Rodrigo Nascimento was able to use his wrestling and size advantage to edge out Tanner Boser by split decision tonight at UFC Fight Night 210.
Round One:
Nice jab from Boser to start. He lands a right hand too. Now a leg kick from Boser and Nascimento lands a punch in response.
Boser with a hook and then again. Nascimento moves into the clinch and then lands a takedown as Boser is dropping some elbows down on him.
Nascimento in half-guard here with plenty of time to work. Boser gets him back to full guard. Body punches from Nascimento. Boser lands a punch from his back and then clinches tightly to his opponent to restrict his movement and hope for a stand-up.
Light punches from Nascimento. Boser lets go, tries to punch from his back and then goes back to clinching tightly again.
Boser now gradually working towards the cage and there’s a scramble as he tries to get on top and then settles for standing up and pressing Nascimento into the cage.
They break apart. Jab from Boser. Big overhand right from Nascimento, but Boser survives that and works into the clinch against the cage.
Boser not getting too much going from this position and Nascimento lands a knee and they go back to striking range. Nascimento attempts a head kick that’s blocked.
Overhand attempt from Boser and then a left hand lands as the round is drawing to a close.
Round Two:
Boser with a left and a right hand. Good left hand lands for Nascimento. Body kick for Boser, but Nascimento is countering with a punch. Another body kick from Boser and Nascimento looks to counter again.
Right hand for Boser. Now he works to the body. Solid jab from Boser. Again Boser goes back to the body with a couple of punches.
Leg kick for Boser. Nice punch to the body. Left hook from Boser and Nascimento looked a bit wobbled from that as Boser starts to unleash a combination of punches that mostly comes off the guard.
Boser lands again, but Nascimento is occasionally getting through with a counter of his own. Jab through the guard from Boser. Nascimento with a one-two.
Nascimento in for a takedown attempt and lands it. Now he’s working to the back with 90 seconds of the round remaining.
Boser left his neck exposed for a moment and Nascimento immediately goes for the rear-naked choke. Boser gives a thumbs up to show he’s ok a couple of times, then manages to escape and goes to his back.
Nascimento in half-guard now. Boser lands some right hands from his back. Nascimento almost gets to full mount, but not quite and we’re heading to the third round.
Round Three:
A couple of jabs land for Nascimento. He continues to press forward and lands again. Body punch from Boser.
A punch lands for each. Jab for Boser. Right hand from Boser just grazes the top of the ducking Nascimento’s head.
Nascimento gets in on Boser’s hips and lands a nice takedown. He circles around to prevent Boser from working back to the cage.
Nascimento able to pass to half-guard now with just over half the final round remaining. The ref urges him to work as the action slows.
Nascimento trying to work to side control, but not pushing too hard, seeming happy to just control the action on top. Ref telling him to work. He lands a punch, but ends up back in full guard.
Boser boxing Nascimento’s ears from his back, offering up more offense than Nascimento, but no real damage.
30 seconds to go and the ref stands them back up. Boser lands a punch and Nascimento drops into a takedown attempt that’s stuffed. Boser lets his hands go again and then throws a kick into the mix.
Now Boser rips to the body of the tired looking Nascimento and then is back upstairs again with more punches as he tries to steal the round in the final seconds of the fight.
Decision:
Nascimento had some solid control on the mat in this fight and did land the occasional solid punch too, though for the most part it was Boser who was the busier striker and appeared to have his opponent hurt with punches in the second round.
It’s down to the judges to make the call and they deliver a split decision verdict that goes in Nascimento’s favor (30-27, 28-29, 29-28).
