Rani Yahya once again showcase his high-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills to get the better of Kyung Ho Kang on the scorecards tonight at UFC Fight Night 198.
Round One:
left hook from Kang, low kick from Yahya. Solid low kicks from Kang and then a heavy right hand.
Flying knee attempt from Kang, but Yahya uses that to grab hold and look for takedown attempt. He gets over to the cage and is clinging onto the single leg as Kang sinks to his knees.
Yahya able to get on top and grapevines his opponents legs, but still Kang manages to find a way to pop back up. Yahya still clings to his back though and looks to drag him down. Good balance from Kang though. Yahya tries to pull guard and might for a leg lock, but kang escapes well and gets to his feet.
Kang with solid punches now. Yahya trying to work too, but it’s clear the striking advantage lies with Kang. Kang with a big punch that stops Yahya in his tracks for a moment.
Solid one-two for Kang. Low kick for Yahya. Big right hand from Kang and Yaha sinks to the mat. Kang kicks his grounded opponent to the legs and then gets him to stand.
More fast punches from Kang. Heavy uppercut lands. Yahya tries to reach for a takedown, but nothing doing. Leg kick for Kang.
Jab for Kang. Inside leg kick from Yahya. He attempts to shoot from far out for a single, but Kang stuffs it. Yahya tries to make the best of it as he attempts to keep the action grounded, but there’s not much time left in the round to work.
Round Two:
Kang connects solidly with a right hand straight away. Yahya attempts a takedown that doesn’t pay off, but then he manages to get him on his back quickly afterwards in the center of the Octagon.
Beautiful transition to the back from Yahya and now he’s trying to soften him up for the rear-naked choke and he has a lot of time to work here.
Yahya with a tight body triangle that prevents Kang’s attempt to escape. Yahya staying patient. Kang trying to fight the hands here. Now he’s looking to break the body triangle without success.
Still the best part of two minutes in the round remaining as Yahya starts to chip away with punches to the head. Kang doing well to survive such a dangerous position, but Yahya comfortably wins the round with his long spell of control.
Round Three:
Kang with jabs and Yahya lands to the leg. Nice combo from Kang. Yahya fires back. Kang lands some hard punchess and Yahya looks troubled.
Kang lands a right hand that drops Yahya, but Yahya is threatening with a choke and uses that to transition on top. Kang trying to get away, but Yahya is extremely crafty and as his opponent turtles up he works around to his back.
There’s a scramble and Yahya ends up in half-guard. Kang tries for butterfly guard and then settles for closed guard.
Two minutes remaining with Yahya comfortable on top. He passes to half-guard again. Kang back to full-guard again, but is struggling to find a way back to his feet where he had the advantage.
Instead it’s Yahya whose staying busy landing light punches. Kang tries to land few strikes from his back. They continue to trade strikes from the guard in this fashion until the final horn sounds.
Decision:
So, Kang had a huge advantage on the feet here, but Yahya was equally dominant in the grappling exchanges on the mat, and his long periods of control there in the last two rounds help him to a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x3).
