Derek Brunson Earns A Unanimous Decision Win Over Elias Theodorou After Three Rounds!
UFC on ESPN+ 9 is happening live now (Saturday, May 4, 2019) from inside Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
The co-main of the evening brings an intriguing 185-pound bout between dangerous finisher Derek Brunson and TUF: Nations Middleweight tournament winner Elias “The Spartan” Theodorou. Todd Anderson is our referee. Here we go!
Round 1
No glove touch. The right high kick missed by Theodorou, wow it looked like a tornado kick, but Brunson escapes. Fighters in the clinch, Elias lands a big right uppercut and the two separate.
Theodorou keeps moving and lands a big right low kick.
Brunson takes Theodorou down, ends up in the full mount. And now he takes the back, Theodorou got up, Brunson returns him back to the ground and ends up in the mount again.
Brunson tries to secure a rear-naked choke, Theodorou delivers punches to the head, this is dangerous for Elias!
Theodorou escapes and gets up, Brunson presses him against the cage. Fighters trading knees. Good right knee to the mid-section Theodorou. The referee warns both fighters – no shorts grabbing!
Great punch by Theodorou, but Brunson grabs his back again, presses him against the fence. Great escape, low kick Elias. Right low kick Theodorou, a great one. Middle kick Theodorou, Brunson blocks well. Elias opens up too much with those kick, he might eat a big counter soon.
Theodorou misses over and over, wasting too much power. Elias attacks, Brunson retreats and covers up. Front kick to the head Elias, but Brunson takes him down. Theodorou tries to go for a single leg, Brunson controls the position well and gets up.
Brunson is very cautious. Body kick missed by Theodorou. 10-9 Brunson.
Brunson’s corner asks for more takedowns.
Round 2
Theodorou keeps his hands high, missed with a right high kick. Theodorou switches stances. Body kick Theodorou, but Brunson attacks him now, he grabbed his right leg and presses him against the fence. Brunson escapes well. Theodorou misses with a left overhand. Elias wastes too much power on his strikes and misses over and over.
Middle kick Theodorou, blocked. Right high kick Elias missed by a hair. Brunson protects his head well. Good low kick Brunson, side kick to the leg Theodorou. Wow, it was a Showtime kick attempt, but unsuccessful. Theodorou looks good, but Brunson is very cautious.
Great technique by Theodorou, good spinning back-fist attempt. Right high kick just missed. Hammer fist attempt Elias. Great left hand Brunson. Theodorou misses over and over.
Theodorou grabbed Brunson’s leg, but Derek escapes well.
Body kick Brunson. The right high kick missed by Theodorou again. Good left-hand counter Theodorou. Elias misses with a tornado kick, Brunson lands a big body kick. Brunson has double under-hooks, pressing Elias against the cage. Theodorou escapes well. The crowd starts to boo. The end of the round, 10-9 Theodorou.
Brunson’s corner advises him to use Theodorou’s “spinning stuff” against him.
Round 3
Good left hand Theodorou, followed by a right high kick. Another miss. Brunson goes for a single leg, stuffed. Great low kick by Theodorou. Left hammer fist Elias, but Brunson takes his back, he could go for a takedown. Yes, Theodorou ends up on the canvas but gets up almost instantly.
Fighters separate, great movement, and what a takedown attempt by Brunson. Even better counter by Theodorou, this is war!
Low kick Elias. Theodorou is too slow.
Brunson picks him up and slams him hard off the canvas!!!
Brunson is in the side mount. Big strikes. Theodorou gets up again, ends up on the fence, but evades successfully. Fighters in the clinch again, Brunson pushes him forward. Wow, this hammer-fist had to hurt, great move by Theodorou. Good 1-2 combo Brunson.
Knee to the body Theodorou. Awesome kick to the body Elias. And another one. Spinning back-fist attempt, blocked by Derek. Brunson looks calm.
Theodorou keeps missing over and over, his strikes are too slow. Big left hand by Brunson to end the match. 10-9 Brunson.
Check out the highlights below:
BIG slam by @DerekBrunson #UFCOttawa pic.twitter.com/awu1M53ZQ8
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 5, 2019
Brunson in full mount early!#UFCOttawa pic.twitter.com/TAKVzJrhQ9
— UFC (@ufc) May 5, 2019
DB back in the win column! @DerekBrunson #UFCOttawa pic.twitter.com/wrpokCGlZ8
— UFC (@ufc) May 5, 2019
Final Result: Derek Brunson defeats Elias Theodorou via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Derek Brunson improves the score to 19-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC, Elias Theodorou drops to 17-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC.
