Cody Stamann and Da’Mon Blackshear, two bantamweights with their backs against the wall, faced off as part of the UFC Vegas 100 preliminary card on Saturday.
Both fighters entered on two-fight skids, with Stamann on the final fight of his UFC deal.
A key question to this matchup was how Blackshear would use his 4-inch height and 7.5-inch reach advantages. Coming in as a moderate -260 betting favourite, he was expected to make the most out of them.
Round one started with both fighters content to spend the first two minutes in a feeling out process. Blackshear tried to make use of his length with kicks, while Stamann used forward blitzes to close the distance. While both fighters looking to apply forward pressure, they used different weapons to counter said pressure. Stamann focused on counter left hooks, while Blackshear punished Stamann’s blitzes with knees.
Once Blackshear successfully pushed Stamann to the fence, he used a flying knee following by a flurry with his hands to ground him. With Stamann rocked, he tried to shoot a takedown and during the scramble, Blackshear found a mounted guillotine. Stamann impressively managed to survive the guillotine attempt, but Blackshear wasn’t satisfied with keeping mount and grappled his way to Stamann’s back instead. He ultimately locked a rear-naked choke that forced a tap in the last minute of the round.
This spectacular first round finish is exactly what the doctor ordered for Da’Mon Blackshear as he might have been fighting for his job tonight. Stamann almost certainly was, and on an 0-3 skid with losses to Blackshear, Douglas Silva de Andrade and Taylor Lapilus, his time in the company may be at an end.
Official result: Da’Mon Blackshear def. Cody Stamann by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 4:19
