Chris Barnett - Photo via @spilledbagofice on Twitter
Chris Barnett TKO’s Jake Collier in all-out war at UFC 279
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to us tonight, September 10, 2022, for UFC 279, going down live on pay-per-view from the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
Considering former main eventer Khamzat Chimaev (11-0) missed weight by 7.5 lbs, weighing in at 178.5 lbs despite the 171 lb limit, we had a bit of a change in match ups.
The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner Nate Diaz (20-13) was initially slated to face no. 3 ranked Chimaev in the main event but will now face former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson (25-7) in the five round main event of the evening.
Co-headlining the event was supposed to be Ferguson facing no. 14 ranked welterweight contender Li Jingliang (19-7), and Daniel Rodriguez (16-2) was slated against Kevin Holland (23-7-0-1).
In the aftermath of this, Chimaev will face Holland in the five round co-main event of the evening, and Rodriguez will face Jingliang in tonight’s feature fight, marking the first time ever the UFC put on an event with two five round non-title bouts.
Our opening preliminary bout, following our four-fight early prelims, came in the heavyweight division between Jake Collier (13-7) and Chris Barnett (22-8).
Continue reading to see how this heavyweight bout went down:
Official Result: Chris Barnett def. Jake Collier via TKO (punches) at 2:24 of round two
Both Collier and Barnett open up the fight swinging for the fences and keep up this pace for the first minute-plus of the fight. Collier is the main aggressor, landing his front snap kick often, as he follows it up with some heavy punch combinations.
Barnett on the other hand is backing up throwing heavy hooks, overhands, and uppercuts.
This fight was absolutely nuts.
Collier ends up securing a trip takedown and quickly mounts Barnett, reigning down some heavy ground-and-pound before Barnett was forced to give up his back. Collier appeared to sink in a rear naked choke, but after seeing a closer angle, it wasn’t under the chin and Barnett survives to see the second round.
Barnett opens up the second with a beautiful two-punch combination, but Collier remains unfazed, and the two get back to swinging heavy leather. It quickly goes back to the beginning of round one with both men throwing and landing often.
Collier is trying to tie up with Barnett, but being the taller party by six inches, along with the sweat, it’s becoming difficult for him. He shoots in on a takedown, with Barnett stuffing it and spinning to take his back.
The tables have turned, as Barnett ends up mounting Collier and reigns down at least 40 punches en route to the TKO stoppage.
Jake Collier nearly got his second first round finish via rear naked choke this year, but it turns out to be Chris Barnett who picks up his second victory via second round TKO inside the octagon.
Collier falls to 2-4 as a heavyweight, while Barnett improves to 2-2 inside the octagon.
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