Promotional newcomers Shane Collins and Otari Tanzilovi kicked off the UFC Vegas 119 card at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Collins was undefeated through seven pro fights, Tanzilovi had just one loss in eleven as a pro, and both were jumping straight to the UFC – though Tanzilovi’s lone loss had come on the Contender Series in 2024, and saw him bounce back on the regional circuit.
Round one started with a heavy outside leg kick and right hand from Tanzilovi. Collins responded with a leg kick of his own and was working some hard feints. Tanzilovi got flashy with a spinning body kick, and Collins answered with a combination to the body. Collins trapped Tanzilovi against the cage, but Tanzilovi unexpectedly secured a single-leg takedown. Collins threatened an arm-in guillotine but ended up with his back against the cage before working his way back to his feet.
The American immediately went back to applying pressure and landed a left hook to the body. Tanzilovi already looked a bit gassed and was allowing Collins to push him backward. Collins kept the pressure on, mixing in body shots and clinch work. With a minute left in the round, Collins really started letting his hands go. More body work, a few good right hooks, and some strong clinch exchanges helped him close the round.
Round two began with a jumping switch kick from Tanzilovi. It didn’t land, but he did secure his second single-leg takedown. Just like the first one, Tanzilovi didn’t accomplish much on top before Collins worked his way back up. Collins landed a nice right hook to both the body and head. After another right hook from Collins, Tanzilovi scored a takedown in open space. This time he got Collins down in the middle of the cage, but it didn’t matter as Collins quickly returned to his feet.
Collins clearly had more in the tank and was the better striker. He was working behind the jab and cutting off the cage beautifully. Tanzilovi attempted another single leg to get Collins off him but couldn’t finish it. He did manage to get Collins against the cage briefly, but it didn’t last long. The final seconds saw Tanzilovi in on another single leg, only to get caught in a d’arce attempt as the bell sounded.
The final round started with pressure from Collins. He ripped a few good body shots before stuffing another takedown attempt. Collins’ takedown defense is raising some red flags, but fortunately for him, he refuses to accept bottom position. After getting back to his feet, Tanzilovi timed a few good uppercuts and a right hand over the top. Tanzilovi landed another takedown, and Collins accepted it while attacking a guillotine. He used the submission threat to scramble back to his feet and immediately went back on the hunt.
Surprisingly, Collins continued to engage in the clinch despite holding a clear striking advantage. Tanzilovi landed a hard body kick but missed on another takedown attempt. In the final seconds, Collins chased Tanzilovi down with more body work, capping off a grueling fight.
Official Result: Shane Collins def. Otari Tanzilovi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
