Ilir Latifi shocked many by choking out Ovince Saint Preux on the main card at UFC Orlando on FOX Saturday night.
At light heavyweight on Saturday at UFC on FOX 28 in Orlando, ‘OSP’ squared off against Sweden’s Ilir Latifi. Properly known as Ovince Saint Preux, the former football player was on a three-fight win streak and looking to make his way back to a title shot. Latifi, meanwhile, was looking to build off a recent win over Tyson Pedro.
Saint Preux was the favorite in the eyes of many, but that’s not how things went Saturday.
OSP flashed stance changes early in the fight, and had Ilir Latifi backed up against the cage. Latifi landed a kick to the outside thigh on Saint Preux. The height and reach advantage for OSP was considerable; he used his reach to keep Latifi at a distance. Saint Preux began to work in some leg kicks, while Ilir Latifi tried to force his way inside. Then, it what could have been the evening’s most shocking upset, Latifi landed a punch that wobbled Ovince Saint Preux. OSP was rocked, and Latifi immediately charged in with follow-up strikes. Set up by that left hook that dropped Saint Preux, Latifi scored with another left. A barrage of punches followed, then Latifi sunk in a guillotine choke. Saint Preux, still dazed, was caught. He could neither escape nor tap in time before going out, and Ilir Latifi walked away with a technical submission, and arguably the win of his career. Signalling for the belt following his big win, Latifi had suddenly thrown his name in the mix of title contenders at 205lbs in the UFC.
“DC, you’re a legend, you’re a champ, and you know I have a lot of respect for you, but lets fight for the title” Latifi said after the fight. Daniel Cormier, of course, has a fight with heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic to worry about next. After that, however, the light heavyweight champ could have a new Swedish challenger to contend with.
Ilir Latifi def. Ovince Saint Preux by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 3:48
