Anthony Smith scores first-round submission win over Devin Clark
There were some big shoes to fill after the main event fight between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis was called off once the former tested positive for COVID-19.
On short notice, Anthony Smith and Devin Clark agreed to have their fight become a five-round headline bout, but Smith only needed one round to get back in the win column.
Smith, who was a Clark’s replacement opponent after Shamil Gamzatov withdrew from their originally-proposed contest, reaffirmed that he was a light heavyweight to be reckoned with in a dominant, controlled performance.
“Lionheart” managed to bring the fight to the floor in the early stages of the fight and gain top position before Clark reversed and threatened with a twister.
However, Smith’s ground game is up there with the best at 205 pounds and he showed how dangerous he can be when he threw up a triangle choke while on his back.
After some adjusting to maximise the effect of his triangle choke, Smith forced Clark to tap after just 2 minutes 34 seconds.
This win sees Smith end 2020 on a high after suffering two disappointing defeats earlier in the year. He is now 2-2 in the UFC since his UFC light heavyweight title fight against then-champion Jon Jones in 2019.
Miguel Baeza submits Takashi Sato in second round
Unbeaten welterweight prospect Miguel Baeza kept his perfect professional fight record intact when he submitted Takashi Sato on Saturday night – his first win via submission on his growing resume.
Over two rounds, Baeza managed to show off his well-rounded fighting arsenal.
He got the better of Sato in the first round on the feet, landing multiple kicks at range and notably scored with a big knee which looked to have hurt his experienced Japanese counterpart.
The finish came in the second round when Baeza took Sato down, showing off more wrinkles in his mixed martial arts game.
“Caramel Thunder” transitioned to take Sato’s back and flattened his foe out on the ground before setting up the arm-triangle choke.
The choke was in tight and Sato could do little to defend once it was in – submitting at 4:28 of the second stanza.
Impressive performance and victory for Baeza, who will surely face a sterner test in the UFC’s welterweight division next.
UFC on ESPN 18: Anthony Smith vs. Devin Clark full results
Light Heavyweight: Anthony Smith def. Devin Clark by submission (triangle choke) at 2:34 of round one
Welterweight: Miguel Baeza def. Takashi Sato by submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:28 of round two
Heavyweight: Parker Porter def. Josh Parisian by unanimous decision after three rounds
Featherweight: Bill Algeo def. Spike Carlyle by unanimous decision after three rounds
Catchweight: Norma Dumont Viana def. Ashlee Evans-Smith by unanimous decision after three rounds
Featherweight: Jonathan Pearce def. Kai Kamaka III by TKO (punches) at 4:28 of round two
Bantamweight: Anderson dos Santos def. Martin Day by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:35 of round one
Women’s Flyweight: Gina Mazany def. Rachael Ostovich by TKO (front kick to the body and punches) at 4:10 of round three
Flyweight: Su Mudaerji def. Malcolm Gordon by KO (punches) at 0:44 of round one
Catchweight: Nathan Maness def. Luke Sanders by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:29 of round two
