Just when Toshiomi Kazama appeared to be in the most danger of a loss against Charalampos Grigoriou at UFC on ESPN 61, he turned things around in stunning fashion to put himself in the winner’s circle.
After Grigoriou scored a big knockdown in the second round of the bantamweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, he pounced on a downed Kazama (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and flurried with punches and elbow for the finish.
Referee Jason Herzog was taking a close look, but then Kazama controlled the posture of his opponent, slid his legs over the shoulders and locked in a triangle choke that forced Grigoriou (8-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) to tap out without much struggle at the 1:55 mark of Round 2.
Check out the replay of the finish below (via X):
DROPPED HIM💥#UFCVegas95 is LIVE on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/vLWyI496q7
— UFC (@ufc) August 10, 2024
TOSHIOMI KAZAMA LOCKS UP THE WIN IN THE SECOND ROUND 🔒 #UFCVegas95 pic.twitter.com/vGUy7M1mfu
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 10, 2024
After the stoppage, and elevated but beaten up Kazama admitted that although things looked bad for him, he felt Grigoriou would slip up and give him the chance to secure his first UFC win.
“When I was on the bottom, I knew an opportunity would come by,” Kazama said through an interpreter during his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I waited for that chance and used my BJJ skills to finish the fight.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 61 results
- Toshiomi Kazama def. Charalampos Grigoriou via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 1:55
- Karol Rosa def. Pannie Kianzad via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Jhonata Diniz def. Karl Williams via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Youssef Zalal def. Jarno Errens via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:52
- Stephanie Luciano def. Talita Alencar via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 61.
