Phil Hawes came out on top via a majority decision over Nassourdine Imavov on the main card for UFC Vegas 19. The middleweight match-up was ear-marked to be a fire-fest from the get-go, as both men are pressure fighters. Additionally, Hawes has gained a reputation for explosiveness and dynamism ever since his Dana White’s Contender Series TKO win.
The fight played out as expected with several back-and-forth exchanges that took place at range and in the pocket. However, Hawes made sure to land heavily as the round drew to a close and the judges did not miss out on his power punching. The judges awarded Phil Hawes with the decision that will push his win streak to six.
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29-28Phil Hawes does enough to score a majority decision victory at #UFCVegas19 👏 pic.twitter.com/nzOLcePOxu
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) February 21, 2021
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‘Megatron’ came into the aforementioned contest with five straight finishes, and he was certainly chasing another one against Imavov. However, the French fighter who was on a streak of his own consolidated the fact that he had an iron chin at 185-pounds. Nassourdine Imavov will have to assess the manner in which he plays out the even exchanges of the rounds going forward.
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UFC middleweight Phil Hawes shoots his shot following a decision win
The 10-2 fighter in Phil Hawes spoke to Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping following his majority decision win over Imavov. Hawes called out the winner of the ranked middleweight bout between Chris Weidman vs Uriah Hall. However, the manner in which he wanted to possibly secure the fight certainly had some fans scratching their heads.
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“I know Weidman and Uriah…what’s his name, Hall they’re having that thing so hopefully, maybe, someone gets COVID or something. Slide me up in there, you know whenever that is.”
Although it’s a big step up in competition, it’s hard to deny Phil Hawes after looking at his win streak. Weidman and Hall are both highly credentialed in the UFC, with several notable performances across their respective careers. Fighting either man will be the exposure that Phil Hawes needs if he is to make a giant splash.
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The division is set to be stagnant for a meaningful period, as the champion is about to move up in weight. This provides the newer middleweights with an opportunity to make a comprehensive entry into the top 10 at least.
What did you make of Phil Hawes’ display at the UFC Apex?