#2 Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Uriah Hall (Middleweight)
FUT Season 3 Heavyweight winner Antonio Carlos Junior was fighting for the second time this year, with his first fight ending in a loss to Ian Heinisch in May.
Uriah Hall last fought in December 2018 at UFC 232 where he knocked out Bevon Lewis in the third round. Hall was the -150 underdog in this fight.
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Round 1: Hall came in hot with a few jabs. Carlos Junior followed Hall and shot for the single-leg takedown. He ate a shot, that busted up his nose, but it was worth it as he got Hall up against the cage.
He got hold of Hall's back but found it difficult to get in the under hooks as Hall patiently had him on his back while holding onto his right arm.
Carlos Junior's nose looked busted as he bled all over Hall's body. Hall flipped Carlos Junior's right arm over, leaving Junior no option but to detach from his back.
The fight resumed in the centre and the fans loved it. Hall got back to the jabs. The left-hand jabs kept coming in. And these weren't feelers. Hall's jabs were hard and stiff.
Carlos Junior, though, managed to get into the pocket and took Hall down. Carlos Junior landed a few good shots and elbows from the top. Carlos Junior worked in top position as the first round came to a close. Both men had their moments but Carlos Junior may have edged it on the scorecards. 10-9 Carlos Junior
Round 2: The stiff jab from Hall landed again. Hall faked with his right shoulder and kept landing the left jab. Carlos Junior attempted a takedown. Stuffed from Hall.
Carlos Junior jabbed with his left and changed levels by going for Hall's hips. They clinched against the cage as Carlos Junior connected with knees to Hall's thighs.
They broke up and Hall rocked Carlos Junior with a big right hook. The Brazilian was on his back and Hall unloaded a flurry of strikes. Carlos Junior covered up and even got Hall's arm briefly during the onslaught. Carlos Junior survived as Hall retreated and called for Junior to get back up on his feet. The fans popped for that.
Carlos Junior got back to his game plan by shooting for the takedown. Hall stuffed it and we were back to the same old clinch against the cage. Hall broke free and attempted a few shots as the round came to an end. 10-9 Hall
Round 3: Hall's corner urged him to continue with the jabs, and he obliged. He attempted a spinning head kick. Shades of classic Primetime on display.
Carlos Junior, however, countered Hall's threat on the feet by scoring his fourth takedown of the fight. Carlos Junior got Hall's back and worked towards setting up a rear-naked choke.
The fans grew restless as Carlos Junior patiently got to work. He had Hall in the body triangle and tried to soften him up so that he could get in his arms under Hall's chin.
Carlos Junior had no problems seeing out the round but the referee called for more action on the ground. 'Stand them up' chants echoed around the arena. However, Carlos Junior was in a dominant position and enjoyed almost four minutes of back control.
Carlos Junior solidified his position on the ground despite Hall's efforts to turn over into Junior's guard. It stayed the same until the final hooter.
Result: Uriah Hall def. Antonio Carlos Junior via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Hall seemed surprised by the outcome and that's a logical reaction. Carlos Junior had 4 takedowns and 10 minutes of control time, however, Hall had a big second round in which he dropped the Brazilian while also landing more significant strikes across the fight. That may have done it in the eyes of the two judges that scored the fight in Hall's favour.
Hall shared an emotional moment with his good friend Carlos Junior in the post-fight interview, before warning Israel Adesanya that he's coming for whoever's at the top.
Primetime looks focussed and we're loving it.