UFC Mexico City: Fox Sports 1 Prelims Results and Recaps

By
Heath Harshman
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UFC Mexico City, Hector Sandoval
Credit: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com

Mexico City hosted the UFC at Arena Ciudad de Mexico on Fox Sports 1 Saturday night, giving fans their final event from the promotion until September. Following a busy summer, and a certain boxing bout, UFC Mexico City (UFC Fight Night 114) was fight fan’s last chance to enjoy MMA’s premier promotion live for a few weeks. After what has amounted to more than a card per week over the last couple of months, the break is more than due. Before that, we were treated to talent from women’s strawweight, featherweight, middleweight, and more in Mexico.

It was the first UFC card in Mexico since November of 2016, when Rafael dos Anjos and Tony Ferguson headlined The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 Finale at the same venue. Before top-tier contenders Brandon Moreno and Sergio Pettis took the stage for the main event of UFC Mexico City, the Fox Sports 1 preliminary card got things going. Of the four fights on the FS1 prelims, two were from the bantamweight division, with one additional bout coming from each of the flyweight and middleweight divisions.

In the opener, former The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 1 show-mates Jose Alberto Quinonez and Diego Rivas got the opportunity to showcase how much they’ve grown in the nearly three years since the season took place. Veteran 135-pounders Henry Briones and Rani Yahya were also set to face off, while Dustin Ortiz and Hector Sandoval attempted to gain ground in the 125-pound weight class. In the featured fight, middleweights Brad Scott and Jack Hermansson both looked to improve to 2-0 in the UFC in 2017.

Check back for a full recap of all the FS1 preliminary card action, highlights, and results!

Jose Alberto Quinonez vs. Diego Rivas

Recording a win in each of the last two years, Jose Alberto Quinonez attempted to make it three in-a-row in his 2017 UFC debut against the undefeated Diego Rivas. Rivas had fought just once since November of 2014, defeating Noad Lahat with a flying-knee knockout in February of last year. Following that bout, Rivas discovered he had testicular cancer. After surgery and chemotherapy, and lots of perseverance, Rivas was back in the Octagon Saturday night.

A largely uneventful first-round saw Rivas attack the legs of Quinonez with hard kicks on a regular basis, while Quinonez landed from distance, eventually drawing blood from Rivas’ nose as the round ended. The second stanza was a bit more active, with Rivas pressing forward more, and both fighters throwing more strikes. Rivas looked to be getting the better of Quinonez, before a quick takedown gave the Mexican dominant position. He used that position well, maintaining control and landing ground-strikes from a variety of positions throughout the final 90-seconds of round two, likely taking a 20-18 lead into round three.

Quinonez looked the more comfortable fighter in the opening minutes of the final round, controlling the range and style of the fight. Rivas was unable to land consistent strikes, or get inside the reach of Quinonez for any significant period of time. And when they did clinch, about half-way through the round, it resulted in another takedown for Quinonez. A scramble gave Rivas dominant position, but he wasn’t able to take advantage, and Quinonez got back to his feet in seconds. Rivas fought tough in a difficult matchup, while Quinonez looked impressive, taking the unanimous decision victory in his home country.

Jose Alberto Quinonez def. Diego Rivas via unanimous decision (30-27×3)

Henry Briones vs. Rani Yahya

Rani Yahya, and his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills, is one of the toughest matchups in the UFC’s bantamweight division. Following his loss to Joe Soto at UFC Fortaleza in March of 2017, he was hungry for a win. His opponent, Henry Briones, is a similarly difficult bout, despite losing his last two fights to Cody Garbrandt and Douglas Silva de Andrade.

The bout quickly began in Yahya’s favor, going to the ground within the first minute of the first round. With Yahya working for a variety of submissions, from a variety of positions, Briones was on defense from the start. Battling, Briones was able to escape a north-south choke, while Yahya took half-guard. Seconds later, Yahya was working for a kimura, and seconds after that, Briones was tapping. The win was Yahya’s fifth in his last six bouts, dating back to September of 2014, and his first submission-finish since June of 2016.

Rani Yahya def. Henry Briones via submission (kimura) at 2:01 of Round 1

Dustin Ortiz vs. Hector Sandoval

One of the UFC flyweight divison’s rising prospects, Hector Sandoval, went to war with promotional veteran Dustin Ortiz at UFC Mexico City. Although Ortiz had lost three of his last four bouts, and four of his last six, coming into the event, his top-15 spot in the UFC’s flyweight official rankings is well deserved. This was the fourth UFC bout of Sandoval’s career, compared to the 11th for Ortiz, who also fought twice in Strikeforce.

It didn’t take long, as Ortiz landed a huge right-hand and followed it up with several more strikes in the opening exchange, knocking-out Sandoval in 15 seconds. The finish was the fastest in UFC flyweight history, and gave Ortiz his first win since a split-decision victory over Zach Makovsky at UFC 206.

Dustin Ortiz def. Hector Sandoval via knockout (punches) at 0:15 of Round 1

Brad Scott vs. Jack Hermansson

The first of two middleweight bouts at UFC Mexico City featured 28-year-old Englishman Brad Scott and 29-year-old Swede Jack Hermansson. Scott had been consistently-inconsistent since joining the UFC in December of 2012. Going 3-3, alternating losses and wins, Scott had the chance to secure back-to-back wins at UFC Mexico City. That was a tough ask against Hermansson, who’s 15-3 overall record going into the bout included a 2-1 record in the UFC since September of 2016.

Feeling each other out over the course of the first minute of the fight, Hermansson would shoot and land his first takedown attempt of the bout. Pinning Scott aginst the cage, Hermansson kept top-position, tiring out Scott for the majority of the round. Constantly pressuring, Hermansson took Scott’s back, and then moved to mount, before grounding-and-pounding his way to his 16th career professional victory in impressive fashion.

Jack Hermansson def. Brad Scott via TKO (ground strikes) at 3:50 of Round 1

UFC Mexico City (UFC Fight Night 114) FS1 Preliminary Card Results:

Jack Hermansson def. Brad Scott via TKO (ground strikes) at 3:50 of Round 1

Dustin Ortiz def. Hector Sandoval via knockout (punches) at 0:15 of Round 1 (Fastest finish in UFC flyweight history)

Rani Yahya def. Henry Briones via submission (kimura) at 2:01 of Round 1

Jose Alberto Quinonez def. Diego Rivas via unanimous decision (30-27×3)

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