William Gomis eeked out a split-decision win over Joanderson Brito tonight at UFC Fight Night 243 in Paris.
Round One:
Gomis looking to keep range with teep kicks here. Brito looking to ground him. He takes a kick to the body in order to clinch up, but Gomis reverse the position against the cage.
Knees to the thigh from Gomis. Brito works a takedown though. He tries to take the back, but Gomis does well to not only prevent that but scramble on top.
Gomis able to improve to half-guard. Brito working butterfly guard, but can’t get out from under Gomis yet.
Brito trying to sweep with an armbar attempt, but Gomis prevents it. Brito able to find space to get up and press Gomis into the cage.
Gomis tries to move away but Brito is right back on him. Knee to the body from Brito. Gomes reverses the clinch. Brito does likewise as they continue to jockey for position.
Gomis gets a bit of control time and then tries for a takedown, but Brito keeps his balance.
Now they finally break free to striking range. Brito immediately pressing forward with winging strikes. He swings for the fences again and Gomis backs up looking a bit wobbled.
Brito grabs on a guillotine choke and drops to the mat with it, but before he can go for the finish the round ends.
Round Two:
Brito on the front foot immediately. Gomis throws off a couple of punches to let him know he’s still a threat, but Brito is throwing power hooks here regardless.
Brito gets in and lands a takedown and Gomis ends up parallel to the cage. A few punches and a knee to the body from Brito.
Brito working to the back and immediately starts to work for an arm triangle choke here, but Gomis is partially on his side so it’s not quite sunk in. He tries to adjust, but it’s still an awkward position close to the cage and so he can’t finish with it.
Brito gives up on the attempt and Gomis starts trying to build his base and stand up against the cage. Punches from Brito but Gomis does stand.
Gomis able to break out of the clinch now. Inside leg kick for Brito. Body kick for Gomis. Jab for Gomis but then a hard punch in return from Brito.
Brito punches to the body and then clinches up. Knees to the thigh from Brito. Gomis lands a knee to the body and backs away.
Front kick to the body from Gomis. Big kicks exchanged by both men here late in the round.
Round Three:
Leg kick for Brito. He lands another. Now a body kick. Low kick for Gomis while just steering clear of a punch.
Brito rushes into a leg kick but then eats a couple of clean punches from Gomis. Nice straight left from Gomis.
Gomis connects again as Brito presses forward. Brito still pressing forward regardless. He lands a kick. Gomis clinches up and drives Brito into the cage.
Knees to the thighs from Gomis. Knee strike lands and then backs away to striking range.
Brito straight back on the pressure game. Body kick lands nicely from Gomis though. Brito with big swings but misses the target a few times as he struggles to track down the mobile Gomis.
Brito clinches up against the cage. He starts to work for a single-leg and does manage to land the takedown. He starts to move around to the back. Gomis gets to one knee and has to endure a few knees strikes to the hind-quarters before being able to stand.
Brito continues to work from the clinch in the final minute of the round. He looks for another single leg but Gomis counters with a guillotine choke and then manages to use that to get Brito down.
Brito does well to escape before the round ends and they start to exchange before the final horn.
Decision:
A competitive fight then with Brito often taking the lead and being the aggressor, but Gomis was showing off the cleaner striking technique at times. In the end the judges are split on the decision, but it’s Gomis who emerges with his hand raised as the winner (29-28 x2, 28-29).
