TJ Brown and Charles Rosa kicked off the UFC Vegas 46 card on Saturday — with Rosa stepping in on short notice, fresh off signing a new deal with the promotion.
With the Fight Night event something on a Frankenstein-esque monstrosity, Rosa’s addition was not really surprising. In this case, he was replacing Gabriel Benitez, on all of three day’s notice.
Perhaps a side effect of taking the fight just three days out, Rosa found himself backed up and under fire early. He’d regroup, and attack the leg of TJ Brown, before Brown took him down, with plenty of time and room to work. Not that it mattered; Rosa quickly escaped. But Brown would end up driving him up against the fence, and his control throughout the frame likely won him the round.
In the second, Rosa was hit a couple of times, with Brown landing over top of his guard. Nothing too damaging, but Brown then changed levels and landed a takedown, from there wrenching Rosa back to the canvas when the New England based fighter attempted to escape. Rosa, however, would reverse, moving into side control. Brown scrambled, going to his back across Rosa’s belly then rolling over to get back on top. From there, Brown worked on an arm-triangle choke, but Rosa was able to keep him in half guard, preventing a possible finish.
Rosa would next throw up a triangle from his back, then latch on with an arm-bar. The submission wasn’t there, but it created the opening Rosa needed to scramble out. The only problem, Brown soon had him right back down.
In the third, Rosa’s attempt at a front choke allowed Brown to complete another takedown. Brown took the back, as Rosa worked his way up against the fence. This time, as Rosa was on his way up, Brown dropped for a takedown, but appeared to have lost a step, and Rosa was able to get on top. That afforded Rosa perhaps his best opportunity to make something happen in the fight; that went sideways quickly, as Brown transitioned to the top, and briefly moved to mount.
A choke attempt in the final minute from Rosa wasn’t enough in the end.
Textbook by TJ Brown 📗
[ #UFCVegas46 Prelims are LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/mfInxleRWD
— UFC (@ufc) January 15, 2022
Stepping into the fight on three days’ notice was asking a lot from Charles Rosa, and in the end it showed. He managed to go the distance, and full credit to him for hanging in there against Brown. But for the first time in his career, Rosa has now lost two straight.
Brown, on the other hand, has now won two in a row.
Official Result: TJ Brown def. Charles Rosa by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
