"The fight opened with feints from Sousa as he steadily walked Oki down. Oki landed a couple of solid outside leg kicks early, but the momentum quickly shifted when Sousa dropped him hard with a massive right hand. Oddly, Sousa opted to chase a kimura and held onto it even as Oki stood up, which allowed Oki to scramble into top position."
"In the second round, Oki caught Sousa coming in as he loaded up and clipped him clean. Sousa began whiffing on big overhands and even shot a few blind takedowns as he struggled to close the distance. The pace started to wear on him, and he looked noticeably slower while having trouble finding his range."
"Heading into round three, the fight was still up for grabs. Oki came out sharp, working behind his jab and mixing in leg kicks. Sousa, meanwhile, relied more on looping hooks and heavier kicks to the legs. As the round wore on, Sousa abandoned his shot selection and began swinging for the fences."
Lightweight Manoel Sousa made his UFC debut at UFC Vegas 114 against Bolaji Oki, a 2-2 fighter in the company. Sousa opened strong, walking Oki down and dropping him with a powerful right hand. However, Sousa's decision to chase a kimura submission allowed Oki to scramble into top position and regain control with hammerfists and body knees. In the second round, Oki caught Sousa with clean shots as Sousa struggled with range and pace, appearing noticeably slower. Sousa landed a sharp left hook late in the round. The third round saw both fighters increase their pace, with Oki working behind his jab and leg kicks while Sousa relied on looping hooks and heavy leg kicks, eventually swinging more aggressively as the fight progressed.
Read at Cageside Press
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