DALLAS – When he wasn’t trying smother and toss his opponent to the mat, Elias Theodorou kicked like he was in a point karate tournament.
The former set up Theodorou (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), the “TUF Nations” winner, who broke Roger Narvaez’s (7-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) arm with a kick in the second round before a TKO victory.
The middleweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 185 event at American Airlines Center in Dallas. It aired on FX following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.
The fight came to an end at the 4:07 mark of the second frame as Theodorou wailed at Narvaez’s head with hammerfists. The onslaught forced a referee stoppage, but the finish likely was the result of an exchange seconds earlier.
A kick to Narvaez’s outstretched arm appeared to snap it, ending the fighter’s competitive efforts despite a strong opening round in which he kept Theodorou at bay with smart striking inside.
Theodorou reasserted himself in the second frame, winning a takedown. But Narvaez scrambled free and forced the “TUF” winner back to the drawing board.
“That was a great showing of my strength; I just keep moving forward,” Theodorou said. “In the second, I really got into my groove and was pushing into him. My mental fortitude is my biggest asset. I don’t know how to lose yet, though I’d argue I lose every day in the gym. My corner was yelling ‘You’re going to break him, keep moving forward.’ He smiled and said, ‘No you’re not.’ That’s when I knew I had already broken him, and that was it.”
It was Theodorou’s second win since running the table on the reality show. He remains undefeated with 11 wins, while Narvaez goes back to the drawing board after a split-call win over Luke Barnatt put him on good footing following an ill-advised debut at 205 pounds.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 185 results include:
- Elias Theodorou def. Roger Narvaez via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:07
- Beneil Dariush def. Daron Cruickshank via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:48
- Jared Rosholt def. Josh Copeland via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:12
- Ryan Benoit def. Sergio Pettis via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:34
- Joseph Duffy def. Jake Lindsey via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:47
- Germaine de Randamie def. Larissa Pacheco via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:02
For complete coverage of UFC 185, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan contributed to this report on site in Dallas.)
