LAS VEGAS - Scott Jorgensen was getting picked apart on the feet by Ken Stone so he turned to his bread and butter. The former Boise State wrestler took the fight to the ground and pulled off one of the rarest knockouts you'll see in mixed martial arts - the one-punch KO on the ground.
Jorgensen (12-4, 1-0 UFC) turned Stone's lights off with one punch and punctuated the victory with three more shots before referee Steve Mazzagatti stopped the fight at 4:01 of the first round in the fight No. 2 at "The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale" at the Palms.
The 28-year-old contender in the bantamweight division was in need of a victory following a one-sided loss in a title fight against UFC 135-pound champ Dominick Cruz back in December at WEC 53.
"After the Cruz fight, I knew I had to stay focused and start fighting my fight.� I still consider myself one of the best in the division and I'm looking for that next title shot," Jorgensen said. "The great coaches that I've got around me have helped me stay hungry and I'm thankful for the opportunity to be able to do this everyday."
Jorgensen brought it. He deserves a lot of credit because he could've overlooked Stone or been affected by the lack of status fighting way down on a UFC undercard after headlining the final WEC card.
Nicknamed "Young Guns" he may have opened the door for a new moniker. Tyler Freeman already grabbed the nickname of "Hulk Hands," but he may want to relinquish the title. Jorgensen's punch from Stone's full guard was a shot you'll see in any fight, but his right hand knocked Stone silly.
It was much needed because until 90 seconds left in the round, Stone was probably ahead in the fight. His striking on the feet was impressive and the 5-foot-6 Jorgensen was having trouble dealing with Stone's length.
Because Zuffa just added the WEC roster to the UFC back in December, this was Jorgensen's UFC debut. He's a well-known veteran of the 135-pound division. He's now 8-3 under the Zuffa banner.
Duran wins intense ground battle and chokes out Rivera
Reuben Duran has a decorated jiu-jitsu, but he met his match on the ground for 10-plus minutes. Francisco Rivera escaped, transitioned and threatened submissions of his own before falling victim to a Duran choke at the 1:57 mark of the third round.
"I'm glad I got the win, but I was a little disappointed with my performance.� I just couldn't get comfortable out there.� The fight seemed pretty close through the first two rounds, so I knew I had to do something.�� I saw that choke coming a mile away and that second time I got it on him, I knew it was over," said Duran (9-2-1, 1-0 UFC)
After fighting out of couple of chokes in the first round, Duran started to take over in the grappling department in the middle of the second. He carried the momentum over to the third when he scored a takedown with four minutes left in the fight. He immediately moved to side control where worked on a crucifix position. Duran got a mounted crucifix for a split second and Rivera escaped but gave up his back in doing so. Duran got his hooks in and locked on a choke with 3:07 left. Rivera held out just a few seconds before tapping to the rear-naked choke.
Rivera said his effort was derailed by what he thought was a serious injury to his hand.
"I was executing my gameplan perfectly until about the second round when it felt like I broke my hand.� I felt like I was winning the fight up to that point, but after that, I was just trying to survive," Rivera said. "I thought I had him in the guillotine earlier in the fight, but he got out of it and eventually got my back and I couldn't push him off."
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