Former Invicta FC title contender DeAnna “The Argentine Assassin” Bennett won in quick and impressive fashion during tonight’s second episode of The Ultimate Fighter 26: “A New World Champion.” Bennett, representing Team Alvarez, finished Team Gaethje’s Karine “The Princess” Gevorgyan.
Bennett’s victory evened the team competition at 1-1, following Roxanne “The Happy Warrior” Modafferi’s stoppage win for Team Gaethje during last week’s premiere. Bennett took Gevorgyan down and dominated the action on the mat before finishing her foe with a barrage of ground and pound.
Bennett (8-3-0, Ranked #4) stood and traded punches with the heavy-handed Gevorgyan (3-2-0, Ranked #13) early in tonight’s fight. Gevorgyan threw four-punch flurries and she tagged Bennett with overhand rights, but Bennett answered back with a lead left hook that briefly backed the Armenian up. She ducked under a right hook from Gevorgyan and took her down against the base of the cage.
With the aid of a translator, coach Justin Gaethje urged his fighter to stand back up, but Gevorgyan was unable to kick Bennett off. Bennett postured up with hammerfists from side control before switching to a kneeling position that allowed her to rain down hard right hands until referee Chris Tognoni had seen enough and stopped the fight at the 3:11 mark.
Next week’s episode features a bout between Team Gaethje’s Montana Stewart (7-4-0, Ranked #6) and Team Alvarez’s Ariel Beck (4-4-0, Ranked #11).