Clark’s ‘stressful’ week ends with UFC win over Vanzant
Las Vegan Jessica-rose Clark capped a difficult week in her personal life Sunday night with the biggest win of her professional career.
Clark controlled flyweight star Paige Vanzant on the mat for the majority of the first 10 minutes and captured a unanimous decision on the main card of UFC Fight Night
124 in St. Louis.
The thrill of the victory came just three days after the agony of her house near Wigwam Avenue and the 215 Beltway being robbed as she was in St. Louis cutting weight and fulfilling the last of her media obligations for the fight.
The suspects made off with an estimated $30,000 worth of electronics and clothes belonging to Clark and her housemates, according to the 30-year-old fighter. But the suspects also kicked a cat Clark raised with her housemates that had to be euthanized due to its injuries.
“It was so hard,” Clark said after her win. “Everything was really tough trying to get that out of my head and focus on the fight, but we did what we needed to do.
“I had a stressful week and I did let the stress get to me a bit so, for now, I just want to get home and I will figure out the rest later.”
Clark improved to 2-0 in the UFC after she won a late-notice debut in November. She smothered Vanzant throughout much of the first two rounds and held off a late charge with Vanzant firing off a variety of kicks and left hands after she appeared to hurt her right arm.
“I feel good,” Clark said. “I had a lot more that I wanted to show out there tonight but that happens and I felt that I dominated the fight. I knew coming in that I was the better fighter and I worked hard to show that. I feel I’m one of the best women in the world and I can’t wait to see who the UFC is going to give me next.”
Vanzant, a star both in the UFC and Hollywood after several reality show appearances, has now lost two straight fights and three of her last four.
She had hoped the move up to the new 125-pound division would improve her performance by easing some of the burdensome weight cut, but Clark smothered her for long stretches.
Stephens wins main
In the main event, veteran featherweight Jeremy Stephens handed “The Korean Superboy” Doo Ho Choi his second straight loss when he dropped him with a right hand and finished with punches and elbows on the mat at 2:36 of the second round.
“Doo Ho Choi is a really tough competitor and I want to thank him for coming over from Korea for this,” Stephens said. “He’s really tough and a great representative for the sport.”
Stephens has now won two consecutive fights since a three-fight winning streak in 2013 and 2014.
Usman’s winning streak grows
Welterweight contender Kamaru Usman extended his winning streak to 11 and improved to 7-0 in the
UFC by sweeping the scorecards in a decision win over Emil Meek.
Usman, a former Division II national champion wrestler, took Meek down in all three rounds and rarely let him find any breathing room as he maintained top control throughout the bout.
He said he was limited in the bout, though he declined to elaborate.
“I fought this fight at about 30 percent and I still dominated a tough, so-called viking,” Usman said. “I said from the start he wouldn’t be able to hang with me. No one can.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@ reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @Adamhilllvrj on Twitter.