Despite arguably more deserving fights being left to the prelims, heavyweights Sergey Spivak and Greg Hardy opened up the UFC 272 main card on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
That was very much about the drawing power on the controversial Hardy — who had as many fans rooting for him to be knocked out as he did cheering him on, if not more so. For Hardy, however, the bout was also a crossroads fight that could have his very job on the line, given he’d lost his last two trips to the octagon.
Spivak landed a powerful takedown care of a throw within a minute in the opening bout of Saturday’s UFC 272 card. Not the start to the fight Hardy was looking for. The ex-defensive end made it back to his feet, but Spivak rag dolled him, throwing him back down. That happened a second time, and this time, Spivak made it to mount.
From there came the Donkey Kong style hammer fists. The ground n’ pound kept coming, Hardy covered up, and before long, the ref moved in to wave things off.
Hardy’s only real offense in the fight was a couple of leg kicks; the end result was a reminder that as a fighter, he is still very much a work in progress. With glaring holes in his takedown defense and ground game, there’s a chance his career, should it continue, continues elsewhere after a third consecutive loss.
Spivak, meanwhile, gets back in the win column after a loss to Tom Aspinall last year.
Official Result: Sergey Spivak def. Greg Hardy by TKO, Round 1, 2:16
