MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for May: A rematch delivers in spades

MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for May: A rematch delivers in spades

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from May 2020: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for May.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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The Nominees

Vicente Luque def. Niko Price at UFC 249

Vicente Luque (18-7-1 MMA, 11-3 UFC) picked up a second career win over Niko Price (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) in their rematch, but it required far more effort to put his welterweight counterpart away than the first time around.

Luque submitted Price in 2017, but this time was lulled into a bloody slugfest that carried over into the third round. Price’s face was a mangled mess, and Luque continued to apply pressure until he shut the left eye of his opponent and the referee decided to step in.

Anthony Pettis def. Donald Cerrone at UFC 249

It’s unfortunate both Donald Cerrone (36-15 MMA, 23-12 UFC) and Anthony Pettis (23-10 MMA, 10-9 UFC) came into their rematch badly in need of a victory because the two veteran warriors put on a show in which neither could fairly be called a loser.

After going toe-to-toe for three rounds, the scorecards declared Pettis the winner in their welterweight matchup after a hard-fought battle, earning 29-28 scores across the board.

Nate Landwehr def. Darren Elkins at UFC on ESPN 8

Nate Landwehr’s (14-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) handy work on Darren Elkins (24-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) in their featherweight matchup reminded fans at home how bloody fighting can get.

Landwehr took on seasoned veteran Elkins in his sophomore octagon appearance and was all-action. The bout turned out to be a bloody back-and-forth battle that ended in a decision for Landwehr.

Song Yadong def. Marlon Vera at UFC on ESPN 8

Song Yadong (16-4-1 MMA, 5-0-1 UFC) further elevated his status as one of the top prospects in the sport when he snapped Marlon Vera’s (17-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) win streak in a somewhat controversial manner.

The 22-year-old Yadong remained unbeaten through his octagon tenure by beating his most difficult to challenge to date with a unanimous decision victory over Vera after a gritty affair. Yadong got 29-28 scorecards across the board, landing many powerful strikes over the 15 minutes and overcoming a late push from Vera.

Billy Quarantillo def. Spike Carlyle at UFC on ESPN 9

Billy Quarantillo (14-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Spike Carlyle (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) may not be the most recognizable names, but they certainly garnered some new fans in a thrilling back-and-forth affair.

Quarantillo and Carlyle went shot-for-shot over three rounds in a 150-pound catchweight affair. It was a very close fight, but in the end the judges favored Quarantillo’s offense as the more effective and granted him the decision.

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The Winner: Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price

It was a much more competitive fight than their first meeting, but the winner was still the same as Vicente Luque topped Niko Price in their rematch at UFC 249.

After scoring a second-round submission win in October 2017, Luque picked up a third-round TKO due to a doctor’s stoppage at 3:37 after an offensive assault that shut the eye of Price. “The Silent Assassin” has now won eight of his past nine fights.

Control of the fight was taken by Luque in the opening two minutes as he landed a number of chopping leg kicks on Price that caused damage and irritation. Price wouldn’t let it stop him completely, though, and marched forward with strikes of his own before getting a takedown. Price threatened with a submission, but Luque was able to get up and, despite taking a front kick to the face, landed some good strikes to close the round.

The pair went right back to work to begin the second frame. Luque took advantage of Price’s aggression, landing solid counter-punches and continuing to batter the legs of his opponent with kicks. Price found a groove and answered, though, connecting hard on Luque and putting him in some danger. Price got too wild, however, and was dropped with a tight right hand. He recovered and got back up, while Luque stayed disciplined and picked Price apart with punches and kicks to close a strong round.

For the first time in his UFC career, Price saw a third round. He responded well, offering a high output to start the frame. Luque showed patience as Price trie to walk him down, mixing up his offense to the face and body of his opponent. Price’s grit was evident, though, because he kept on trying and throwing, even going for a takedown attempt. Unfortunately for him, Price couldn’t find the one big moment he needed to turn the tide, and it was Luque who got it. Luque dropped a bloodied Price with just over two minutes late, but somehow didn’t get the finish.

Price’s eye was badly swollen, though, and referee Jason Herzog decided to intervene and bring in the doctor. After a brief exchange, Price was deemed unfit to continue and Luque was awarded the win.

“I prepared for the best Niko Price possible,” Luque said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “I beat him last time and I knew he would come prepared and ready. … First event back with everything that’s going on and I just wanted to put on a show.”