Raphael Assuncao showed off his crisp counter-striking against Victor Henry tonight at UFC Fight Night 212 to secure a unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
Early leg kick from Assuncao as they start to exchange early in the opening round. Henry looking for a a right hand over the top of Assuncao’s guard.
Right hand from Assuncao just coming up short. Body kick from Henry that’s caught by Assuncao for a moment.
Solid left hand from Assuncao, but Henry is pressuring him closer to the cage. Leg kick for Henry. He gets his head out the way of a punch and then lands a strike of his own.
Body kick for Henry. Another body kick for him after avoiding a punch. Henry with a kick attempt and Assuncao catches it, but abandons a takedown attempt in favor of landing a couple of punches upstairs.
Assuncao in on a takedown attempt, but then backs out of it. Henry back to pressuring but misses an overhand and Assuncao turns him into the cage as he clinches up.
Assuncao backs out with a knee strike. Leg kick for Assuncao. Henry lands a light jab and Assuncao tries to set up a left hook counter.
Head kick attempt from Henry. He tries for that again and then lands a body kick on the other side. Assuncao catches it again.
Assuncao lands a nice counter as Henry is looking to step into range to strike. Crescent kick attempt from Henry doesn’t pay off.
Round Two:
Leg kick for Henry. Nice spinning body kick from Henry. Assuncao tries his own spinning kick without finding the mark.
leg kick for Henry. Now an inside leg kick and an oblique kick too. Good overhand right for Assuncao. Spinning head kick attempt from Henry, but whistles over Assuncao’s head and then falls to the mat, enabling Assuncao to get on top.
Henry trying to work an armbar off his back, but he can’t get it. Assuncao lands an elbow. They scramble and Henry gets back to his feet.
Henry lands a punch. In the clinch Henry lands a knee to the body. Henry back to pressuring Assuncao close to the cage.
Henry feelings out with the jab and then tries to land a big straight, but doesn’t get a clean connection and Assuncao fires back.
Assuncao catches a leg and heads across the Octagon with it and then has him down at the other end over the cage.
Henry bleeding from his right eye as he goes fishing for a potential submission from his back. Assuncao being careful on top though and Henry is able to scramble back to his feet as the round is ending.
Round Three:
left hand lands for Henry, but then eats a big counter from Assuncao. Another nice right hand for Assuncao.
Body kick and a punch behind it from Henry. Henry lands a punch as Assuncao is moving into the clinch. They break apart.
Front kick to the body from Henry. He lands a couple of jabs and a right hand, but Assuncao then fires off a combo of his own.
Assuncao takes Henry to the mat and Henry throws his legs up fishing for a submission. He doesn’t find it, but does manage to get back up.
Assuncao lands a right hand. Henry pressing forward with urgency, but a kick attempt allows Assuncao to grab it again and tries for a takedown that doesn’t work out.
Elbow strike for Assuncao. Low kick for Henry. Body kick for him. Good left hand for Assuncao. Now a right from Henry.
Another right hand for Henry. Body kick. Assuncao clinches up, but Henry presses him into the cage. Not for long though and as they reset Assuncao lands a good right hand. Now a double-leg attempt from Assuncao and switches to a single against the cage, but hopping on one leg Henry stays upright.
Assuncao still working on this single leg in the final minute of the fight. Finally Henry breaks free but there’s only 10 seconds to go. He tries a low spinning kick and throws a punch, but nothing much comes out it and we’re headed to the scorecards.
Decision:
Henry was constantly pressuring in this fight, but Assuncao proved to be very comfortable fighting off the back foot and landed well on the counter throughout the three rounds on his way to a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x3).
