The UFC invaded Tulsa, OK for the first time in its storied career and while the headlining bout of UFC Fight Night 49 was a lightweight scrap between former champion Benson Henderson and Rafael dos Anjos, an argument could be made that three North Texas based fighters stole the show. Granted, it should be noted that Cage Authority is based in Dallas, TX.
Still, one can not front of the virtuoso performances put on by Matt Hobar, Chas Skelly, and James Vick.
Matt Hobar vs. Aaron Phillips
In a battle between two fighters in their second UFC career fight the stakes were high for both Hobar and Phillips as both men were coming off of losses in their UFC debut. Billed as a battle between wrestler (Hobar) and striker (Phillips) it was the wrestler who proved victorious. Hobar, who fights out of Dallas’ Octagon MMA, wasted little time in taking the fight to where he wanted it to go; on the mat. Using his impressive wrestling, Hobar took the fight to the ground seemingly at will and gave Phillip no room for comfort battering him with punches and elbows from top position. Phillips simply had no answer for Hobar’s wrestling and in the end the Dallas native was able to cruise to a dominating unanimous decision victory.
Chas Skelly vs. Tom Niinimaki
Like Hobar, Chase Skelly was looking for redemption Saturday night having dropped his UFC debut earlier this year in Orlando. A noted wrestler and member of Team Takedown, Skelly looked like a man possessed prior to the fight and once the bell rang it was clear that he was looking to dominate in the wrestling department. Still, something tells me even Skelly didn’t think his win would be this easy. After an early takedown minutes into the fight, Skelly was able to transition to the back to sink in a rear naked choke that ended the fight minutes into the opening round.
James Vick vs. Valmir Lazaro
I think Middle Easy summed up this fight best by stating that, “This fight was a human version of people mashing buttons in fighting games.” It’s a pretty fair assessment as Vick and Lazaro slugged it out for 15 bloody and grueling minutes. Despite Lazaro’s credentials as a striker it was the pure boxing and freaky reach of Vick that resulted in laser-like right hands crashing on the skull of Lazaro. Vick, who splits time with Fort Worth’s Phalanx Powerhouse fight team and Lloyd Irvin’s team in Maryland, looked gassed early in the fight (he admitted as such in a very honest post-fight interview) but a pass has to be given to him seeing as how Vick has battled injury over the past two years. Vick is an exciting fighter and provided he can avoid injury we should see him more and more in the UFC Octagon.
Photo credit: MMAJunkie
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