UFC Oklahoma City Rookie Report Card: Five debuts graded
Five rookies stepped into the Octagon at UFC Oklahoma City on Saturday night, and the newcomers collectively went 2-3 inside Paycom Center. One heavyweight put the division on notice with a first-round finish, while another debutant set a featherweight record for takedowns landed in his first UFC appearance.
Heavyweight RJ Harris turned in the night's standout rookie performance, stopping Alvin Hines in the opening frame after punishing him for throwing a naked low kick. Harris countered with a heavy shot, then landed an uppercut that dropped Hines before finishing with ground strikes. The stoppage improved Harris to 6-0 and gave the heavyweight division a much-needed fresh face, though the LFA veteran only turned professional last year. MMA Mania gave Harris an A grade for the violent debut and suggested rebooking him against Allen Frye Jr.
Featherweight grappler sets divisional takedown record
Ezra Elliott set the UFC featherweight record for most takedowns landed in a single fight during his decision win over Damien Anderson. Both grapplers signed to the promotion on Tuesday, giving them short notice for the bout. Elliott shot takedown after takedown across three rounds, spending much of the fight controlling Anderson on the mat and defending submission attempts. Anderson, naturally a bantamweight who got outsized by Elliott after the latter missed weight, showed grappling creativity and surprising power but spent most of the fight on the defensive. Elliott earned a B+ grade despite snapping his 100 percent finish rate, while Anderson received a D for the tough debut.
heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">Light heavyweight Levi Rodrigues Jr. dropped a second-round TKO to Felipe Franco after hurting his opponent early but failing to finish. Rodrigues, returning from a suspension, cracked Franco with a massive hook two minutes into the fight but could not put him away. Franco survived the scare, landed a takedown late in the first round, then hurt Rodrigues early in the second before moving to mount and forcing a stoppage with heavy ground strikes. Rodrigues received a D grade for his lack of answers once Franco weathered the early storm.
Flyweight Anna Melisano became the first fighter from Season 34 of The Ultimate Fighter to compete in the Octagon, taking a short-notice bout against veteran Dione Barbosa. The matchup went poorly for the TUF competitor, who got clinched and dragged to the ground before Barbosa took control. Elliott faces Rodrigo Vera next, while Anderson should drop back to bantamweight to face Carlos Vera.
Photo: UFC, Troika / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Original reporting:
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