The UFC closed out the calendar year with one of its most evenly matched fights of the year.
Recent middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier (16-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) got his hand raised in the UFC Fight Night 216 main event with a split decision over Sean Strickland (25-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC). Cannonier got a pair of 49-46 scores from the three judges; a dissenting judge had it 49-46 for Strickland. The striking stats were close throughout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
“I thought I had it 3 (rounds) to 2,” Cannonier said in his post-fight interview. “I was pretty confident that I won. We saw the damage on his face from the first round and the last round. I thought I did enough. I wouldn’t say it was too tricky – it was just conventional. Sean’s got a good eye for that distance.
