Welterweights Bryan Battle and Ange Loosa battled it out in the co-main event at Saturday’s UFC Vegas 88, in arguably the highest-profile bout of either man’s career.
Ultimate Fighter winner Battle came out fighting, living up to his name and taking the fight to Loosa, who had to contend with kicks, knees and a takedown attempt early. Battle finally got the fight to the ground off a throw, but Loosa scrambled out in short order.
From there, the duo fought for head position along the fence; when they came off it, it was Battle walking Loosa down, firing kicks while his opponent circled and tried to counter. A superman punch, short combos (jab/cross), and forward pressure served Battle well.
Bryan Battle continued to lead the dance in round two. His length and weapons— kicks and jabs among them— were keeping Loosa out of range. Early in the round, however, Loosa suffered an accidental eye poke. After a brief time out and the doctor entering the cage, Loosa stated that he couldn’t see, and the bout was called off.
That resulted in a No Contest, but things got heated against after the result was read, with the pair pushing and shoving, threatening one another. Not a great look for either man in the end. “He was looking for the first way out possible, and that’s what he got,” Battle said after the fight.
Official Result: Bryan Battle vs. Ange Loosa ends in a No Contest (accidental eye poke), Round 2, 1:00
