After suffering the first defeat of his professional career in his promotional debut last time out, blue chip prospect Austin Bashi was looking to bounce back against newcomer John Yannis at UFC Vegas 108 on Saturday.
The featherweight fight originally had Bashi booked against Francis Marshall, but with Marshall out, it was Yannis stepping in as a replacement.
Bashi came out aggressive, opening with a head kick and letting his hands go. He did a great job baiting Yannis forward, ducked under a punch, and secured an early takedown. Wasting no time, Bashi took the back and began softening Yannis up with ground-and-pound, quickly getting both hooks in while staying active with his strikes.
Yannis did a good job fighting the wrists and staying in motion, but Bashi maintained control throughout. Eventually, Yannis managed to clear the legs and work back to his feet, but he made the critical mistake of standing up with Bashi still backpacked on him. That left his neck exposed, and Bashi immediately locked in the rear-naked choke, forcing the tap.
Having secured his first win inside the UFC octagon, Austin Bashi said during his post-fight interview that he’d like to return to action soon – as soon as matchmaker Sean Shelby would have him.
Official Result: Austin Bashi def. John Yannis by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 3:39
