Make it six straight victories for James Krause.
The 33-year-old welterweight Krause finished Sergio Moraes by TKO at 4:19 of the third round of their featured preliminary card bout Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 22.
In the opening seconds, Krause (27-7 MMA, 8-3 UFC) was dragged to the mat and put in an advantageous position by Moraes (14-6-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC). However, the American survived the early adversity and returned the fight to standing position.
From the moment the two fighters rose back to their feet midway through the first, Moraes’ gas tank began to fade. Halfway through the second, Moraes was eating big shots from Krause. Somehow, Moraes survived until the third round.
Moraes’ cardio disadvantage became more glaring in the final frame. At one point, the Brazilian flopped to the mat and stretched his legs and arms out flat like a starfish. An unamused Krause continually called the fight back to standing position.
With less than a minute left, Krause landed the big punch he needed to put Moraes away. Follow-up shots were enough for the referee to step in and waive off the contest.
With the victory, Krause extended his winning streak to six. In the midst of his recent run, Krause also competed in exhibition bouts on “The Ultimate Fighter 25,” winning two out of three on the show. Moraes’ name is added to a list of victories that began in 2015, which also includes the likes of Warlley Alves, Alex White, Daron Cruickshank, and more.
As for Alves, the loss extends his losing streak to three. “The Panther” Moraes had dropped fights to Anthony Rocco Martin and Warlley Alves entering Saturday night.
UFC on ESPN+ 22 took place at Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo. The event streamed on ESPN+.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 22 results include:
- James Krause def. Sergio Moraes via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 4:19
- Ricardo Ramos def. Eduardo Garagorri via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:57
- Francisco Trinaldo def. Bobby Green via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Randy Brown def. Warlley Alves via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 1:22
- Douglas Silva de Andrade def. Renan Barao via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Ariane Lipski def. Isabella de Padua via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
- Tracy Cortez def. Vanessa Melo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
