s left hooks just missing the target and no more.
Low kick for Hermansson. Nice little uppercut from Hermansson. He throws a good combo and another uppercut scored in that exchange.
Jab for Hermansson and Vettori returns fire. Both men landing hard. Vettori connects with a couple of punches. Hermansson trying to continue the forward pressure. Vettori with a body kick. Now a left hand to end the round.
Round Five:
Low kick for Hermansson. Jab for Vettori. Both fighters trading punches. Right hand gets through for Vettori. Right for Hermansson. Great pace considering this is the fifth round.
Hermansoon swinging hard while keeping a high guard. Big punch for Vettori. Uppercut landing for Hermansson. Solid right from Vettori.
Two-piece for Vettori. Hermansson misses and Vettori finds a left hand. Now a right hook. Real toe-to-toe stuff here.
Big punch for Vettori and Hermansson clinches up in the center of the Octagon. Back to striking they go. Body punch and then uppercut attempt.
Right hook for Vettori. Good left for Vettori. Vettori with punches and a hook counter from Hermansson. Straight left for Vettori.
Body punch from Hermansson. Two lefts for Vettori. Hard right for Hermansson. Vettori’s punches coming off the guard. Short series of uppercuts in close from Hermansson.
Now an uppercut from Vettori. Hermansson continuing to press forward. He lands a jab. The left again for Vettori. Now a right that Hermansson walks into.
Vettori clinches up and marches Hermansson into the cage. Vettori just stalling the action now and treis for a trip that doesn’t pay off.
Final 15 seconds and Hermansson drops down for a leg lock attempt, but he can’t secure it and Vettori is able to get on top as the fight ends.
Decision:
Well done to both fighters for keeping such a high, action-packed pace for the full 25 minutes. Vettori got off to the better start, but Hermansson pushed back well by the third round and it was extremely close in the rounds that followed, but in the end the judges deliver a unanimous decision verdict for ‘The Italian Dream’ Vettori (49-46 x2, 49-45).
