The opening fight of UFC Fight Night 2 featured a pair of top ten flyweights in Askar Askarov and Alexandre Pantoja, with the winner likely setting himself up for a potential title shot.
No. 7-ranked Askarov fought his way to a well-deserved unanimous decision victory over No. 4-ranked Patoja. All three judges scored it 29-28 in favor of Askarov who fought off multiple submission attempts by Pantoja early on before settling into a groove.
Pantoja tried to lock in a guillotine choke early in the first round but Askarov defended himself well and got back to his feet in the second minute of the first round. From there, the two continued to grapple for position. Askarov attempted a takedown, pinning Pantoja against the fence. However, Pantoja took Askarov's back and the two stayed in this position for the remainder of the first.
Askarov continued to apply pressure in the second round and found a bit more success as Pantoja began to tire. His relentless grappling opened up opportunities to work in strikes and kicks as he outpointed his opponent.
The third round was more of the same — a relentless pace in which both fighters had their moments. Askarov seemed to land the cleaner shots more frequently but ultimately the fight went to the judges where they scored it 29-28, all in favor of Askarov.
The win moves Askarov to 12-0-1. Perhaps more importantly, it sets him up for a very likely showdown against Deiveson Figueiredo, who won the UFC flyweight title on the same card after defeating Joseph Benavidez by submission.