Former GLORY kickboxer Jhonata Diniz looked to maintain his perfect record in MMA when he took on heavyweight Karl Williams on the UFC Vegas 95 preliminary card.
Having won his way into the UFC on the Contender Series, Diniz had knocked out Austen Lane in his debut back in April.
Looking to take Diniz’s 0 was Karl Williams, who had recently made the move to Las Vegas full time. The Xtreme Couture fighter was 3-0 under the UFC banner, care of victories against Lukasz Brzeski, Chase Sherman, and Justin Tafa, all by decision.
The heavyweight prelim opened up with a fair amount of feeling out, Diniz firing low kicks, Williams the odd jab. Diniz began to put a little more behind his kicks, but about two minutes in, it was Williams catching his opponent, sending him stumbling back. With Williams coming in, it was Diniz answering back with a heavy counter! He began to press, landing a left hand, then another low kick that tripped up Williams for a moment.
Things settled back down until the final minute, when Williams, walking forward, changed levels and shot in for a takedown. Diniz was having none of that, stuffing the attempt and circling off. He’d add another left hand and one more leg kick before the end of the round, which Williams closed out fanning on a fastball.
Round two saw Diniz continue to have success with his leg kicks, again nearly taking Williams off his feet with one. While Williams was often the man walking forward, Diniz was winning the striking battle overall with those kicks and well-placed counters. A right hand by Williams, however, kept him in it, but Williams would hit home and get Karl Williams’ attention with a combo moments later. As the round wore on, Diniz and Williams got into a bit of a brawl at times, heavy leather traded, with Diniz absorbing some damage to the nose. Williams would target that nose with a left hand moments later, resulting in Diniz firing back with a combination, then going after Williams with a kick.
Williams entered the third more than likely down 20-18 on the scorecards. Were that the case, he’d need a finish to win, or a 10-8 round to draw. It was Diniz, however, who continued to implement his game plan, going back to the leg kicks, then sneaking a kick upstairs that was blocked. Another low kick had Williams nearly hopping, and Diniz took advantage to crack his opponent with a left. That forced Williams into takedown mode; Diniz would retreat, but Williams stayed on him, finally landing the attempt.
With just over two minutes on the clock. Williams now had to work to find a finish. In half guard, Williams looked to slide his right leg through to mount, but in against the fence, it was easier said than done. Diniz clung to his opponent, back to the fence. Williams, meanwhile, finally got some left hands going, but they didn’t have enough behind them. Time was ticking away, with Diniz covering up. Williams let the hammerfists and elbows fly, but time ran out before he could secure the finish. Down on the scorecards, it was too little too late; Jhonata Diniz maintained his perfect record.
Official Result: Jhonata Diniz def. Karl Williams by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
