After giving nods to Monkey D. Luffy of “One Piece” throughout fight week by wearing the fictional character’s signature straw hat, Fernando Padilla nicknamed himself after another well-known character, albeit a non-fictional one, after a beautiful submission win at UFC on ESPN 53.
“I mix it up – down, up, elbows, knees, submissions, everything,” Padilla said during his post-fight interview with Paul Felder. “I have everything! The Jon Jones of ’45. Mexican Jon Jones, dog!”
Before acknowledging the versatility of UFC heavyweight champion Jones, Padilla (16-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) wrapped up Luis Pajuelo with a slick standing D’Arce choke at 2:45 of Round 1 of the featherweight contest at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
It was a fantastic performance for as long as it lasted. Padilla dropped Pajuelo on the feet with a pinpoint accurate punch and attempted to finish the fight on the ground with follow-up strikes. Although he could not get the finish on the mat, he caught Pajuelo with a D’Arce choke as he rose back to his feet, forcing the tap.
The victory marked the Mexican featherweight’s return to the win column. In his last outing in September, he suffered his first loss under the UFC banner. With Saturday’s result, the self-dubbed “Mexican Jon Jones” improves to 2-1 with the promotion, with both wins coming by first-round stoppages.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 53 results include:
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Fernando Padilla def. Luis Pajuelo via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 1, 2:45
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Trey Ogden def. Kurt Holobaugh via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Julian Erosa def. Ricardo Ramos via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:15
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Miles Johns def. Cody Gibson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Jarno Errens def. Steven Nguyen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Darya Zheleznyakova def. Montserrat Rendon via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
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Andre Lima def. Igor Severino via disqualification (biting) – Round 2, 2:52
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Mick Parkin def. Mohammed Usman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 53.
