A bout between merciless, no good, very bad sluggers did not disappoint as violence took place at the UFC Apex
- Joaquin Buckley and Abdul Razak Alhassan are two of the UFC's most spectacular strikers.
- And thew threw slugs with a near-reckless abandon Saturday at the UFC Apex in a match aired on ESPN.
LAS VEGAS — A bout between two merciless, no good, very bad sluggers did not disappoint as spectacular violence took place Saturday at the UFC Apex.
When UFC matchmakers booked Joaquin Buckley, a human highlight-reel, against Abdul Razak Alhassan, they knew what they were doing.
They were tantalizing the tastebuds of fight freaks worldwide.
Forget fireworks, people. This is what you do when you want to set off nuclear warheads.
Hook shots, straight punches, and a barrage of strikes were fired in the opening round of a middleweight MMA match, kicking off the promotion's main card which was broadcast on EPSN+.
There may have only been an estimated 500 people at the UFC's TV studio in Las Vegas, but there felt like more as so many people — whether they be teammates, family members, or fans — amplified the impact of every thudding blow.
What separated Buckley from Alhassan, in what came as a somewhat surprising tactical move, was his desire to shoot for takedowns — avoiding a constant stand-up battle.
Through the fight, Buckley succeeded with five of eight takedown attempts compared to Razak Alhassan's three from four.
While both fighters landed a reasonably equal amount of shots, there was a difference in power as when Buckley teed off, Alhassan covered up, trying his best to avoid taking strikes clean to his head or his body.
Alhassan nicked the third and final round but it was likely too little, too late, as the Octagonside judges scored a split decision — 28-29, 29-28, and 29-28 — in his favor.
With victory, Buckley advanced his pro MMA record to 14 wins (10 knockouts and four decisions) against four losses.
It is unclear who he will fight next but, after returning to his family after a draining camp and fight, he'll likely want a ranked 185-pound opponent.