Darren Stewart is known more for his physical power as a striker than as a submission artist, but on Saturday night, the middleweight fighter scored the first submission victory of his career. Stewart submitted fellow power hitter Maki Pitolo with an impressive guillotine choke early in the first round of their promising match at UFC Vegas 6.
Pitolo, a dangerous striker himself, landed some shots early on in the fight while Stewart just couldn't seem to connect. However, "The Dentist" continued to press on and with under two minutes remaining, he locked up Pitolo who, in turn, reversed the position and looked for a takedown. In doing so, Pitolo left himself open.
Stewart went in for a guillotine choke and dropped to the canvas, sinking in the squeeze that ultimately forced Pitolo to tap at the 3:41 mark in the first round.
Though he's more of a striker, Stewart had said in his post-fight interview that he had been practicing takedown defense with his team. "I've been working on my grappling but no one could see it yet. So I'm happy that I finally showed the world, don't sleep on me because I will tap you out," Stewart warned.
Prior to his fight, the London native suggested he could possibly fight again on quick turnaround if he didn't take excessive damage. With a first-round finish against Pitolo, it's possible we could see Stewart on another card in a few weeks.