Mike Grundy’s UFC London featherweight bout against Makwan Amirkhani was more than just another fight.
Ahead of the event, Grundy had revealed that his father had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and that he was dedicating his performance to his dad — unsure how many more of his fights his father would be able to see.
Every fight has a story, and for Grundy, UFC London’s had become a very personal one.
Right away Amirkhani moved quickly to meet Grundy. After some feints, Grundy used his striking to get in on a takedown, but Amirkhani was able to grab a hold of an anaconda choke. Grundy fought to break the grip on his neck, but was unable to. Grundy went to sleep and Amirkhani earned a big win to break a three-fight losing streak.
.@MakwanAmirkhani locked up the first round submission QUICK 😬 #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/KcVyfpRUni
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma)
Clearly not the result Mike Grundy had been looking for. Makwan Amirkhani fought like a man who knew his job was on the line — and he admitted as much later in the evening, saying he had shut off his social media in order to maintain focus on the fight, knowing a loss could have spelled his exit from the promotion.
Official Result: Makwan Amikrhani def. Mike Grundy by submission (Anaconda Choke), Round 1, :57
