01/19/19 11:36:00
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01/19 23:34 CST The Latest: Cejudo defends 125-pound belt with 1st-round win
The Latest: Cejudo defends 125-pound belt with 1st-round win
NEW YORK (AP) --- The Latest on the UFC card in New York with T.J. Dillashaw
and Henry Cejudo fighting for the 125-pound title (all times local):
12:35 a.m.
Henry Cejudo did his part to defend the UFC 125-pound title and perhaps the
fate of the flyweight division with a punishing first-round win over
bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw.
Champ vs. champ was over in less than a minute.
Dillashaw, the 135-pound champ, had cut some serious weight in his attempt to
hold championships in two weight classes. Cejudo was a buzzsaw and stopped the
fight at 32 seconds of the first round for the fastest finish ever in a
flyweight championship fight.
UFC President Dana White wrapped the new title belt around Cejudo's waist.
Cejudo might not get another title defense. Cejudo defeated longtime champion
Demetrious Johnson to win the belt and reign in a division that has drawn scant
interest with fans or serious contenders in the class.
Cejudo-Dillashaw was the main event on ESPN-plus on the first card of a $1.5
billion, five-year contract on ESPN networks.
Cejudo said "this win was for the flyweights" and offered to move up to 135
pounds to fight Dillashaw again --- this time for Dillashaw's title.
___
12:20 a.m.
Troubled ex-NFL star Greg Hardy's UFC debut ended with a disqualification loss
after he blasted Allen Crowder with an illegal knee to stop the fight in the
second round.
Hardy was soundly booed from the moment he walked out to the octagon at
Barclays Center for his first fight for the promotion. He connected on some
solid blows in the first round and had answered Crowder's taunting in the
second round with more heavy punches.
But with Crowder down on one knee, Hardy blasted him with a knee and referee
Dan Miragliotta immediately separated the heavyweights. Hardy looked confused
as medical staff quickly entered the cage and checked on Crowder.
Hardy slumped against the cage on the other side as the crowd erupted in boos
and chanted profanities at the disgraced former Carolina Panther and Dallas
Cowboy.
Hardy left the NFL after he was convicted of assaulting and threatening to kill
a woman, with charges later dropped as officials said they couldn't locate the
accuser and believed she reached a settlement with the athlete.
In other fights on the main card, Glover Teixeira choked out Karl Roberson in
the first round, Joseph Benavidez defeated Dustin Ortiz by unanimous decision
and Grego Gillespie had a second-round TKO win over Yancy Medeiros.
___
10:55 p.m.
Paige VanZant won her first UFC fight in 2 years with a second-round
submission victory over Rachael Ostovich at Barclays Center.
VanZant fought for the first time since she broke her right arm in a bout last
January. She made Ostovich tap out to an armbar in the second round for her
first win since Aug. 27, 2016.
VanZant and Ronda Rousey are the only women to finish at least two UFC fights
with armbars.
Ostovich fought for the first time since he was hospitalized from injuries
suffered in an alleged domestic violence attack. Honolulu police arrested
Ostovich's husband, Arnold Berdon, who is accused of punching his wife in the
head, face and ribs, fracturing her eye socket. Berdon has pleaded not guilty
to attempted murder.
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone could get his desired match against Conor McGregor
after he bloodied and beat Alexander Hernandez in a lightweight bout. Cerrone
extended his record for career UFC wins with 22 and for finishes with 16.
Cerrone got a quick takedown in the first round and then used a hard knee to
the face to bust open Hernandez. The 35-year-old Cerrone finished him in the
second in front of a roaring New York crowd.
He called out McGregor in the cage --- and the UFC great was listening.
McGregor tweeted: "For a fight like that Donald, I'll fight you.
Congratulations."
___
9 p.m.
T.J. Dillashaw has dropped to the 125-pound weight class to fight flyweight
champion Henry Cejudo in the main event of UFC's debut card on the ESPN
networks.
Dillashaw, the 135-pound champion, is trying to join Conor McGregor, Daniel
Cormier and Amanda Nunes as the only UFC fighters to hold titles in two weight
classes at the same time.
Dillashaw could also prompt UFC to abandon the flyweight division with a win.
Cejudo defeated longtime champion Demetrious Johnson to win the belt and reign
in a division that has drawn scant interest with fans or serious contenders in
the class.
Cejudo-Dillashaw is the main event on ESPN-plus on the first card of a $1.5
billion, five-year contract that will plaster UFC all over the sports network's
various platforms.
Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone fights Alexander Hernandez in a lightweight bout in the
main event of a prelim card that airs on ESPN.
Troubled ex-NFL star Greg Hardy makes his UFC debut in a heavyweight bout and a
fight marred by controversy. Hardy left the NFL after he was convicted of
assaulting and threatening to kill a woman, with charges later dropped as
officials said they couldn't locate the accuser and believed she reached a
settlement with the athlete.
Scrutiny of Hardy's ascent grew among fans when he was placed on the same card
as flyweight Rachael Ostovich, who is fighting Paige VanZant. Honolulu police
arrested Ostovich's husband, Arnold Berdon, who is accused of punching his wife
in the head, face and ribs, fracturing her eye socket. Berdon has pleaded not
guilty to attempted murder.
___
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