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MIAMI – There was a lot of anticipation and buzz about Josh Hokit and Curtis Blaydes in the lead-up to UFC 327, but much of it was not based around the actual fight itself. But in reflection, it turns out the fight really, really didn't need any extracurriculars.
At Saturday's event at Kaseya Center, Hokit (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Blaydes (19-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC) turned home an all-time heavyweight classic – abandoning their usual grapple-heavy attacks to play rock 'em, sock 'em robots for a full 15 minutes. When the dust settled, Hokit showed it wasn't too much, too soon – as he won by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Hokit had success early in the fight, putting Blaydes on rollerblades early. But Blaydes stormed back late, as he unloaded punch after punch as Hokit was backed up against the fence. Much of Hokit's "alter-ego" character was left at the door, though middle fingers were flipped and signals to the crowd came after every round.
Somehow, both men survived to see Round 2, which is when Hokit slowly began to take over. Hokit landed over and over again, clearly the quicker fighter. But Blaydes hung tough and continued to have his moments, despite being visibly drained for his attempt to unload in Round 1.
Round 3 was a tad slower but the effort and game plans remained the same: brawl. Blaydes, with a busted up face, absorbed everything Hokit had. But in the end, the UFC heavyweight division has a new contender and his name is Josh Hokit.
With the win, Hokit immediately establishes himself as a contender. He entered UFC 327 with only two appearances, against entry-level competition in Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman, though he attracted much attention for his bizarre and controversial pro wrestling characters.
Blaydes, 35, falls to 1-2 in his most recent three. His previous bout was a win over Rizvan Kuniev in June. Blaydes suffered a knee injury in the bout that required surgery and had been out for nearly a year as a result.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 327 results: Josh Hokit, Curtis Blaydes turn in shocking thriller
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At Saturday's event at Kaseya Center, Hokit (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and Blaydes (19-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC) turned home an all-time heavyweight classic – abandoning their usual grapple-heavy attacks to play rock 'em, sock 'em robots for a full 15 minutes. When the dust settled, Hokit showed it wasn't too much, too soon – as he won by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Hokit had success early in the fight, putting Blaydes on rollerblades early. But Blaydes stormed back late, as he unloaded punch after punch as Hokit was backed up against the fence. Much of Hokit's "alter-ego" character was left at the door, though middle fingers were flipped and signals to the crowd came after every round.
Somehow, both men survived to see Round 2, which is when Hokit slowly began to take over. Hokit landed over and over again, clearly the quicker fighter. But Blaydes hung tough and continued to have his moments, despite being visibly drained for his attempt to unload in Round 1.
Round 3 was a tad slower but the effort and game plans remained the same: brawl. Blaydes, with a busted up face, absorbed everything Hokit had. But in the end, the UFC heavyweight division has a new contender and his name is Josh Hokit.
With the win, Hokit immediately establishes himself as a contender. He entered UFC 327 with only two appearances, against entry-level competition in Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman, though he attracted much attention for his bizarre and controversial pro wrestling characters.
Blaydes, 35, falls to 1-2 in his most recent three. His previous bout was a win over Rizvan Kuniev in June. Blaydes suffered a knee injury in the bout that required surgery and had been out for nearly a year as a result.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 327 results:
- Josh Hokit def. Curtis Blaydes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Dominick Reyes def. Johnny Walker via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Cub Swanson def. Nate Landwehr via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:06
- Aaron Pico def. Patricio Freire via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Kevin Holland def. Randy Brown via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Mateusz Gamrot def. Esteban Ribovics via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 4:19
- Tatiana Suarez def. Loopy Godinez via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:29
- MarQuel Mederos vs. Chris Padilla declared majority draw (29-27, 28-28, 28-28)
- Vicente Luque def. Kelvin Gastelum via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 1, 4:08
- Charles Radtke def. Francisco Prado via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 327 results: Josh Hokit, Curtis Blaydes turn in shocking thriller
Continue reading...
