A fun welterweight affair capped off the UFC Vegas 6 prelims, with Tim Means picking up the win over Laureano Staropoli.
A couple of welterweights* faced off in the featured preliminary bout at UFC Vegas 6. And that asterisk was not a typo. Both Tim Means and Laureano Staropoli struggled at the scales on Friday. Both missed weight, at least initially. Means, however, hit the mark on his second attempt, shedding 1.5lbs in roughly an hour to make the non-title 171lb welterweight limit.
Staropoli had no such luck and instead agreed to forfeit a percentage of his purse, with the fight moving forward at a catchweight.
With both men apparently having rough cuts, however, who was affected more would be the question.
Staropoli and Means went at it fast, however, it would be Means who took the fight to the ground quickly. Means stepped in for a double leg takedown and got it. However, Staropoli did work his way back up to his feet. Staropoli landed a nice right hand on the break and followed it up with a big combination punctuated by a right hook. Staropoli and Means traded leg kicks, and Means got the fight into the clinch again, albeit briefly. Means was doing a good job with his jab, but Staropoli was still doing a good job of landing to the body and then going upstairs. Near the end of the first round, Staropoli got poked in the eye, resulting in the one dull moment in the first five minutes. Means ended the round strong, landing a few nice combinations at the bell.
Swinging leather! What a way to close out the prelims!#UFCVegas6 live NOW on E+ pic.twitter.com/sy34QrIkFg
— UFC (@ufc) August 9, 2020
Staropoli started the round off quickly, landing a clean spinning elbow that caused Means to shoot for a takedown. The takedown wouldn’t stick, but it did give Means time to recover. Tim Means followed up the takedown with a picture-perfect head kick that dropped Staropoli. Staropoli got back to his feet, but he still appeared hurt as Means landed shot after shot. Staropoli recovered, but his shots seemed much more labored and Means did a good job of staying out of danger and avoiding many of Staropoli’s spinning strikes. Staropoli began going to leg kicks to try and slow the Dirty Bird down, but Means got the fight into the clinch and to tried and work his wrestling near the end of the round.
🇺🇸 @MeansTim with the NASTY head kick! #UFCVegas6 on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/7blUeuMtIN
— UFC (@ufc) August 9, 2020
Staropoli had a strong start to round three, throwing a pair of head kicks before Means went for a takedown. The takedown was stuffed, and the pair went right back to swinging away. Well, not for long. Means went for another takedown but was once again stuffed. Means got the back briefly on the feet, and went for another takedown but couldn’t secure it. The pair was separated near the end of the round after Means went for a fence grab, but Means once again shot for a takedown immediately after the break. They briefly separated to throw haymakers to end the round, but then, once again Means went back to a takedown to end the round.
Tim Means def. Laureano Staropoli by Unanimous Decision (29-28 x2, 30-27)
