Raoni Barcelos managed to secure a split decision victory over Montel Jackson at UFC Vegas 116 on Saturday, overcoming a challenging first round.
Jackson almost ended the fight early in the first round with a powerful high kick that knocked Barcelos off his feet. He followed up with a barrage of strikes on the ground, but Barcelos’ superior grappling skills enabled him to regain control of the fight, albeit with limited offensive output.
This pattern continued into the second round, where Barcelos achieved full mount on Jackson with less than a minute remaining. As time ran out, Barcelos took Jackson’s back and applied a tight rear-naked choke. However, Jackson managed to endure the submission attempt and survive until the end of the round.
Barcelos maintained control throughout the third round, accumulating significant cage control time and effectively nullifying Jackson’s offense. This dominance proved sufficient to sway the judges’ scorecards in his favor, leading to a hard-earned victory.
Official Result: Raoni Barcelos defeated Montel Jackson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
