In a clash that had the feel of a heavyweight bout with a lightweight cast, Cuban David Garcia was awarded a unanimous decision victory over Teofimo Lopez at Madison Square Garden in the final bout of the UFC’s Friday Night Fight Night broadcast. Garcia appeared to be grappling for submission when he raised his left hand and attacked Lopez’s neck, the Sacramento Bee reports. As Lopez worked to escape, he stumbled and fell. He looked out of breath, and his hands were trembling, clearly suggesting he was in need of a much-needed breather. It was a tremendous physical demonstration by Garcia, 26, who has represented the U.S. at the Rio Olympics, after 17 years as a professional kickboxer. It was arguably the most physical match of the fight night: six minutes and 59 seconds into the first round, Garcia threw a right knee in Lopez’s chest that dropped the former titleholder from the minimum weight class into a biting slump. In the final seconds of the bout, Garcia applied another knee and Lopez got up. He stood, looked over at the crowd, and offered his hand out in victory. When Diaz-Hernandez was the latest attraction at the Garden, in April, he defeated Frank Mir by unanimous decision in a match that lasted 1:14. The action was unrelenting on Friday: the fight clock began ticking at 2:40 in the second round, and Lopez dove on his toes and caught Garcia with a takedown.
Read the full story at SacBee.
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