THE LEAD-UP: To say that the Barclays Center was booming tonight would be an understatement. This is the first time Union Grand Prix has hosted an event in this building since UGP 6, and you could tell the crowd was fiending for a night of fights. The big focus on the opening Middleweight Bout was the Union GP debut of former Everest Welterweight Champion Tre Rozier. Big brother Pluggz competed just over a week ago, and now it’s the young blood’s turn. Given the headlining bout for the night, the New York crowd was emphatically against the 9th World product and would set the trend for the rest of the night.
ROUND ONE: BlInk and you’ll miss it. Rozier and Montgomery closed the distance quickly at the start of the round, and Tre Rozier promptly demonstrated that punching power runs in the family. Montgomery feinted a low kick that opened himself wide open for Rozier to land a devastating counter uppercut. Montgomery’s legs turned to wet noodles fast as Rozier followed up with a looping left hand that rocked Montgomery back into the fence. The referee rushed in, watching intently for Montgomery to intelligently defend himself. Rozier fires off another uppercut that dropped Montgomery to his knees and the referee swiftly stepped in to call off this fight in under a minute. Rozier celebrated his Union debut victory in true Rozier style—by shutting the lights out on his opponent.
Winner: Tre Rozier by TKO (Uppercut) at 0:44 Round 1
Statistics: Tre Rozier
Punches 3/3 (100%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
Statistics: Hunter Montgomery
Punches 0/0 (0%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 0 s
THE LEAD-UP: In the first of two Bantamweight fights for the evening, there wasn’t a whole lot of hype leading up between Isabel Azevedo and Lilly Dunne, but these are the types of competitors who make their presence known inside the cage as opposed to jumping through hoops in a media scrum. It’s a classic clash of styles bout between grappler and striker, and an opportunity on a big stage to further progress their budding MMA careers.
ROUND ONE: Things started off with Lilly Dunne locking horns with Isabel Azevedo in the clinch. Izzy worked the body with some heavy hooks that forced Dunne to push off and create some space. Dunne tried circling away, but Izzy froze her up with a feint and took her to the mat with a double leg takedown. The two scrambled for position where Azevedo secured the full mount and went for an armbar, but Dunne managed to slip out and caused Izzy to lose her dominant position. Lilly got to an open guard, but it didn’t take long for Izzy to close her guard and roll on top to a half guard. Izzy kept working and got to a full mount, and nearly caught Dunne with an Omoplata. Dunne showed off her explosive strength when she broke free and scrambled to the top and got a side mount secured. The two jockeyed for position but when Azevedo closed her guard she nearly caught Dunne with an armbar from the bottom, but Dunne narrowly escaped and got to her feet. Izzy quickly brought the fight back to the mat with a takedown and during the scramble she sunk in a heel hook. Lilly Dunne writhed in pain and looked like her leg was hyper-extending, but she showed some grit by kicking with her free leg and escaping. The fight stood up one last time, and once more Azevedo mowed Dunne down with a takedown and killed the clock. This was a very one-sided round for Azevedo, and I was tempted to score this round a 10-8, but Dunne didn’t take a lot of damage and managed to survive the ground attacks, and in my eyes, avoided the early two point deficit.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Azevedo
ROUND TWO: To start the second round, Lilly Dunne looked a little deflated but still came out with a ton of energy, but Azevedo picked up right where she left off. Both fighters closed the distance and exchanged a couple of strikes before Dunne slid in with a clinch. Azevedo pushed her off and circled out but Dunne cut her off and this time wrapped her up with double underhooks. Izzy pummeled her way to get under Lilly’s arms then clamped down at the waist to bring the fight to the mat with a body lock takedown. Azevedo landed in Dunne’s open guard but quickly moved to half guard. Lilly tried fighting her off but ultimately left herself exposed for Azevedo to show off her superior BJJ with an Americana. Dunne tried to break free from the submission but had nowhere to go with Azevedo having the arm and her grip stabilized. Lilly Dunne tried to will her way out, but was forced to tap. Isabel Azevedo was thrilled with the rebound victory to put her back in the win column over such a promising young prospect. Dunne was disappointed, but took it in stride and had all of the sportsmanship in the world when she congratulated Azevedo after the fight.
Winner: Isabel Azevedo by Submission (Americana) at 1:49 Round 2
Statistics: Isabel Azevedo
Punches 4/5 (80%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 4/6 (67%)
Takedowns 4/4 (100%)
GnP strikes 0/6 (0%)
Submissions 6/6 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 256 s
Statistics: Lilly Dunne
Punches 2/5 (40%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 1/1 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 1/2 (50%)
Time on the ground 256 s
THE LEAD-UP: And now we reach the Triple C GP block of the card. First up, we have Lovelie Saint-Cyr and Gauge Lattimore, two high motor Michigan men who are known for their downright barbaric brawling prowess. Both of these fighters come into this fight with some momentum after coming off of impressive wins to advance to this point. Just like the opening bout, the crowd was unanimously behind Lovelie Saint-Cyr and emphatically against Gauge Lattimore. You could tell that the crowd reaction threw off the G2 Grand Champion a bit, but nonetheless he remained focused on his walk to the octagon and respectful to LSC once the cage doors closed.
ROUND ONE: The fight began with a respectful glove touch, but within seconds, Lattimore walked down Saint-Cyr with a vicious combo. Saint-Cyr got on his bike and eventually weathered the storm enough to fire back with some big counters to slow Lattimore’s pace down. The crowd was rallying as the back and forth exchange finally subsided and the two circled back to the center of the octagon. Lattimore saw an opening and fired off punches in bunches to really soften up his opponent. LSC was starting to look like he was in trouble, then he acted fast and pancaked Lattimore to the mat with a textbook double leg takedown. The two jockeyed for position as soon as they hit the canvas and LSC was eventually locked up in Lattimore’s guard. Lattimore stayed calm under pressure and saw an opening to reverse to top position in a side mount. Lattimore didn’t take any chances from here and instead opted to stall this one out and allow the referee to step in and stand the two back up. Back on the feet, Lattimore works behind the jab to find his range then connects with a big right hook. LSC looks a bit stunned from the shot and Lattimore continues to rain down some big punches. Saint-Cyr finally fires back with some stinging leg kicks that backs Lattimore off long enough to regain himself. The final seconds of the round saw Saint-Cyr and Lattimore exchange some heavy hands and the momentum swung back and forth until the buzzer. The crowd was buzzing after round one, and though they continued to be fully behind LSC, I believe Lattimore took the first round in this contest.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Lattimore
ROUND TWO: Another touch of the gloves starts the second round and you can already see some bruising and swelling on the faces of both fighters. Lattimore attacks first with a Superman punch that misses its target, but Saint-Cyr’s counter leg kick also fails to land. The two circle back to square up, and Lattimore again launches himself with a Superman punch, this time landing it. Saint-Cyr stumbled back while Lattimore continued to fire off quick combos until LSC delivered a low kick that buckled Lattimore’s knee and put a quick stop to his offense. Saint-Cyr looked to close the distance but ate a big overhand right that caused him to switch gears and take Lattimore to the ground with a body lock takedown. Lattimore quickly closed his guard seemingly to catch his breath, but Saint-Cyr eventually managed to jump to side mount. The two jockey for position and Saint-Cyr saw an opportunity to go for an Americana. LSC nearly got the arm wrenched back but Lattimore slipped out and moved to half guard. LSC continued to put the pressure on and went for a kneebar, but Lattimore narrowly scrambled his way out of it and managed to get top control in the process. Just like round one in this very scenario, Lattimore didn’t want to put himself in any danger, so he didn’t risk anything and instead stalled out and had the referee stand them back up. Saint-Cyr took the initiative and measured his distance with a very accurate jab that tagged Lattimore several good times. He also showed off his mobility by dodging some big powerful strikes thrown his way. LSC was finding a solid rhythm until Lattimore caught him with a bruising combo of his own. The final seconds of the round wound down with both fighters once again trading hands back and forth up to the buzzer. Another exciting round for both guys, but I think LSC found a little more success in the stand up, and continued to outwork Lattimore on the ground. With that, in my head I give the nod to LSC.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Saint-Cyr (19-19 Push)
ROUND THREE: Five more minutes to decide the victor and everyone in the building, including the fighters, has the sense that the scorecards could be tallied up either favoring one of the fighters or tied up. Lattimore certainly showed some urgency, coming out with a violent combination and dodging a counter kick. Lattimore gets off balance after missing on some body shots, but managed to rebound when he stuffed Saint-Cyr’s takedown attempt. As the two break off from the takedown attempt, Lattimore lands a big uppercut to rock LSC, but misses with a spinning back elbow. It looked like Saint-Cyr tried to go for a standing guillotine, but Lattimore got out of that situation quickly and clinched up to work in some dirty boxing. Saint-Cyr broke free but Lattimore fired in with a brilliant combo that split Saint-Cyr’s lip. Lattimore began picking his opponent apart with great timed combinations. Saint-Cyr tried to retaliate with some leg kicks but they got checked and countered with uppercuts and hooks. Lattimore was in the zone as he kept walking down LSC with suffocating strikes. THings were starting to look really bad until Saint-Cyr connected with a middle kick that folded Lattimore over. LSC tried another standing guillotine but was forced to pull guard. Lattimore broke free from the guillotine once the two hit the mat. The two jockeyed for position but neither one established anything and the referee stood them back up again. Back on the feet, both fighters were looking gassed but LSC managed to deliver one more takedown, but Lattimore closed his guard in the process. The two jockeyed for position on the ground and kept the action alive just enough to keep the referee out until the final buzzer. What an incredible fifteen minutes of fighting between these two future stars of the fight game. A very competitive fight from start to finish, but for this final round, Lattimore finished strong by staying active and accurate with his striking.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Lattimore (29-28 Lattimore)
JUDGES’ SCORECARDS:
Lovelie Saint-Cyr 9 9 9: 27
Gauge Lattimore 10 10 10: 30
Lovelie Saint-Cyr 9 9 9: 27
Gauge Lattimore 10 10 10: 30
Lovelie Saint-Cyr 9 9 9: 27
Gauge Lattimore 10 10 10: 30
Winner: Gauge Lattimore by Unanimous Decision
Statistics: Lovelie Saint-Cyr
Punches 23/32 (72%)
Kicks 3/14 (21%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 3/4 (75%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 5/5 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 283 s
Statistics: Gauge Lattimore
Punches 35/92 (38%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 6/10 (60%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 1/1 (100%)
Time on the ground 283 s
THE LEAD-UP: One Triple C GP semifinals bout down, one more to go. This Co-Main Event is the first of its kind. There hasn’t been a time where fellow ScrapYard fighters have squared up on each other, but tonight that all changes. Reggie James and Ardan Kelly will compete to see which prospect will represent the Irish camp in the finals. Both James and Kelly are arguably two of the best grapplers not just in the Cruiserweight Division, but in Union GP as a whole. It’s not difficult to figure out why as the legendary Carrick Price has been spending more time in the gym and less so in the broadcast booth. While most fighters are playing checkers when it comes to the ground game, James and Kelly are playing 4D Chess. It’s very interesting to note that neither man walked out with a corner crew, giving this a true “face off” scenario.
ROUND ONE: The fight started with the expected glove touch but it was all business from that point on. Reggie James shot in with a single leg takedown and worked to secure the side mount, but Ardan Kelly pummeled to create enough space to escape back to his feet. James went to follow him back up, but tried catching Kelly off guard with a quick single leg, but Kelly read it well and sprawled back. James started to step back after being denied the single leg, then quickly shot back in with a sweep single, catching Kelly off guard this time. On the ground, Kelly made the first attack with a kneebar attempt, but he couldn’t lock it up and James moved to half guard. James saw an opening from here and went for a kimura but Kelly managed to fight him off. In the process, Reggie James head butted Kelly hard enough for the referee to stop the action and deduct a point from him. The crowd wasn’t too pleased by this, as James would clearly not intentionally head butt his own training camp partner, but nonetheless the decision was made. The fight resumed on the feet, where James went for another takedown but got stuffed and was forced to pull guard. The two jockeyed for control on the ground, and eventually James postured up and put Kelly in an arm triangle. The crowd was getting wild here as James had this locked in tight, but Ardan Kelly displayed some ghastly strength and picked James up in the air then slammed him back down to the mat! Kelly broke free from the triangle and James was obviously in a daze but he still managed to close his guard around Kelly. Reggie James didn’t slow down even if he wasn’t fully aware of his surroundings yet. He would grab onto any limb within reach and try to work in some sort of unorthodox submission to keep the action alive. Eventually James started to get a better control of the situation and tried locking in a triangle from the bottom. Once that didn’t work, he turned his hips and went for an armbar, but Ardan Kelly would fight off the submissions and get back to his feet. James stayed on the ground and connected with a few upkicks, but once Kelly stepped back and motioned for him to stand up, the referee instructed James to do so and he obliged. The round was winding down here and Reggie James was feeling froggy and rushed in at Kelly and went for a flying Omoplata! The crowd popped at the sight, but James couldn't hold on and Kelly slipped free. James once again stayed on the ground here while Kelly stood, and he landed a couple upkicks to the knee until the buzzer ended this round. Despite knowing each other on a daily basis, this was not a round I was expecting. I figured this would be a slow methodical fight but instead we saw Reggie James throw so many attacks and trickery at Ardan Kelly. I would almost give this a 10-8 round, but Kelly had that big awesome slam and didn’t panic in any of the submissions he was put in. So, with the referee deducting a point, this round keeps it even for the two training partners.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 9-9 Push
ROUND TWO: The second round begins with a touch of the gloves once again and it’s notable that both fighters are breathing quite heavily. Reggie James feints a strike to set up a nice double leg takedown to bring the fight to the mat in no time. The two jockey for position and neither one can get anything going, and eventually the referee stands them back up. The two circle back to the center of the octagon while looking for any openings. James feints high then shoots low for a single leg to bring it back to the mat. Some more scrambling on the ground gives Ardan Kelly enough space to get back to his feet and James follows him up. On the feet, the two exchange some punches where James gets the upper hand that sets him up to hit another single leg takedown. This seemed to be the recurring theme in this round, as Kelly scrambled to get back to his feet only for James to once again drag him down with another takedown. This time, Kelly tried to scramble his way out, but James took his back and locked in a rear naked choke. Kelly utilized his strength and broke free and scrambled back to his feet. James followed him up, and you could probably guess what happened next. James shot in for a single leg and took the fight back down. The two jockeyed for position and this time James saw an opening and nearly secured a heel hook. Kelly fought him off but James switched it up and went for a kneebar. Kelly once again managed to slip free and got back to his feet. As the two both stood, James once again went for a takedown, but this time Kelly stuffed it but James pulled guard and still managed to bring the fight to the mat. Just seconds remained in the round and Reggie James tried to finish it with another heel hook, but Kelly fought him off long enough to reach the end of the round. This round was all Reggie James as he completely controlled the fight from start to finish. Neither one accumulated much damage, but the points will certainly go in James’ favor. I’d almost argue a 10-8 round, but for me I give the benefit of Kelly.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 James (19-18 James)
ROUND THREE: Final round here and this is Reggie James’ fight to lose. Both fighters close the distance and touch gloves to get things started. Reggie James hit a sweep single to the gassed Ardan Kelly, but couldn’t get anything going on the ground. The referee gave him time to work but ultimately stood them back up. Ardan Kelly must have felt some urgency once the two were back up as he came in with a sweep single of his own and brought the fight back down to the mat. The two jockeyed for position where James switched to a high guard from the bottom and went for a triangle, but couldn’t fully secure it and Kelly slipped free. James kept Kelly down on the mat though, and threw the kitchen sink at him. James went for a kimura and a kneebar but couldn’t lock up either one and eventually moved to half guard. A stalemate ensued and the referee once again stood them back up. From here on out, Reggie James continued to take Kelly down with several more takedowns to clearly win this round on points. Ardan Kelly had nothing left in the tank, but did everything he could to see to the end of the round. Clearly another round in favor of Reggie James, and despite the point deduction, he should get the win on the scorecards.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-8 James (29-26 James)
JUDGES’ SCORECARDS:
Reggie James 9 10 10: 29
Ardan Kelly 8 8 8: 24
Reggie James 9 10 10: 29
Ardan Kelly 8 8 8: 24
Reggie James 9 10 10: 29
Ardan Kelly 8 8 8: 24
Winner: Reggie James by Unanimous Decision
Statistics: Reggie James
Punches 6/11 (55%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 1/4 (25%)
Takedowns 15/18 (83%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 18/18 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 619 s
Statistics: Ardan Kelly
Punches 3/6 (50%)
Kicks 0/0 (0%)
Clinch strikes 0/0 (0%)
Takedowns 1/2 (50%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 4/4 (100%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 513 s
THE LEAD-UP: This is it, folks. The moment we’ve all been waiting for! The Main Event Bantamweight Bout between a pioneer and one of the most polarizing fighters has finally reached its destination. The two have been lobbing verbal jabs back and forth at each other for several months now and it’s irrevocably reached the boiling point. Despite the fact that neither Lena Lyons nor Blue Barrera have claimed gold in Union GP, there is no doubt these two are absolute headline producers. Whether it’s Lena’s longevity, or Blue’s controversial gift of gab, it's hard to argue that these two women are the talk of the town in the 135-pound division. The victor tonight will use this bout as a stepping stone to climb the rankings, while the victim of defeat must deal with overcoming a sour result after so much hype has been built into this meeting. As the night continued with the trend, the New York crowd was unanimously rallying for their New Yorker Lena Lyons, but the collective boos for Blue Barrera only fed her with more confidence as she held with the spectators right in the palm of her hands.
ROUND ONE: The fight is underway and to no surprise, there’s no glove touch between these two. Barrera is first to initiate with a wild punch that misses. Lena fakes a punch in return to set up a textbook double leg takedown. Lena lands in Blue’s open guard then manages to jump to half guard. Barrera is staying patient from the bottom, but Lena continues to work and slides her knee across the chest and gets to full mount. The crowd is roaring as Lena is set up to drop some hammers, but Blue senses some separation and rolls to get on top. Lena pulls Blue’s head down close to her chest and rolls back on top. The two pummel back and forth for position and in the mix of it all it seems Lena Lyons pokes Blue Barrera in the eye. The referee doesn’t catch it and despite the obvious pain Blue reflects, she continues to jockey for position. Barrera moves to full guard then rolls to reverse back on top. Lena tries to improve her position on the ground and Barrera jumps to side mount to keep control. Lena senses some space and reverses back on top but before she can get any offense going, the buzzer sounds, marking the end of the round. Neither fighter took any significant damage, but a lot of back and forth on the ground proves that these two are a lot more evenly matched than what many would like to credit. For me, I give this round to Lena for the takedowns and controlling the majority of the fight on the ground.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Lyons
ROUND TWO: The two close the distance immediately and Lena fired off a middle kick that got checked. She quickly followed it up with a stinging combination that tagged Barrera, which caused Barrera to fire back with a nice combination of her own. Lyons launched a big right hook that stunned Blue but then the two stepped into each other and engaged in a wild exchange. The crowd’s on their feet and though the two are landing a bunch of strikes, nothing is too damaging and so Lyons circled away to refocus. Blue however cut her off with some punches that stopped Lena in her tracks and allowed Blue to land a straight left that stunned her opponent and then finished the exchange off with a momentum-shifting haymaker. Barrera fired off with some leg kicks that got checked while Lena countered with a shovel hook that missed. Barrera landed a nasty calf kick before backpedaling and regrouping. Blue could be seen taking her mouthpiece out to breath and could be draining a lot of energy already. Barrera stepped back in and launched a head kick that got blocked and got the crowd riled up, but followed it up with a nasty haymaker that connected right on Lena’s cheek. Lena countered with a flurry of strikes but Blue dodged them and countered back with a solid straight. Lyons launched a head kick that just grazed Blue’s head then ate a shovel hook from Barrera. The two engaged in another exchange and Lena got the upper hand. Barrera circled away then came back in to land a hook to the body. Lena winced in pain but changed levels to shoot in for a takedown. Barrera stuffed it and Lena was forced to pull guard. Lena made quick work and rolled to get on top in the full mount. Barrera tried to roll back on top, but Lena took her back. Blue stayed patient in the vulnerable position and rolled out to escape and get back to her feet as the buzzer signaled the end of the round. This was a much better round for Barrera who initiated a solid counter game to take this round.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Barrera (19-19 Push)
ROUND THREE: Lena Lyons is looking much fresher at the start of the third than her opponent Blue Barrera. Lena closes in and launches a brilliant combination that lands clean. Blue fired back with a stiff jab but a rogue finger caught Lena in the eye. The referee stopped the action and allowed Lena time to recover while giving BLue a verbal warning. The fight resumed after a brief pause and Barrera came in with a big head kick. Lena narrowly dodged the kick and countered with a hook that stunned Barrera. Lena followed it up by raining down combos and split Blue’s lip. Blue and Lena stood in the pocket and traded shots, where Lena got the edge as she landed a few more significant strikes and finished the exchange with a right hook that backed up Blue. Lena circled in closer and feinted a punch to set up a takedown to bring the fight back to the mat. Similar to round one, Lena and Blue rolled back and forth several times to obtain top control. The big moment was when Lena tried rolling from the bottom and Blue taking her back. Blue managed to get a hook in and worked to get the second one in to flatten her out, but Lena managed to roll out and get to half guard. From there Lena worked to get to full mount and was ready to initiate some ground and pound. Barrera was trying to fight off Lena and for a second time, Barrera eye poked Lena and the referee stopped the action. The boo birds came out in droves here and Blue was lucky enough that the referee gave her another verbal warning. When the fight resumed on the feet, Lena Lyons came firing in with some tremendous strikes that backed Blue up into the fence. Blue managed to circle out while working behind the jab then landed a solid uppercut. Lyons countered back with some crosses before the buzzer. This round was definitely the most competitive and closely contested, but in the heat of the moment, I give Lena the edge and a 2-1 lead in the fight so far.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Lyons (29-28 Lyons)
ROUND FOUR: Now we head into Main Event rounds! Both fighters show signs of battle wounds on their face with swelling, bruises, and cuts, but the spirit is still burning bright. Lena came in and blasted Barrera with a big right hand that caused Blue to slip to the mat. While Barrera was on the ground, Lena launched a kick to the thigh but got checked. Lena stepped back and motioned for Blue to stand, and the fight resumed with both fighters upright. The animosity between the two is clear as day now as they throw caution to the wind and engage in a wild exchange. Both fighters are landing big punches and this one could end at any moment. Lena began switching it up and working the body and Barrera tried to rock Lena with a head kick that got blocked just in time. Barrera lands a stinging one-two combo right on the button then fakes a move to freeze Lena up enough to land a big right hook. Lena measured her range with some leg kicks while Barrera began working the body. Blue then charged in like a viking berserker with a flurry and backed Lena up into the fence. Lena looked to be in some trouble but she fired back with a barrage of punches of her own. Lena was really able to get some separation after landing two solid front kicks. After circling back to the center of the octagon, Lena and Blue traded punches back and forth. Lena connected with a nasty uppercut that wobbled Blue but as she came in to walk her down, Blue connected with an oblique kick that stopped her in her tracks. Barrera seemed to sense some urgency as the round was winding down and she just absolutely unloaded on Lena. Blue touched up Lena with a one-two combo and then a big right hook. Lena tried closing in but ate several leg kicks. Blue then rushed in with another combo and capped it off with a big hayaker. You could sense Blue was trying to finish the fight right here, but Lena was saved by the buzzer. As the two headed back to their corners, you could see Barrera was completely gassed and made you wonder how she could last for possibly five more minutes. With all that said, Barrera was the clear winner in round four, especially with such a strong finish at the end.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Barrera (38-38 Push)
ROUND FIVE: After the final break, we head into the fifth and final round. The crowd is buzzing with excitement as both fighters slowly close the distance in the center of the octagon. Barrera launched a head kick that missed and then a left hook that missed. Lena countered with a hook to the body that misses, but Blue managed to land with a counter cross. The fatigue is showing in both fighters now but the will is still there. Lena throws a leg kick that smacks right into Blue’s ankle. Blue tried to hide a limp from the kick and caught Lena with an unbelievable question mark kick that stunned Lyons. As Lena stumbled back, Blue rushed in but walked right into a takedown from Lena. Just like in rounds one and three, Lena and Blue roll to reverse their position several times until the final time when Blue tried to roll and Lena took her back. Lena got a hook in and tried to get a second one in but didn’t have the energy left in her legs. A stalemate ensued and the referee stood them back up. Both fighters were staggering on their feet from exhaustion but the roar of the crowd kept them alive. Lena launched a kick right up the middle and even though Blue blocked it with her forearms, the smacking impact echoed throughout the arena. Lena circled around and initially threw a low kick but switched it up in mid motion and connected right into Blue’s rib cage. Blue winces from the painful shot but counters back with a haymaker tha snapped Lena’s head back. With just seconds remaining, Lena and Blue go toe-to-toe and engage in a wild exchange until the buzzer. The crowd was in absolute pandemonium for this banger of a main event. Even though these two were running on fumes in the final five minutes, they did not disappoint and left it all out there. TOugh round for me to call, but gun to my head I give the edge and ultimately the fight to Lena Lyons.
Isaac Cohen’s Scorecard (Unofficial): 10-9 Lyons (48-47 Lyons)
JUDGES’ SCORECARDS:
Lena Lyons 10 10 9 9 10: 48
Blue Barrera 9 9 10 10 9: 47
Lena Lyons 10 9 9 10 10: 48
Blue Barrera 9 10 10 9 9: 47
Lena Lyons 10 10 9 9 9: 47
Blue Barrera 9 9 10 10 10: 48
Winner: Lena Lyons by Split Decision
Statistics: Lena Lyons
Punches 48/59 (81%)
Kicks 9/12 (75%)
Clinch strikes 1/1 (100%)
Takedowns 3/4 (75%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 564 s
Statistics: Blue Barrera
Punches 51/71 (72%)
Kicks 7/11 (64%)
Clinch strikes 2/2 (100%)
Takedowns 0/0 (0%)
GnP strikes 0/0 (0%)
Submissions 0/0 (0%)
Clinch Attempts 0/0 (0%)
Time on the ground 592 s
Venue: Barclays Center
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Attendance: 16,850
Date: July 11, 2021
Fighter Payouts: $1,655,000
Gate: $3,403,700
FIGHT OF THE NIGHT
Lena Lyons vs Blue Barrera
PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGHT
Tre Rozier, Lena Lyons
TOP EARNERS
Lena Lyons ($600,000)
Ardan Kelly ($275,000)
Lovelie Saint-Cyr ($260,000)
Lilly Dune ($160,000)
Blue Barrera ($110,000)
RECAP
Tre Rozier def. Hunter Montgomery by TKO (Uppercut) at 0:44 Round 1
Isabel Azevedo def. Lilly Dunne by Submission (Americana) at 1:49 Round 2
Gauge Lattimore def. Lovelie Saint-Cyr by Unanimous Decision (30-27 x3)
Reggie James def. Ardan Kelly by Unanimous Decision (29-24)
Lena Lyons def. Blue Barrera by Split Decision (48-47 x2, 48-47)