High Fives: Force of Gravity

Guy PortmanJun 25, 2018
UFC Fight Night 132 was not the only big show to take place over the weekend of June 22-24. Legacy Fighting Alliance 43 on Friday in Beaumont, Texas, played host to several important fights, and there were some pivotal matches at One Championship “Pinnacle of Power” on Saturday in Macau, China. Here are five of the highlights:

DIFFERENCE OF OPINION … A flyweight title fight between Filipino contender Geje Eustaquio and Brazilian champion Adriano Moraes headlined One Championship “Pinnacle of Power.” Eustaquio utilized slick punch and kick combinations throughout while Moraes threatened with several submission attempts, most notably a tight guillotine in the fifth round. After 25 grueling minutes, Eustaquio was given the nod by split decision and upped his record to 11-6. Moraes slipped to 17-3.



DOMINANT DISPLAY … In other One Championship action, China’s Jingnan Xiong retained her strawweight title with a convincing decision win over Argentine challenger Laura Balin. “The Panda” landed takedowns, created submission opportunities and dominated on the feet, but she was unable to finish her tough adversary. Now 12-1, Xiong is on a seven-fight tear. Balin slid to 10-3.



GROUND OFFENSIVE … Also at One Championship “Pinnacle of Power,” Narantungalag Jadambaa met Edward Kelly in a featherweight showcase. The ageless 42-year-old veteran Jadambaa came close to finishing the fight with a clock choke in the second frame. Late in the round, the Mongolian took mount. When Kelly gave up his back, “Tungaa” rained the fight ending ground and pound. The end came at the 4:58 mark. Jadambaa improved to 13-5, while Kelly dropped to 10-5.



FACEPLANT … The LFA 42 main event featured middleweights Brendan Allen and Larry Crowe. It was frenetic from the outset, with both fighters throwing heavy leather. The end came 2:06 into the first round, as a perfectly timed Allen left hook to the head sent his opponent plunging face first to the canvas. With the win, ‘All In’ improved to 9-3. All nine of his career victories have come by stoppage. Crowe, who dropped to 10-7, has lost four of his last five.



HIGH KICK MASTERY … In featherweight action at LFA 43, Cameron Graves squared off against Jordan Titoni. It was an entertaining back-and-forth affair. In the first round, Graves escaped from a tight armbar attempt. The third stanza saw Titoni tire noticeably, as Graves poured on the pressure on the feet. A left high kick eventually vanquished Titoni 3:39 into Round 3. In victory, the 24-year-old Graves rose to 7-2; his opponent fell to 2-3.