Read on for UFC Fight Night early prelim results...
ALVEY vs NICHOLSON
A slow start was followed by a strong finish for middleweight power hitter Sam Alvey, as he outworked Alex Nicholson down the stretch en route to a three-round unanimous decision win in UFC Fight Night action at Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City on Saturday.
The first round played out as predicted, with Nicholson the busier fighter and Alvey waiting to counter. Nicholson’s kicks were particularly effective, with several body shots putting Alvey on the defensive.
A low kick by Nicholson, his second of the fight, brought a momentary halt to the bout early in round two, and once the action resumed, the Floridian put Alvey on rubbery legs with a counter, prompting “Smile’N Sam” to seek a takedown. Nicholson kept his feet and resumed his attack, Alvey becoming a little more aggressive as the round progressed, and late in the frame, he rattled Nicholson with a series of left hands.
Alvey was able to maintain his momentum in the final stanza, and it was this surge in the second half of the fight that allowed him to take the win via three scores of 29-28.
Temecula’s Alvey moves to 29-8 with 1 NC; Orlando’s Nicholson falls to 7-3.
REYES vs NOVELLI
Mexican lightweight Marco Polo Reyes wasn’t able to get his third consecutive knockout against Jason Novelli, but he did move to 3-0 in the Octagon with a three round split decision win.
Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Tepic’s Reyes, now 8-3; Novelli falls to 11-3-1.
Novelli had a good first round behind a takedown and a slick stick and move striking attack, but Reyes started to find his range late in the round.
Midway through round two, a trip to the mat saw Reyes land in the top position, and he was able to stay in control there until the horn.
In the third, Reyes kept the pressure on while standing, but a late takedown and ground-and-pound attack nearly turned things around for Portland’s Novelli before the horn intervened.
BARZOLA vs AVILA
Former TUF Latin America winner Enrique Barzola got back in the win column in his first fight since a controversial loss to Kyle Bochniak in August, scoring a shutout three-round unanimous decision over Chris Avila.
All three judges saw it 30-26 for Peru’s Barzola, now 13-3-1; Stockton’s Avila falls to 5-4.
Mixing up his takedowns, clinch work and striking nicely, Barzola was in control from the start as he simply outworked Avila, who progressively got less and less active as Barzola’s leg kicks slowed him down and kept him from mounting a late fight comeback.
