Ion Cutelaba edged KSW veteran Ivan Erslan over three rounds to close out the UFC Fight Night 243 prelims at Accor Arena in Paris.
“The Hulk” (18-10-1, 7-9-1 UFC) came into the bout having lost four of his last five fights and needed an impressive performance over the UFC debutant. Cutelaba’s heavy hands carried the day early as The Hulk walked down Erslan with heavy haymakers. Cutelaba wobbled and dropped Erslan while trading in the pocket in the second round and even scored an easy takedown.
Cutelaba should’ve stayed on his feet and pressed the action but an ill-time takedown allowed Erslan to climb back into the fight. Erslan rode Cutelaba for most of the final round before Cutelaba reversed position in the closing seconds. The fight looked like a clear 29-28 verdict for Cutelaba, but fans held their breath in fear as the scorecards were read. Luckily for Cutelaba, a split decision verdict (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) wasn’t enough to wipe away his first win since 2023.
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Undefeated Sy Blanks Jung
Undefeated French light heavyweight Oumar Sy has been very impressive throughout his run, but he was forced to adapt to savvy UFC vet Da Woon Jung. Despite coming in on a three-fight losing streak, the heavy-fisted South Korean was stubborn and refused to bow down to the hometown favorite.
Sy started fast and snapped Jung’s head back with crisp counters but was stunned by a returning left hand. Hurt, Sy turned to his wrestling and dumped Woon Jung on his butt, but couldn’t keep him floored. Sy returned to striking in round two, but his single shots kept Jung in the fight. Bleeding from his eye, Jung took a beating in the final 20 seconds of the round but survived to see the final round.
Sy capped off his shutout (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) with the jab in round three. He landed the punch at will but lacked the gas to apply the pressure for the finish. Sy finished the fight in a dominant position by way of a body lock. It was a solid test for the rising prospect. Sy could be a fighter to keep an eye on but he’ll have to improve his conditioning as he moves on to tougher opposition.
Klein Decisions Massive Underdog Roberts
Since opening his UFC stint 1-2, Slovakia’s Ludovit Klein has turned it around and won seven of his last eight, with one draw. “Mr. Highlight” is a well-rounded fighter with a dangerous ground game, but a finish eluded him throughout his lightweight clash with the scrappy Roosevelt Roberts.
Roberts surprised the -1000 favorite Klein with crafty boxing, sharp elbows, and a high kick that forced Klein to clinch in the first round. Klein wasn’t deterred and took over the fight over the next two rounds. Kleins wrestling kept Roberts in guard, protecting himself from heavy ground and pound. By the end of the fight, Roberts’ eye was a bloody mess as Klein (23-4-1) cruised to the unanimous decision win (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).
Lapilus Outduels Morales
Taylor Lapilus started 2024 on a sour note but is doing everything he can to end the year strong. The French bantamweight won his second fight of the year by defeating Vince Morales by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Morales, a fellow UFC re-signing, returned to the Octagon after winning a United Fight League title a month ago. Morales pushed the fight and continuously came forward but took hard punches for his trouble. The fight brought the French crowd to its feet as Lapilus (21-4) got the better of exciting exchanges. It was a clear win for “Double Impact,” but Morales (16-8) slugging style kept the pace engaging.
Overweight Perez Taps Zheleznyakova
Ailin Perez is a rising bantamweight star, but missing weight (136.5 pounds) isn’t going to help her bank account grow to its fullest potential. Still, the Argentinian has a problematic style if she can get her opponent the mat. Just ask Darya Zheleznyakova. Perez wasted little time taking the Russian MMA Factory product to the mat and securing a first-round arm-triangle (3:52).
Zheleznyakova (9-2, 1-1 UFC) had Perez in side control but didn’t trust the position. Her ultimate downfall was her surrendering the position and returning the fight to the feet. Perez shot her takedown and quickly mounted her prey. Zheleznyakova’s face turned into a cherry before she finally tapped. Perez (11-2, 4-1 UFC) celebrated her fourth-straight win by twerking in Zheleznykakova’s face.
Barez Outlasts Altamirano in Flyweight Firefight
Flyweights Victor Altamirano and Daniel Barez had a furious three-round affair that was so close Sherdog’s virtual scorers were split. Barez dropped the Fort Worth, Texas, native with a crisp right hand in the first round but Altamirano closed the gap over the last two rounds. Ben Duffy, Tristian Critchfield, and Jay Pettry agreed that Altamirano’s taekwondo-style kicks and unpredictable striking won him the final round. But the second round is where the fight was decided on the cards.
Barez threw wide haymakers while Altamirano pieced him up with clean, short counters, which, unfortunately for the American, resulted in a flash knockdown threw the round into doubt. That flash knockdown ultimately cost Altamirano (12-5) the fight by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28), giving him his third straight loss.
Cavalcanti Edges Out Cornolle
France’s Nora Cornolle hadn’t felt defeat in the cage since her first fight three years ago. The heavy-handed bantamweight cruised through her first two UFC fights and hoped to climb to another level of stardom in front of the supportive Accor Arena crowd. Standing across from her was Jacqueline Cavalcanti, the same foe who beat her in her debut.
Three years of growth, support from her countrymen and the opinion of one very mistaken judge weren’t enough for Cornolle to avenge her lone career defeat. Cavalcanti (8-1, 3-0 UFC) once again proved to be too fast and too sharp for Cornolle over three rounds, snatching a split decision victory (29-28, 28-29, 28-29). Despite the close cards, Cavalcanti’s constant pressure carried the fight. Cornolle (8-2, 2-1 UFC) had her moments and fought to the final bell but was consistently beaten to the punch by her rival. With the win, Cavalcanti advances deeper into a wide-open bantamweight division hungry for fresh talent.
Duncan Sleeps Oki
If you were still sleepy heading into the UFC Paris card, then Chris Duncan’s bounce-back performance against Bolaji Oki would’ve woke you up for sure. After several furious minutes, the only person left sleeping was Oki after Duncan’s python-like grip put the Belgian lightweight out.
Duncan (12-2, 3-1 UFC) redeemed himself from a first-round submission in his last bout, but the aggressive Oki put him on the defensive early (9-2). After winning by split decision in his last fight, Oki came forward and looked to put Duncan away with heavy shots. Looking to take Duncan down near the cage, Oki’s head was in prime position for a guillotine. Duncan nearly secured the choke, but Oki could pop his head out, land on some ground, and pound.
Duncan weathered the storm and got back to his feet but knew that Oki would shoot yet again. This time, he was ready and instantly locked in his guillotine around Oki’s neck. Oki struggled and pulled at the grip while the air quickly escaped his brain. He would wake up to his first loss in nine fights.
