LOWELL MA. – OCTOBER 18: Randy Costs (L) celebrates the win Boston Salmon at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Facing up-and-comer Jonathan Pearce, Lauzon, whose gym is an MMA haven on the south shore, unleashed a barrage of punches early and stunned Pearce. Lauzon then strong-armed him to the ground and pinned him there, pounding Pearce’s head until the referee stopped the fight at 1:35 of the opening round, giving Lauzon a victory on his home turf at UFC Boston at TD Garden on Friday night.
It was a night of exciting fights up and down the main card, none more anticipated than the main event, in which Chris Weidman battled Dominick Reyes, who was unbeaten and looking to work his way into a title-contending position in the light-heavyweight division.
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Randy Costs (L) celebrates the win Boston Salmon at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Joe Lauzon celebrates the win Jonathan Pearce at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON, MA. - OCTOBER 18: Maycee Barber (L) pounds Gillian Robertson at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Dominick Reyes celebrates his win over Chris Weidman at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Joe Lauzon hits Jonathan Pearce at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Randy Costs celebrates the win over Boston Salmon at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON, MA. - OCTOBER 18: Maycee Barber (R) celebrates her win over Gillian Robertson at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Randy Costs (L) and Boston Salmon exchange blows at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18:Tanner Boser (R) unloads on Daniel Spitz at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18:Tanner Boser (R) unloads on Daniel Spitz at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Kevin Holland (r) hits Brendan Allen at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Brendan Allen and Kevin Holland at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Randy Costs celebrates his with with Boston Salmon at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Sean Woodson (R) punches Kyle Bochniak at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Sean Woodson and Kyle Bochniak exchange blows at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Molly McCann unloads on Diana Belbita at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Molly McCann (L) hits Diana Belbita at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Deron Winn (R) releases Darren Stewart at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Charles Rosa celebrates his winManny Bermudez at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
LOWELL MA. - OCTOBER 18: Deron Winn gets hit by Darren Stewart (L) at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Lowell, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Yair Rodriguez (R) elbows Jeremy Stephens at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Yair Rodriguez (R) backhands Jeremy Stephens at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Yair Rodriguez (L) kicks Jeremy Stephens at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Yair Rodriguez (L) hits Jeremy Stephens at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Yair Rodriguez Jeremy Stephens at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Yair Rodriguez (R) gets a knee from Jeremy Stephens at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Dominick Reyes celebrates his win over Chris Weidman at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Dominick Reyes is stopped by the ref in his fight with Chris Weidman at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Dominick Reyes takes down Chris Weidman at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Dominick Reyes moves in for the final move on Chris Weidman at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Dominick Reyes delivers the final blows to Chris Weidman at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Dominick Reyes gets a foot to the neck from Chris Weidman at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. - OCTOBER 18: Dominick Reyes celebrates his win over Chris Weidman at the UFC event at Boston Garden on October 18, 2019 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
Mission accomplished for Reyes, who stunned Weidman with a big left hook and sent him to the mat. He followed that with a series of backhands to the face as Weidman tried desperately to defend with his legs from his back, but after Reyes landed three in a row, the referee stopped the fight at 1:43 of the first round, giving Reyes the win by TKO to run his record to 12-0.
“I was out there having fun,” Reyes said after the fight.
In the co-headline event, Jeremy Stephens and Yair Rodriguez battled in a rematch of a fight that lasted just 15 seconds less than four weeks ago in Mexico City, a fight that was stopped because of an eye gouge.
This time, there was no stoppage. The fight went all three rounds, and all three judges scored it 29-28 in favor of Rodriguez.
In a much-anticipated women’s matchup, Macee Barber made very short work of Gillian Robertson, winning by TKO at 3:04 of the first round. She caught Robertson with an elbow early, and then battered her with a series of right jabs and a couple of left hooks, ultimately drawing the official’s stoppage when Robertson could no longer keep her arms up to defend herself.
After the win, Barber called on UFC President Dana White and rival Paige VanZant to set up a match between the two fighters.
Darren Stewart outlasted Deron Winn in a split decision to begin main card action.
Taunton native Randy Costa, who trains out of Lauzon’s gym in South Easton, wasted little time finishing off his fight, smoking Boston Salmon by knockout just 2:13 into the first round.
In the other undercard fights, Tanner Boser overwhelmed Daniel Spitz to win in a three-round decision; Brendan Allen topped Kevin Holland with a second-round submission; Sean Brady outlasted Court McGee in a three-round decision; Sean Woodson was all over Kyle Bochniak and earned a three-round decision; Molly McCann edged Diana Belbita in a three-round decision; and Charles Rosa won via submission at 2:49 of the first round over Manny Bermudez.
