UFC on Fuel TV 5 Prelims: Jimi Manuwa Batters, Stops Kyle Kingsbury in Octagon Debut

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The human eye can only absorb so much punishment.

Jimi Manuwa stopped the American Kickboxing Academy’s Kyle Kingsbury on a technical knockout in between rounds two and three at UFC on Fuel TV 5 “Struve vs. Miocic” on Saturday at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England. The bout was called on the advice of the cageside physician, who deemed Kingsbury unfit to continue.

Manuwa (12-0, 1-0 UFC) had “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 alum in rough shape in the first round, as he connected on a blistering series of strikes: left hooks to the head and body were his weapons of choice, along with head kicks, knees and the occasional right hand. Fists and feet flew from all directions. At the conclusion of round one, Kingsbury’s left eye was badly damaged.

Kingsbury (11-5, 4-4 UFC) was far more effective in the second round, as he scored with multiple takedowns and passed the Manuwa guard without much resistance. However, by the end of the frame, his eye was swollen shut and he could no longer see, necessitating the stoppage.

Corassani Edges Ogle on Points

In his first appearance in nearly two years, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 alum Akira Corassani took a controversial split decision over Andy Ogle in a preliminary featherweight duel. Two of the three cageside judges sided with Corassani (10-3, 1-0 UFC) by matching 29-28 counts; a third saw it 30-27 for Ogle (8-2, 0-1 UFC).

Corassani was the aggressor early on, as he survived a first-round knockdown and tagged the Brit repeatedly with overhand rights. However, Ogle turned the tables late in round two when he struck for a takedown, threatened the Swede with guillotine choke and peppered him with ground-and-pound.

The third round belonged to Ogle. He trapped Corassani in an awkward topside crucifix and slashed away at him with elbows. Corassani, though frustrated and bloodied, weathered the onslaught and left his fate to the judges.

Tavares Spoils Watson Debut

A stiff and consistent jab, effective counterpunching and a handful of timely takedowns carried “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 alum Brad Tavares to a split verdict over former British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion Tom Watson in an undercard tilt at 185 pounds.

Two of the three cageside judges scored it for Tavares (9-1, 4-1 UFC) by 30-27 and 29-28 counts; a third cast a dissenting 29-28 nod in favor of Watson (15-5, 0-1 UFC).

Tavares did his best work in round two, where he struck for a takedown, transitioned to the Brit’s back and fished for a rear-naked choke. Though unsuccessful in his pursuit of the finish, the Hawaiian now had a clear path to victory. Tavares delivered two more takedowns in the final frame, as he won for the fourth time in five appearances inside the Octagon.

Nelson Choke Submits ‘Darkness’

Undefeated prospect Gunnar Nelson submitted “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 finalist DaMarques Johnson with a first-round rear-naked choke in a preliminary catchweight affair. Nelson (10-0-1, 1-0 UFC) brought it to a close 3:34 into round one, his streak of consecutive victories now at 10.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Renzo Gracie, Nelson struck for a takedown inside the first minute, scrambled into side control and eventually moved to full mount. Johnson surrendered his back, only to find himself flattened out by a body triangle from the 24-year-old Iceland export. The situation was soon hopeless. After a brief struggle, Nelson locked down the choke and elicited the tapout.

“I got his back. I just had to move him around a little bit to get his chin up and [sink] the choke,” Nelson said. “There are always nerves for every fight and the UFC is the biggest [promotion] in the world, but you do what you have to do.”

Peralta Waylays Young in 23 Seconds

Strikeforce veteran Robbie Peralta needed less than half a minute to put away American Top Team’s Jason Young in a brief but violent undercard battle at 145 pounds. Young (9-6, 1-3 UFC) met his end 23 seconds into round one.

Peralta (16-3, 2-0 UFC) floored the 26-year-old Englishman with a winging right hook, followed him to the mat and sealed it with a series of unanswered right hands on the ground. The volley left Young unconscious. Peralta has not lost in his last 10 appearances.

“It was all the hard work that paid off. I just came to fight and came ready,” said Peralta, who had not competed since November. “All my training helped get rid of all that rust. I’m just glad to be back in the ring and back in action.”