Australian Jack Jenkins was a heavy favorite at UFC Perth, where he was paired up with Ramon Taveras.
Taveras, a Dana White’s Contender Series alum, had missed weight for the bout, albeit by just a single pound. That’s after moving up to featherweight from 135lbs, where he’d missed weight for both his first Contender Series fight (he’d come back later in the season and win his second), and his UFC debut.
Lots of feeling out in this one, with Jenkins circling and Taveras chasing. Jenkins would find some success when he engaged, especially with his kicks. Speaking of kicks, however, a low blow by Taveras landed hard around the midway mark of the opening frame, though Jenkins opted to continue almost immediately. A wise decision, as a Jenkins body kick hurt Taveras, and Jenkins followed up, slinging leather.
Round two saw Taveras land a left hand early, while Jenkins continued to circle and work low kicks. Ramon closed the distance, tying Jenkins up and leaning on him – but again, Taveras landed low, this time with a knee. And this time, Jenkins took time to recover, with the ref immediately separating the pair.
Back underway, Taveras seemed undeterred, firing a knee to the body as Jenkins came in. He’d answer a trio of leg kicks fired off by Jenkins with a left hand over the top. Late in the round, Jenkins would connect with a combination, then absorb a pair of left hands with his face. That led to a surprise takedown by Jenkins, who remained on top as the horn sounded.
Jenkins took the fight to the fence in round three, pushing Taveras up against the cage. A bit of grinding later, and Jenkins landed the trip, finding himself in half-guard. He was tight on Taveras, with no space to land shots, and soon earned himself a warning from the ref. Still, he was eating time off the clock while in a dominant position, with Taveras seemingly unable to escape from underneath him. After finally making it to the cage, Taveras made it up with under two minutes on the clock, only for Jenkins to jump guard. That backfired, with Taveras ending up on top himself.
It mattered not. Taveras was unable to get anything done on top, and Jenkins scrambled free with 20 seconds left. He practically jumped Taveras at the end of the round, unloading punches while Taveras was on his knees.
Official Result: Jack Jenkins def. Ramon Taveras by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
