The Film Room: Jimi Manuwa
Jimi Manuwa will hope to ride a wave of emotion from his fellow Brits when he faces off with former KSW champion Jan Blachowicz in the UFC Fight Night 127 co-main event this Saturday at the O2 Arena in London. It serves as a rematch to an April 2015 encounter between the two light heavyweights, which Manuwa won by unanimous decision.
Still a factor at the top of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s light heavyweight division at the age of 38, Manuwa carries a 17-3 record into his second fight with Blachowicz. “Poster Boy” has lost to Alexander Gustafsson, Anthony Johnson and Volkan Oezdemir but remains tireless in his pursuit of a title shot at 205 pounds.
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A Cocktail of Combos
Manuwa has always had a knack for knockout out opponents, and his bout with Valentino Petrescu at Ultimate Challenge MMA 14 on Aug. 7, 2010 serves as a prime example. Both men were on long winning streaks, but Petrescu did not escape the first round. Manuwa staggered the Italian with a left uppercut, softened him further with a few straights and landed some vicious knees to the body from the clinch. Another uppercut and a six-punch combination did the rest, as “Battista” succumbed to blows 3:08 into Round 1.
Bloody Knuckles
Ryan Robinson was victim No. 5 on Manuwa’s resume, as their fight headlined Ultimate Challenge MMA 4 on May 9, 2009 at The Troxy in London. “Poster Boy” was calm and confident while being introduced but quickly transformed into a whirlwind of violence. Manuwa countered a leg kick with a crackling left hook and followed with a flurry of punches that backed Robinson to the fence. He drove his opponent to the mat with an uppercut, sprawled out of an attempted takedown and settled in side control before returning to his feet. Robinson rose, bleeding from a cut near his right eye. His situation only grew worse, and Manuwa ultimately finished it with punches 2:03 into the first round.
Overtime Denied
Manuwa was slotted opposite “The Ultimate Fighter 19” winner Corey Anderson at UFC Fight Night 107 on March 18, 2017. He was in control for the duration, even though it did not extend beyond the first round. Manuwa shut down Anderson’s takedowns and dropped “Overtime” to a knee with a short but powerful jab. He then forced Anderson to backpedal before uncorking a devastating left hook that turned out the lights and made him a knockout winner 3:05 into Round 1.
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