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MOICANO vs KATTAR

Brazilian featherweight contender Renato Moicano bounced back from the lone loss of his career to Brian Ortega, snapping Calvin Kattar’s 10-fight winning streak on the UFC 223 main card at Barclays Center by taking a three-round unanimous decision.

The two started out at a measured pace, at least until Kattar erupted with a right hand in the second minute that got Moicano’s attention and kicked off an exchange that saw both men swinging for the fences. Then it was back to a technical kickboxing match, with each fighter having their moments – Kattar with his punches upstairs and Moicano with kicks to the leg.

Kattar worked his jab and kept looking for another big right hand in the second, but Moicano’s kicks to the legs, body and head kept him from getting close with a potential finisher.

In the third, Moicano took his game up another notch, as he went from focusing on landing kicks to throwing and landing his punches, and he repeatedly tagged the still aggressive Massachusetts native, putting a stamp on the victory by scores of 30-27 twice and 29-28.

Brasilia’s Moicano moves to 12-1-1 with the win. Kattar falls to 18-3.

MAGOMEDSHARIPOV vs BOCHNIAK

Hot featherweight prospect Zabit Magomedsharipov emerged victorious in his third UFC bout, but he got a gut check in the process, as Kyle Bochniak pushed the highly-touted Russian for three hard rounds before falling short via unanimous decision.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28.

Magomedsharipov thrilled the crowd with his flashy kicks in the opening round, but the fired-up Bochniak took everything thrown at him and kept marching forward. Magomedsharipov’s more accurate striking gave him the round, though, and he continued to push the pace in round two, getting the fight to the mat in the second minute. Bochniak was able to get back to his feet fairly quickly, but Magomedsharipov continued to score with a variety of strikes. Bochniak taunted his foe and asked for more, and his opponent eagerly obliged, marking up the Bostonian’s ribs and face before scoring a thudding takedown. Bochniak looked to take an arm from his back, but Magomedsharipov pulled free and the two stood, with “Crash” heading back to his corner bloodied, but unbowed.

With the fans roaring, Bochniak came out swinging in the third, determined to get his opponent out of there. But Magomedsharipov, who is apparently incapable of getting rattled in the Octagon, scored with a spinning kick before taking Bochniak to the mat. The New Englander rose, but Magomedsharipov wouldn’t loosen his grip, eventually getting another takedown just before the midway point of the final round. With under two minutes left, Bochniak scrambled out of trouble and pinned Magomedsharipov to the fence before the Dagestan product broke free. Now with a minute left, Magomedsharipov was checking the clock, but Bochniak still had a final charge left in him, as he scored with some of his best punches of the fight as they slugged it out to the bell.

With the win, Magomedsharipov ups his record to 15-1. Bochniak falls to 8-3.

GRUETZEMACHER VS LAUZON

Former Ultimate Fighter competitor Chris Gruetzemacher picked up the biggest win of his career in the main card opener, stopping veteran standout Joe Lauzon after two rounds.

Lauzon’s striking was sharp as the fight began, and while he tagged Gruetzemacher several times, the North Carolina product took the shots well and then was able to have some success of his own when the fight hit the mat. Lauzon stayed busy, looking for submissions from his back, and when the two rose at the midway point, he went back on the attack. This time around, Gruetzemacher started getting in some hard elbows at close range, and he rocked Lauzon briefly in the final minute, finishing the round strong.

Gruetzemacher marked up Lauzon’s face in the second, and as he added in thudding shots to the body, he was also avoiding the New Englander’s takedown attempts. Lauzon wasn’t ready to pack it in, and he ignited the crowd as he threw back at Gruetzemacher, looking for the shot to turn things around.  It didn’t come, though, and between rounds, the fight was halted, giving Gruetzemacher a much needed victory after back-to-back losses.

Gruetzemacher moves to 14-3 with the win. Lauzon falls to 27-16.

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