Barnett almost caught a heel hook of a single leg attempt towards the end of the round, but the lock was not substantial enough to cause Nelson any trouble.
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The UFC event is held for the fourth time in Saitama, Japan.
The fight was Barnett’s first fight in Japan since March 2010. Mousasi took Hall’s back within the final 30 seconds of the round but was unable to finish a rear naked choke. Barnett used the typical blueprint to beat Roy Nelson, which is landing strikes at range, pressing Nelson against the cage, and not giving him room to unload big punches. Yes, we care what you think, is that surprising? I didn’t do it by myself; Roy is a champ. It’s not about belts, it’s about the way people fight.
Roy Nelson: “For myself, personally, as long as I’m still competitive, I want to fight”. He’s the kind of people we need in the UFC.
There are fights fans want to see because they offer a preview of the future. Every time I fight in Japan I’m excited and nervous at the same time, but I love this country, ‘ he roared. Here are the fighters that took great strides in their career or saw themselves taking a couple back. “Roy is the man”. Barnett countered with a big straight right hand, and then he worked Nelson into his clinch once again. Known for his overhand right, Nelson switched it up a little on Saturday, surprising Barnett in the first round with a pair of takedowns. Oh, nice head kick from Hirota. Nelson was aggressive, and he pressured Barnett up against the cage. He aimed his spin kick too high and Mousasi didn’t duck low enough for it t have been intended as a body shot. According to cageside stats, he converted 4 of 9 total takedown attempts, although he rarely was able to land much from top position. Roy Nelson landed a huge headkick and a follow-up punch. The 39-year-old will be looking to avoid another defeat when he takes on Barnett on Sunday.
The TKO victory is Hall’s fifth in the UFC.
Barnett, 37, had not fought since losing to Travis Browne at UFC 168 in December 2013.
Diego Brandao earned his bonus in just:28 in the first round. But then Hall let loose with a picture-perfect spinning kick early in the second round. For good measure, in case you missed the back kick, Hall threw in a flying knee before finishing the fight on the ground. The official stoppage occurred 25 seconds into the frame.
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This may have been the most measured and technical fight of Big Country’s UFC career. There’s another side of me that scares me, and I’m learning to embrace that because in life, to do something or get somewhere you’ve never been, you’ve got to be able to do stuff you’ve never done and you’ve got to become a different person. “With my karate background, it is all about timing”.
