UFC’s annual celebration of Latino heritage and Mexican Independence Day was simply that on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Desert Diamond Area in Glendale.
The followers got here to have a good time, cheer and help Mexican blended martial arts fighters, and so they packed the constructing and the realm exterior the world regardless of a late morning begin to the 13-bout Noche UFC.
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By the point the principle card was effectively underway, virtually the entire obtainable seats inside the previous residence of the NHL’s Arizona Coyotes had been full and the followers had been loudest for a pair of fighters, Alexa Grasso of Mexico and American Tommy McMillen.
In addition they had been stunned when boxer Ryan Garcia, combating later for the WBC welterweight title on Sept. 12 in Las Vegas, was proven on the in-arena large display screen strolling into T-Cell Area for his most important occasion bout there.
Brandon Moreno, who received the UFC flyweight title at Desert Diamond Area at UFC 263 in 2021 to turn into the primary Mexican-born UFC champion, walked to the octagon to a track about him in his first, and long-awaited, Noche UFC look. However the Tijuana native’s combat in opposition to Joseph Morales proper earlier than the principle occasion did not get a lot of a crowd response.
Moreno did not have a primary spherical price remembering, then was by chance kicked within the non-public space by Morales within the second, and he misplaced his stability a number of occasions on tried kicks.
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However Moreno earned a split-decision win.
“Crucial factor was I repeated the outcome that I obtained right here earlier than,” Moreno mentioned in Spanish. “My thoughts was the place it ought to have been.
“I really feel like I ought to have thrown a number of extra punches.”
He then thanked the followers for his or her help, although they weren’t as loud for him as they had been 5 years in the past.
Grasso floored opponent and UFC No. 2-ranked flyweight contender Manon Fiorot with a punch late within the first spherical, and the group rose to its toes and roared. The No. 3 flyweight contender was bleeding from her proper eye by the top of the combat, however she made it to the top of the three-round combat.
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Grasso tapped her coronary heart as she regarded out on the group, then was introduced because the unanimous determination winner.
“Viva Mexico!” she shouted. “My boxing is my signature.”
The day did not go so effectively for fighters whose coaching base is the Phoenix space, however that wasn’t the case for McMillen, a featherweight combating out of Peoria. His combat was probably the most entertaining of the day.
McMillen, after strolling to the octagon in darkish sun shades to Motley Crue’s “Ladies Ladies Ladies, ” opened a lower below Morocco native Marwan Rahiki’s proper eye within the first spherical. However Rahiki staggered McMillen with some punches to his face within the second spherical.
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McMillen completed the spherical with a rally of his personal, and the 2 exchanged phrases after the top of the spherical. When the ultimate spherical started, the group was on its toes roaring with delight.
McMillen was the higher fighter within the third spherical, and the group stood all the spherical. The exhausted fighters made to the top of the combat and McMillen, with UFC star Sean O’Malley providing steerage in his nook, was awarded the unanimous determination.
Jose Miguel Delgado, born in Yuma and coaching out of the well-known MMA lab in Phoenix, obtained his shot at co-headlining a most important occasion, going through No. 6 featherweight contender Jean Silva. Delgado changed injured former champion Yair Rodriguez, introduced final month.
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With MMA legend Benson Henderson in his nook, Delgado stung Silva with a left hook within the first spherical and had Silva checking his face for blood. Delgado additionally landed a proper jab.
However Silva overcame that and compelled a submission through chokehold within the third spherical to finish the combat and Noche UFC, happening within the Phoenix space for the primary time as a part of a seven-event deal struck between TKO Group Holdings, UFC’s guardian firm, and the Arizona Sports activities & Occasions Alliance.
Waldo Cortes Acosta, a former Cincinnati Reds minor league pitcher, lumbered by way of an action-less heavyweight combat despite the fact that he was the fifth-ranked heavyweight contender in UFC, and opponent Curtis Blaydes was No. 6. The gang booed each fighters, particularly late within the combat, ready for one thing to occur.
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Blaydes regarded out on the crowd and shrugged his shoulders when the combat ended and he earned the choice.
Drakkar Klose, a light-weight combating out of Phoenix, got here up quick within the fourth combat of the prelim bouts.
The gang booed and even jeered Klose and opponent Tommy Gantt, as their combat began slowly and advanced into grappling alongside the chain hyperlink fence surrounding the octagon. However Gantt executed a reverse triangle within the third spherical and compelled a submission for the win.
The knockout of the day belonged to Sean King III, who lifted opponent Jessie Rosas off the mat within the first spherical of their prelims bout and spiked him headfirst. The influence left Rosas briefly unconscious, the combat ending instantly.
This text initially appeared on Arizona Republic: At Noche UFC, fighters McMillen, Grasso stand out as fan favorites
