Christian Edwards, a former Bellator MMA talent and training partner of Jon Jones, made his UFC debut on Saturday, taking on Modestas Bukauskas as part of UFC Vegas 117.
The clash at the Meta Apex was set for a catchweight of 215lbs after Edwards stepped up to replace Rodolfo Bellato on short notice.
Round one opened with Bukauskas taking the center of the cage. Edwards was happy to operate off the back foot, looking to time him with that right cross. Around the two-minute mark Edwards shot for a takedown but couldn’t secure it, then followed up with a heavy leg kick before attempting another entry, though his positioning still wasn’t there.
Edwards kept using shoulder pressure to pin Bukauskas on the fence for stretches, mixing in short knees and punches, but nothing truly damaging landed. Once they separated, Bukauskas answered with a loud body kick that echoed over the broadcast. In the final minute, Edwards chipped away with a few more body kicks, but neither fighter really stamped the round.
Early in round two, Edwards came out with a teep and a right hand behind it. He landed another right shortly after, but Bukauskas fired back with one of his own that visibly wobbled Edwards. Bukauskas couldn’t fully capitalize though, opting to push Edwards to the cage instead of pressing the finish. Each time Edwards created separation, Bukauskas cracked him again with that looping right.
Edwards managed to buy time in the clinch again, though often with his back on the fence. He landed some decent knees before they broke. The final thirty seconds saw Bukauskas narrowly miss a head kick. It felt like Bukauskas let that round slip away after hurting Edwards earlier.
Heading into the third, Edwards likely needed a finish, though the fight still felt up for grabs. He opened with a big right hook he’d been looking for all night, but it kept coming up short due to poor setup. He ducked under a shot from Bukauskas and put him against the cage, continuing to threaten takedowns throughout the fight, but never quite finishing them.
He came close on a single-leg attempt, but Bukauskas showed good balance and stayed upright. Edwards did land a clean elbow in the clinch and kept applying pressure, but the urgency just wasn’t there for a fighter in a must-win round. They separated in the final minute and a half, with Bukauskas landing a spinning body kick late, but neither man added much else down the stretch.
Official Result: Modestas Bukauskas def. Christian Edwards via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
