Middleweight sluggers Gregory Rodrigues and Denis Tiuliulin faced off at UFC 292.
The Brazilian Rodrigues has put together a thrilling streak of action fights, winning three performance bonuses and earning three stoppage wins en route to a 4-2 record in the UFC currently. However Gregory lost his last bout by knockout, which is how Denis Tiuliulin has won all but two of his professional victories. The Russian striker would appear to be at a grappling disadvantage against ‘Robocop’ and his black belt, but the desire for action burns deep inside of Rodrigues and he often prefers to stand and trade with opponents. However that was not the case this time as he fought smart, taking down and annihilating Tiuliulin.
Tiuliulin opened with a blitz but Rodrigues avoided it easily. One minute into the bout Gregory went for a takedown and easily landed it, settling in the guard of Tiuliulin. When Denis tried to get up he was able to pass the guard and end up in side control. From there it was a simple matter to step over into mount and then take the back when Tiuliulin gave it up. One astonishingly powerful elbow put Denis into the grey area between consciousness and unconsciousness. The referee noticed this and only allowed one more elbow to land before stopping the fight. It was clearly the right call, as the Russian laid there, dazed, even after the fight was over.
Official Result: Gregory Rodrigues def. Denis Tiuliulin by KO (ground elbows) Round 1, 1:43
