UFC on ESPN 3 results: Alonzo Menifield knocks out Paul Craig after kick goes awry
Alonzo Menifield kicked off the UFC on ESPN 3 main card in style Saturday evening.
In the opening round of his second official UFC appearance, Menifield (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) toppled Paul Craig (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) in brutal fashion at 3:19 of the opening round.
The light heavyweight bout opened up the main card of Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 3 event at Target Center in Minneapolis. It aired on ESPN.
Not wasting much time, Menifield clinched Craig in the opening minute, pushing him up against the fence. After Craig attempted to pull guard, Menifield broke away and the two fighters squared off once again.
From one side of the cage to the other, Craig strained to get a takedown on Menifield – to no avail. Craig continued to attempt to pull guard and drag the fight to the ground were nixed by Menifield.
The Fortis MMA product made it clear he wanted the fight to stay on the feet and it swiftly paid off. When a spinning wheel kick attempt went errant, the Scottish light heavyweight lost his balance and toppled to the mat.
Menifield capitalized on an opening, pounding Craig with series of vicious right hands. Craig was knocked out cold on impact.
The win over Craig marks the second knockout for Menifield in as many UFC fights.
In his promotional debut in January, the Dana White’s Contender Series veteran finished Vinicius Moreira in 3:56. Menifield is now undefeated through nine pro bouts. with eight wins by KO/TKO.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 3 results include:
- Alonzo Menifield def. Paul Craig by knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:19
- Ricardo Ramos def. Journey Newson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Eryk Anders def. Vinicius Moreira via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:18
- Jared Gordon def. Dan Moret via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Dalcha Lungiambula def. Dequan Townsend via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 0:42
- Amanda Ribas def. Emily Whitmire via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:10
- Maurice Greene def. Junior Albini via TKO (punches), Round 1 3:38
For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN 3, check out the UFC Events section of the site.