In the best performance of his career, Sam Stout dominated Joe Lauzon on Saturday in UFC 108 in Las Vegas.
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C. Miller submits D. Lauzon
Stout battered Lauzon to a unanimous decision victory, earning a 30-26 nod and a pair of 30-27 scores on the judges' cards to score the upset. But it nearly turned out different.
Lauzon got the clinch and turned it into a takedown in the first 20 seconds of the fight. Lauzon cut Stout with a tight elbow and nearly finished it with a kimura right away. But Stout rolled three times to get out of it and eventually got the fight standing.
“I was like, Damn, he’s got my arm," Stout said. "And I just started rolling and twisting and turning and just got out of it.”
Lauzon nearly got another takedown but pulled guard when Stout stuffed him in a precursor of things to come. Stout backed out and got it standing once again, then began to pick apart Lauzon and win the round. Lauzon’s submission attempt and the cut he delivered might have been enough to secure the round, had he not been battered by Stout in the entire second half.
Stout punished Lauzon with punches and kicks for the first minute of Round Two, but when he missed a head kick Lauzon secured a double-leg takedown. Stout scooted to the fence on his behind, got an underhook and achieved the standing position again.
While standing, the fight was a mismatch in Round Two, with Stout having his way and earning a 10-8 score with one judge. Lauzon was able to get into guard and couple of times, but was unable to mount any offense from the bottom for the final 35 seconds. Stout sportingly helped Lauzon stand up after the bell.
Lauzon came out firing in the early seconds of the third round, but his game plan had more ambition than his legs had energy. Stout danced and hit nearly all of his combinations. Lauzon was game, but did not have the energy to mount anything except survival until 2:06 remained, when he caught a right kick and took down Stout into the Canadian's full guard.
Lauzon moved to mount, latched on a guillotine and went into north-south position, but could not secure it as Stout battled back to the feet and peppered him for most of the remaining time, including an upper cut with the left with 27 seconds left to put the finishing touches on his signature UFC performance.
“I’m pumped right now," said Stout, whose big cut above the left eye was managed well. "He was tough. That was a great fight, I a lot of had fun doing it. I want to thank Joe and give him all the credit in the world."
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