Ovince Saint Preux emerged victorious via split decision against Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua in a relatively uneventful rematch tonight at UFC 274.
Round One:
Inside leg kicks for Shogun to start. Now a body kick for him. OSP with a front kick to the body. He lands it again and then Shogun responds with another leg kick. Shogun looking for punches upstairs too.
Body kick for OSP. He misses a punch and Shogun lands on the counter. Front kick again to the body from OSP.
OSP with that front kick again and Shogun responds with a couple of punches. Inside leg kick from Shogun with power.
Glancing punches from Shogun as he presses forward. Another hard body kick from OSP and lands it again soon afterwards. Body punch from Shogun and OSP keeps prodding that foot into his mid-section.
Winging punch from Shogun misses. Jab for OSP. Front kick to the body from OSP and a body kick in return from Shogun.
OSP knocks Shogun off-balance a little with that front kick. OSP misses with an overhand and Shogun retaliates with a couple of punches.
Inside leg kick for Shogun. Reaching left hand from OSP. Inside leg kick again from Shogun.
Round Two:
OSP with a front kick to the body and then tries a head kick behind it. Inside leg kick from Shogun.
Body kick from Shogun is partially blocked. Head kick attempt again from OSP> Leg kick again from Shogun. Body kick.
OSP back to his front kick. Body kick from Shogun. Inside leg kick for him. OSP sticking with the front kick. Shogun lands a left hook and a leg kick.
Head kick attempt again from OSP, but all been blocked so far. Shogun lands to the leg again. OSP with the front kick, Shogun lands to the body and then connects upstairs.
Jab for OSP. Kick for Shogun. Again to the inside of that lead leg. Punch from OSP. OSP with a jab and another low kick.
Shogun with a body kick. Body kick for OSP is caught and he lands on the counter. Right hand from Shogun. Inside leg kick from Shogun.
OSP misses a hook and Shogun lands on the counter. Leg kick from Shogun, but OSP checks that.
Front kick to the body from OSP. Shogun misses on a superman punch attempt and is just out of range from a counter punch.
Round Three:
Body kick for Shogun is blocked. OSP goes for a takedown and then quickly settles for clinching up against the cage.
OSP backs up a little and looks for a kick upstairs. Inside leg kicks from Shogun as OSP looks to check them. Grazing left hand for Shogun.
Body kick from Shogun. Jab for OSP and then a body kick. OSP working that front kick repeatedly to the body.
Shogun circling a lot now on the outside. Another front kick to the body and Shogun is starting to grimace when they land.
OSP continues to work to the body. Shogun with a right hand. Back to the body for OSP. Inside leg kick from Shogun. Jab from OSP.
Head kick attempt from OSP almost sneaks through. Back to the front kick and then a left hand. Solid body kick for OSP.
Light punches from OSP upstairs. Leg kick for Shogun. Winging left and right hooks from Shogun. Shogun gets on his bike and circles away for the final 10 seconds of the fight.
Decision:
This was a bit of a dull encounter between the two veterans then, with OSP’s front kicks to the body going up against Shogun’s inside leg kicks with very little else happening, but in the end that was enough to earn Saint Preux his second career win over the Brazilian, this time via a split decision verdict (29-28, 28-29, 30-27).
