The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to Marina Bay Sands in Marina Bay, Singapore today for UFC Fight Night 34: “Saffiedine vs Lim.” The event was headlined by a welterweight bout between final Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Tarec “Sponge” Saffiedine and Hyun Gyu “The Ace” Lim.
In the co-main event, Japanese standout Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri made his UFC debut against Sean Soriano. “Strasser” Kiichi Kunimoto faced Luiz Jorge “Besouro” Dutra Jr. and Kyung Ho “Mr. Perfect” Kang battled Shunichi Shimizu. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for today’s UFC card.
Tarec “Sponge” Saffiedine vs Hyun Gyu “The Ace” Lim
Round 1:
Both fighters landed kicks early in the fight and Lim scored with a hard right hand. He followed with a knee and Saffiedine answered with a nice leg kick. More kicks were exchanged and Saffiedine targeted Lim’s lead leg. Lim caught a kick and knocked Saffiedine to the ground. Saffiedine scrambled up and landed a powerful leg kick. A right hand and a knee scored for Lim and Saffiedine slipped. He stood and Lim landed a right cross. A one-two from Lim set off an exchange of punches late in the close round. 10-9 Lim.
Round 2:
Saffiedine opened the action with a front kick in round two and he kicked at Lim’s legs. A combination landed for Lim, but Saffiedine wobbled him with a counter flurry. Both men landed right hands and Saffiedine scored with a chopping leg kick. Saffiedine threw a series of right hands and another leg kick. He mixed up his punches to the head and body and followed with more leg kicks. A left hook landed for Saffiedine and he avoided a wild spinning backfist. 10-9 Saffiedine.
Round 3:
Saffiedine began round three with a head kick and Lim replied back with leg kicks. Lim fell after a right hook from Saffiedine, but he got back to his feet. Saffiedine landed a leg kick and took him down, but Lim countered with an Achilles lock. Saffiedine escaped and took his back, but Lim scrambled up to his feet.
Two leg kicks dropped Lim and Saffiedine kicked away at Lim’s left leg on the ground. He entered Lim’s half-guard and threw short punches and elbows. Lim tied Saffiedine up and the fighters were brought back to their feet. Saffiedine threw a hard leg kick and followed with a second one that dropped Lim before time expired. 10-9 Saffiedine.
Round 4:
Saffiedine dropped Lim with leg kicks twice in the opening seconds of round four. Lim stood each time and tried to put together combinations of punches and jumping knees. Saffiedine kicked at his legs and landed a knee to the liver that hurt Lim. A flying switch knee to the face dropped Lim and Saffiedine punched from the top in half-guard.
Saffiedine attempted an arm-triangle choke and switched to a rear-naked choke, but Lim spun free. Saffiedine moved to mount and worked for another arm-triangle. Lim rolled to his stomach and tried to stand up, but Saffiedine held him down and threw knees to the body. Saffiedine returned to half-guard and struck to the body. 10-8 Saffiedine.
Round 5:
More leg kicks scored for Saffiedine in the final round, but Lim flurried with punches and a knee. He landed more punches and knees, but Saffiedine stopped his momentum with two leg kicks. A one-two landed for Saffiedine and Lim quickly countered with another knee. The fighters exchanged punches and Lim landed two left hooks, but Saffiedine dropped him with a leg kick.
Saffiedine scored with a head kick, but Lim stuffed a takedown. He flurried with punches and Saffiedine answered with a body kick. Lim pressed forward with punches late in the fight and he rocked Saffiedine with combinations and two knees. Saffiedine staggered badly and Lim rushed in with more punches and knees, but Saffiedine clinched and survived until the bell. 10-9 Lim.
Winner: Tarec Saffiedine by Unanimous Decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) after five rounds. He improves to 15-3-0.
Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri vs Sean Soriano
Round 1:
Soriano landed short right hands and a knee early on and he stuffed a takedown attempt. Kawajiri got him down on his third try, but Soriano quickly sprung back to his feet and he landed another knee. A spinning back elbow landed for Kawajiri and he clinched again, but Soriano stayed up. Kawajiri tripped him to the mat, but Soriano stood and landed elbows to the side of his head. Kawajiri took Soriano down once more and tried for a guillotine choke on the way up.
Soriano scored with more elbows, but Kawajiri took his back and dragged him to the mat. He tried for a rear-naked choke, but Soriano escaped. Kawajiri rolled Soriano over and continued to hunt for chokes from the back while landing occasional punches. In the final 15 seconds, Kawajiri blasted Soriano with punches and hammerfists, but Soriano narrowly made it to the bell. 10-9 Kawajiri.
Round 2:
Kawajiri failed in his first takedown attempt in round two, but he got Soriano down seconds later and locked on a rear-naked choke from back control. Soriano tapped out, but referee Steve Perceval did not intervene and Soriano was soon rendered unconscious.
Winner: Tatsuya Kawajiri by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 0:50 of round two. He improves to 33-7-2.
“Strasser” Kiichi Kunimoto vs Luiz Jorge “Besouro” Dutra Jr.
Round 1:
Kunimoto clinched early on and Dutra countered with a nice knee to the body. He broke free and the fighters traded punches. Dutra attempted a spinning back kick and he countered a knee from Kunimoto with a big left hand. The fighters clinched again and time was called after Dutra dropped Kunimoto with illegal elbows to the back of the head. Kunimoto could not continue and Dutra was disqualified for the blatant fouls.
Winner: Kiichi Kunimoto by DQ (Illegal Elbows) at 2:57 of round one. He improves to 16-5-2, 1 NC.
Kyung Ho “Mr. Perfect” Kang vs Shunichi Shimizu
Round 1:
Kang missed with a flashy spinning hook kick early in the fight, but he landed a knee as Shimizu shot in for a takedown. On the ground, Kang locked on a top-side triangle choke and switched between the triangle and armbars on Shimizu’s right arm. Kang tightened the triangle and landed elbows from the side and top.
Kang dropped two illegal downward elbows and time was called. He was docked two points for what was deemed to be an intentional foul. After the restart, Kang took Shimizu down and landed right hands. The fighters stood and Kang landed a quick flurry. He followed with a body kick that Shimizu claimed had landed low. Time was called again, but the fight continued until the bell. 8-8.
Round 2:
Kang stuffed a takedown and landed elbows to the side of Shimizu’s head in round two. He followed with knees and Shimizu fell to his back. Kang mounted him and landed more elbows until Shimizu swept into top position. Kang reversed back and closed out the round with some solid ground and pound from the top that appeared to briefly stun Shimizu. 10-9 Kang. Close to a 10-8.
Round 3:
Kang took Shimizu down in the final round and battered him with punches and elbows from the top. He continued to punish Shimizu with strikes and mounted him again. Kang locked on an arm-triangle choke and a bloodied Shimizu was forced to submit.
Winner: Kyung Ho Kang by Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 3:53 of round three. He improves to 12-7-0, 1 NC.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)