Yohan Lainesse welcomed Sam Patterson to both his weight class and country in their welterweight bout at UFC 297 in Toronto.
Patterson took a brutal debut knockout loss in his native England in 2023. At six-foot-three-inches tall, it seemed likely that the lack of a brutal weight cut would improve his durability, but Lainesse is a tough first test for a fighter’s chin at a new weight class with his tendency to land powerful, looping strikes. The French-Canadian fed off the energy from his home crowd, but Sam Patterson’s grappling played spoiler to their fun.
Lainesse and Patterson went through an early feeling-out process in the first. Scarcely a jab was landed in the first minute but in the second minute Lainesse blitzed forward with hooks. He crashed into the clinch but it was Patterson who used a front headlock to drag Yohan down and transition to a back take. Patterson instantly attacked the rear-naked choke and Lainesse actually made it easier for him by lifting his chin up. Once the arm was under the chin it was only a moment before Yohan tapped.
With three straight submissions to start the card, UFC 297 was off to a hot start and Canadians fell to 1-2 as the early prelims ended. But Sam Patterson only cared that he had overcame his struggles in 2023 to earn his first UFC win and finish.
Official Result: Sam Patterson def. Yohan Lainesse by Submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1, 2:03
