Pat Sabatini caught Jonathan Pearce in a compromising position in the opening round of their UFC Fight Night 244 bout and didn’t relent until he got the finish.
Sabatini (19-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) displayed his grappling prowess when he got the back of Pearce (14-7 MMA, 5-4 UFC) from a standing position early in their featherweight bout at the UFC Apex. He methodically worked away at a rear-naked choke until he finally got the arm under the neck and forced. his opponent to tap at the 4:06 mark of Round 1.
Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):
WELCOME BACK TO THE WIN COLUMN 🚨@PatSabatini145 gets the first round SUB! #UFCVegas98 pic.twitter.com/HDtTjBCb0j
— UFC (@ufc) October 12, 2024
With the win, Sabatini rebounds from a 90-second knockout defeat to Diego Lopes in November. Pearce, meanwhile, is suddenly on a three-fight losing skid after he was named MMA Junkie’s “Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year” in 2022.
“I think I have an edge over everybody in this division on the ground,” Sabatini said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “(I want to fight again) sooner rather than later.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 244 results include:
- Pat Sabatini def. Jonathan Pearce via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:06
- Themba Gorimbo def. Niko Price via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Junior Tafa def. Sean Sharaf via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:15
- Julia Polastri def. Cory McKenna via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
- Cody Haddon def. Dan Argueta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Clayton Carpenter def. Lucas Rocha via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:12
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.
