Trey Waters was stepping up on short notice at UFC Vegas 72 on Saturday, replacing Ange Loosa in a welterweight fight with Josh Quinlan.
Quinlan had yet to taste defeat at either the amateur or professional level, leaving Waters with a considerable challenge to overcome in his promotional debut.
Both guys got right after it to start the fight. Quinlan had a strong body lock but couldn’t ground the lanky Waters. He eventually gave up on the takedown and separated. Waters was patient and was tagging Quinlan every time he stepped in. Waters was confidently walking down Quinlan holding his hands low. Quinlan had trouble getting inside but did end the round with a brief takedown.
To open up round two Quinlan wobbled Waters a little bit with a left hand. He tried to finish with a quick burst but didn’t find that shot. Waters recovered quickly and went back to work with his hands. Waters used a good jab to keep Quinlan on the outside utilizing his range really well. Quinlan had problems landing with his hands but did land some leg kicks that started to effect Waters at the end of the round.
In the final round a chopping leg kick landed for Quinlan. Quinlan was more aggressive but did walk right into a combination that backed him up. Waters was then the one walking forward finding his striking lanes looking clean. A few times Quinlan tried for a takedown but it never came close. Waters hurt Quinlan again with a right hand having him retreat. Not for long as he still went forward but did walk right into a takedown from Waters.
Come the scorecards, it was a one-sided win for Trey Waters, who became the fourth debuting fighter on the night to notch a win. He also became the first to defeat Josh Quinlan at any level of MMA.
Official Result: Trey Waters def. Josh Quinlan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
