Now about to start his third stint in the UFC, Kurt Holobaugh used picture-perfect jiu-jitsu to get his first win in the promotion.
Holobaugh (20-7 MMA, 1-4 UFC), a black belt, submitted Austin Hubbard (15-7 MMA, 3-5 UFC) with a second-round triangle choke to win the Season 31 “Ultimate Fighter” lightweight season. Holobaugh and Hubbard were teammates on the show for coach Michael Chandler. The stoppage after a slick pair of transitions came at the 2:39 mark of the second round on the UFC 292 preliminary card at TD Garden in Boston.
Holobaugh’s first UFC fight was in 2013 – a loss to Steven Siler after he came to the promotion with the Strikeforce merger. He got another shot in 2018, but lost three straight and was outside the UFC until he got the shot at redemption through “TUF 31.”
That @KurtHolobaugh transition is everything 👏 #TUF31 #UFC292 pic.twitter.com/KtOjrIRLVT
— UFC (@ufc) August 20, 2023
The two came out swinging, but Hubbard shot for a takedown 20 seconds in and got it. Holobaugh tried to control Hubbard’s hands while he worked for ground-and-pound, then tried for a guillotine choke when Holobaugh rolled out to his feet. Back standing, they continued to throw heavy hands. Midway through, Holobaugh started to land and backed Hubbard up. It was a close opening round.
In the second, Holobaugh’s right hand started to find a home, and 90 seconds in, he had Hubbard on the canvas and took his back to look for a rear-naked choke. Hubbard tried to fight the lead choke arm and was able to avoid the choke in full, but Holobaugh got to full mount.
When Hubbard scrambled out and lost control, Holobaugh grabbed an arm for an armbar. When Hubbard tried to fight that, Holobaugh transitioned perfectly to a triangle choke. A few seconds later, Hubbard had to tap.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 292 results include:
- Kurt Holobaugh def. Austin Hubbard via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 2:39 – to win “TUF 31” lightweight season
- Brad Katona def. Cody Gibson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) – to win “TUF 31” bantamweight season
- Andre Petroski def. Gerald Meerschaert via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Natalia Silva def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Karine Silva def. Maryna Moroz via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 4:59
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.
