re: Local Fighter To Be On The Ultimate Fighter Next Week

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The Ultimate Fighter 28 has its first big upset of the season, and coach Kelvin Gastelum has himself a 3-0 start. Team Gastelum’s Justin Frazier (10-2) put on a dominant performance on episode three of TUF 28, using wrestling and ground-and-pound to win a lopsided unanimous decision over coach Robert Whittaker’s No. 1 heavyweight pick Anderson da Silva (3-1). It was Whittaker who had chosen this week’s matchup, pairing da Silva up with Frazier, who was the last heavyweight selected. None of that mattered once Frazier and da Silva stepped into the cage. Five seconds into the opening round, Frazier closed the distance with an overhand left and quickly took da Silva down to the mat. From there, the Glory kickboxing veteran could do little but hold Frazier in his guard as he was battered by punches and elbows from top position. Frazier opened up a cut over da Silva’s right eye, leaving him a bloody mess by the end of round one. It was likely a 10-8 round for Frazier. The second period was more of the same. While da Silva had a little more success on the feet, a poorly timed kick led to Frazier shooting in and planting him on his back once again. Da Silva was unable to stand or initiate any offense from bottom position, and Frazier was content to keep scoring points and ride out the rest of the fight from half guard. It was a big win for Frazier, who had never been past the first round in any of his 12 professional fights. The 29-year-old had his coaches concerned about his cardio and weight issues (he weighed in at 266 pounds for the da Silva fight), but he delivered on fight day.

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