Picture Credit: Twitter/@UFC
The main event of the UFC Vegas 50 saw Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Light Heavyweight sluggers Magomed Ankalaev and Thiago Santos going for a war. Both the fighters had a point to prove in the context of their position in the title picture. Ankalaev had the momentum behind him while Thiago Santos was coming with a win in his pocket.
All this was leading to a mouthwatering contest but as it turned out, Ankalaev took the game home easily. Round one started with Santos scoring first with a pair of quick low kicks. But Ankalaev was quick to respond with a heavy punch, a check hook that left Santos wobbling for a brief moment. The Russian fighter came back with another check hook, some body kicks, as well as some low kicks. The first round ended with a scoreline of 10-9 in favor of the Russian.
The early part of the second round was no different from the first with Ankalaev keeping Santos at bay with his check hooks. But the Brazilian fighter showed some real guts as he landed a big blow leaving his Russian counterpart stunned. Santos kept charging forward and landed in a top position, where he finished the round 10-9. The third round was the least eventful with Ankalaev ending with a 10-9 score.
The penultimate round, however, saw the two fighters going up the ante a bit. Ankalaev answered the bell with a big body kick while aggressive Santos responds with a jump knee and some big shots. Ankalaev also did not stay back as he kept landing punches. With 30 seconds remaining, Ankalaev scored a big takedown from the clinch. He ended the penultimate round with a 10-9 lead.
The final showdown!
The final round saw Ankalaev building on the lead he managed in the penultimate round. Santos seemed down and tried swinging big, eating counter shot. On the other hand, Ankalaev was all charged up sensing a win, and kept hitting Santos on his legs and belly. The Brazilian could do nothing about it, giving the last round to Ankalaev as well. In the end, the Russian defeated Thiago Santos by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47).