UFC Fight Night 166 Prelims: Bevon Lewis, Arnold Allen, Justine Kish Shine in Raleigh
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The Dana White’s Contender Series alum gained a foothold in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s middleweight division and secured his first win in three starts inside the Octagon, as he captured a unanimous decision over Dequan Townsend in the featured UFC Fight Night 166 prelim on Saturday at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. Lewis (7-2, 1-2 UFC), who fought through an apparent knee injury, was awarded 30-27 scores by all three judges.
A short-notice substitution for Alen
Amedovski, Townsend (21-10, 0-2 UFC) was ineffective and slow
on the draw. Lewis routinely beat him to the punch, pelted him with
leg kicks and flexed his superiority in the clinch, where he
frustrated his counterpart along the fence and consolidated his
efforts with knees in close quarters. Townsend’s body language
deteriorated as the third round unfolded, his bid for a comeback
stymied at every turn.
The victory was Lewis’ first since July 2018.
Tristar’s Allen Sinks Lentz
A devastating jab, chopping left hands and airtight takedown defense lifted Tristar Gym prospect Arnold Allen to a unanimous decision over Nik Lentz in a three-round featherweight battle. Allen (16-1, 7-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 nods from the judges, as he put his ninth straight win in the books.
Lentz (30-11-2, 14-8-1 UFC) lacked the speed and explosiveness he needed to keep the Firas Zahabi protégé at bay. Allen peppered him with jabs, mixed in occasional rear-hand uppercuts and dazed him with a few overhand lefts. Lentz moved into clinch and takedown range throughout the 15-minute fight but failed to capitalize on the opportunities.
The 35-year-old Lentz has suffered consecutive losses for just the second time in his 43-fight career.
Related » UFC Raleigh Round-by-Round Scoring
Returning Kish Outpoints Pudilova
Decorated muay Thai stylist Justine Kish rebounded from back-to-back losses to Felice Herrig and Ji Yeon Kim, as she laid claim to a unanimous decision over Lucie Pudilova in an uneventful three-round scrap at 125 pounds. All three cageside judges struck the same verdict: 30-27 for Kish (7-2, 3-2 UFC), who paid a visit to Victory Lane for the first time in more than three years.
Pudilova (8-6, 2-5 UFC) was undercut by passivity. Kish applied consistent pressure, chewed up the Czech’s lead leg with kicks and connected with enough punches to stay in front. She surprised Pudilova with a takedown late in the third round to punctuate a tepid but successful performance.
The 25-year-old Pudiolva has lost four fights in a row.
Surging Jackson Abuses Colares
Dana White’s Contender Series alum Montel Jackson posted his third win in as many appearances, as he took a unanimous verdict from former Jungle Fight champion Felipe Dias Colares in a three-round bantamweight encounter. Jackson (9-1, 3-1 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-26, 30-26 and 30-25 marks from the judges.
Colares (9-2, 1-2 UFC) was in survival mode for a majority of the 15-minute fight. Jackson spent the first two rounds landing repeated takedowns, connecting with blinding combinations and assaulting the Brazilian with accurate power punches from both hands. Colares appeared to be teetering on the brink more than once but somehow stayed lucid enough to continue to compete. Jackson was on fatigue-induced auto pilot for much of the third round and withstood a Hail Mary guillotine from the Team Nogueira export in the waning seconds.
The 25-year-old Colares has lost two of his last three bouts.
McMann Stifles Overmatched Lansberg
Takedowns, suffocating positional control and heavy ground-and-pound carried 2004 Olympic silver medalist Sara McMann to a unanimous decision over Lina Lansberg in a three-round confrontation at 135 pounds. All three cageside judges scored it for McMann (12-5, 6-5 UFC): 30-27, 30-26 and 30-25.
Lansberg (10-5, 4-4 UFC) was painfully outmatched. In her first appearance in nearly two years, McMann executed single takedowns in all three rounds, spent roughly 12 minutes in top position and alternated between submission attempts and hammerfist-infused ground-and-pound. Lansberg offered nothing meaningful in return and seemed to grow more resigned to her fate with each passing minute.
The win closed the book on McMann’s two-fight losing streak.
Johns Choke Submits Gravely
Former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship and Titan Fighting Championships titleholder Brett Johns submitted Tony Gravely with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their bantamweight tilt. Gravely (19-6, 0-1 UFC) conceded defeat 2:53 into Round 3, halting his run of consecutive wins at seven.
Johns (16-2, 4-2 UFC) had the onetime CES MMA champion in trouble throughout the first round, waded through a back-and-forth middle stanza and struck the right chord in the third. He scrambled to Gravely’s back after being taken down, secured position with a body triangle and ultimately flattened out the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate. From there, Johns distracted the Virginian with punches and cinched the fight-ending choke.
The victory was Johns’ first since he tapped Joe Soto with a calf slicer in December 2017.
Burns Knee KOs Landwehr
Hard Knocks 365 standout Hard Knocks 365 wiped out former M-1 Global champion Nate Landwehr with a picture-perfect knee strike in the first round of their featherweight pairing. Landwehr (13-3, 0-1 UFC) met his end 2:43 into Round 1, his seven-fight winning streak having run its course.
Burns (10-2, 1-0 UFC) struck for a takedown and threatened with a brabo choke before the two men returned to their feet and separated. Landwehr let his hands fly—he connected with two right uppercuts—but left himself exposed. With his back to the fence, Burns countered with a close-range knee that flipped the switch, leveled his counterpart and brought the crowd to life.
The 31-year-old Burns has rattled off four consecutive victories.
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