Mantas Kondratavičius and Antonio Trócoli featured on the UFC London preliminary card on Saturday, with Contender Series winner Kondratavičius making his promotional debut.
Kondratavičius came into this fight as an overwhelming favorite, holding an 8-1 record as a pro, facing a Brazilian badly in need of a win after starting his run with the company at 0-3.
Right out of the gate, the Lithuanian striker got to work against veteran Antonio Trócoli, landing a big right hand that sent the veteran backward toward the cage. Quickly getting to his game plan, the Brazilian swarmed Kondratavičius, cinching up the young fighter along the cage side and landing a few knees to the midsection.
After around a minute of work from Trócoli, Kondratavičius was able to reverse position, landing an elbow before breaking apart into striking range. Now in rhythm, Kondratavičius began landing straight strikes and a wild overhand, but it wasn’t long before Trócoli engaged again in the grappling.
Denied again by Kondratavičius, Trócoli received more punishment along the Octagon fence before eventually disengaging and returning to range.
Round two opened with Kondratavičius like a heat-seeking missile, hunting down Trócoli, clinching up, and landing a disgusting short right elbow to the jaw that dropped the Brazilian to his back. Surprisingly, the Brazilian was able to use his upkicks to put Kondratavičius off the line of his ground strikes, surviving the position but badly cut open over the left eye.
The middleweights engaged along the cage again, though the action was stopped by referee Rich Mitchell due to an inadvertent strike to the groin from the Lithuanian.
Following the stoppage, the striking resumed, with Kondratavičius wailing looping strikes toward the Brazilian. Trócoli was able to find a slight angle, landing to the head of the Lithuanian, but Kondratavičius this time initiated the grappling, taking Trócoli down to the mat.
Kondratavičius was able to let off a number of unanswered strikes as Trócoli sat in his guard, not moving much until Mantas Kondratavičius attempted to isolate him for a weak submission attempt as the final seconds of round two expired.
Trócoli, clearly down 0-2, started the striking action with a few hooks that landed on the Lithuanian prospect, followed by a flying knee that partially caught the head of Kondratavičius. Trócoli, now in the driver’s seat, pushed Kondratavičius to the cage and eventually found the takedown, though it was all for nothing as Kondratavičius was able to rise to his feet before Trócoli could set up a choke.
Both men, now utterly exhausted, continued to trade clinch positioning in the final two minutes of the fight despite separations from the referee. In the waning minute, another stoppage came, this time for a shot to the groin from Trócoli. Regaining some energy, action resumed, but the two limped to the finish line in a long, drawn-out third round.
Mantas Kondratavičius, obviously victorious through three rounds, scored a unanimous decision in the first decision win of his career.
The Lithuanian fighter extends his win streak to four since suffering a loss back in 2023 to top French prospect Virgil Augen. The debutant, now 1-0 in the UFC, will definitely be one to watch in a shallow middleweight roster in need of more striking prowess.
Official Result: Mantas Kondratavičius def. Antonio Trócoli by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27, 29-27)
