LAS VEGAS – Chris Barnett was bloodied and battered but refused to be beaten.
Barnett (23-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who was dropped twice in Round 1, weathered an early storm to rally and stop Jake Collier (13-8 MMA, 5-7 UFC) by TKO in the 2:24 mark of Round 2 of the UFC 279 preliminary bout. Two of the three judges awarded Collier a 10-8 in Round 1.
Both men came out slugging, with Collier finding early success and busting the whole left side of Barnett’s face. Barnett’s vision was comprised, but he never stopped swinging until he was able to get the fight to the ground and get the stoppage win.
Check out the replay of Barnett’s comeback finish below (via Twitter):
FINISH AND FLIP FOR BARNETT 😱
Stream #UFC279 tonight on @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/8b7bwVGe8n pic.twitter.com/Ip82xUfcXG
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 11, 2022
An electric Barnett matched his energy in his post-fight octagon interview when he showed his gratitude to the fans who chanted his name. He credited the cheers for helping him come from behind and an elated Barnett shouted “Stand up for yourselves!” to an appreciative Vegas crowd. And of course, he gave the fans a post-fight dance to top off his incredible show of heart.
Up-to-the-minute results of UFC 279 include:
- Chris Barnett def. Jake Collier via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:24
- Norma Dumont def. Danyelle Wolf via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Heili Alateng def. Chad Anheliger via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Elise Reed def. Melissa Martinez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Yohan Lainesse def. Darian Weeks via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 279.
