LAS VEGAS – Denis Tiuliulin’s striking game was far too much for Jamie Pickett to handle at UFC 279.
After dealing with some grappling attempts from Pickett (13-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in the opening round of their middleweight bout at T-Mobile Arena, Tiuliulin (10-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) landed a kick to the groin of his opponent that led to a point deduction.
That only seemed to infuriate Tiuliulin, who poured on the strikes, rocked Pickett with an elbow, and swarmed his way to a TKO stoppage at the 4:52 mark of Round 2.
Check out the replay of his finish below (via Twitter):
No judges need for Denis Tiuliulin!!! #UFC279 pic.twitter.com/QC0NnOnwSU
— UFC (@ufc) September 11, 2022
It was an emotional win for the Russian Tiuliulin, who picked up his ninth career win by way of stoppage. Afterward, he said he hopes to make a quick turnaround and keep his momentum going.
“Jamie, you’re a fighter thank you brother,” Tiuliulin said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “This was a good battle. I love Vegas. Thank you. If UFC want, I will fight again this year. This is no problem. I’ll fight every day.”
Up-to-the-minute results of UFC 279 include:
- Denis Tiuliulin def. Jamie Pickett via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:52
- Chris Barnett def. Jake Collier via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:24
- Norma Dumont def. Danyelle Wolf via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Heili Alateng def. Chad Anheliger via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Elise Reed def. Melissa Martinez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Yohan Lainesse def. Darian Weeks via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 279.
