Five-time UFC veteran Brandon Moreno came up just short in Friday’s Combat Jiu-Jitsu Fight Night bantamweight tournament, losing in overtime to One Jiu-Jitsu rep Richard Alarcon.
The eight-man, single-night, combat jiu-jitsu tournament streamed live on UFC Fight Pass from Florentine Gardens Incas in El Monte, Calif.
Moreno impressed in his path to the finals, taking out Ryan Carroll via D’Arce choke at 3:21 of their quarterfinal matchup and striking his way to a TKO win over Beau Brooks at the 3:15 mark of their semifinal contest. But Alarcon, who picked up a pair of submission victories in his earlier matches, proved too tough to overcome.
Alarcon nearly ended the contest in the 10-minute regulation period, sinking in an anaconda choke that certainly threatened Moreno’s will. However, “The Assassin Baby” battled through the hold in a valiant escape, circling rapidly on the floor before ultimately popping his head free. Unfortunately, Moreno’s escapes weren’t as effective in the deciding period, with Alarcon getting a full two-minute ride time in all three overtime rounds and escaping from Moreno’s grasp in all three of the UFC veteran’s offensive periods.
With the win, Alarcon advances to this year’s Combat Jiu-Jitsu Worlds.
In other notable action, UFC, Bellator and Strikeforce veteran Kevin Casey was submitted in just 25 seconds by EBI Combat Jiu-Jitsu middleweight champion Jon Blank.
Casey tried to control the head in an early exchange, but Blank tripped his opponent by first grasping the left leg and then immediately turning his attention to the right leg, latching in a heel hook and twisting his body to elicit the quick tap.
:25 seconds and Jon Blank secures his spot in the Absolute Final! #UFCFIGHTPASS pic.twitter.com/tov3eWIRBj
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) February 23, 2019
Combat Jiu-Jitsu Fight Night results include:
- Absolute tourney final: Yuri Simoes def. Jon Blank via submission (kneebar) – 4:50
- Women’s featherweight: Beatriz Mesquita def. Kayla Patterson via submission (armbar) – 3:24
- Bantamweight tourney final: Richard Alarcon def. Brandon Moreno in overtime (escape time)
- Absolute tourney semifinal: Jon Blank def. Kevin Casey via submission (heel hook) – 0:25
- Absolute tourney semifinal: Yuri Simoes def. Stephen Martinez in overtime (escape time)
- Absolute: Hunter Colvin def. Kyle Boehm via submission (triangle armbar) – 2:43
- Bantamweight tourney semifinal: Richard Alarcon def. Ray De Leon via submission (rear-naked choke) – 5:15
- Bantamweight tourney semifinal: Brandon Moreno def. Beau Brooks via TKO (strikes) – 3:15
- Bantamweight: Elijah Tagalog def. Chris Nunez in overtime (escape time)
- Bantamweight tourney quarterfinal: Ray De Leon def. Geoff Real via submission (triangle choke) – 1:26
- Bantamweight tourney quarterfinal: Richard Alarcon def. Ben Tapia via submission (anaconda choke) – 6:37
- Bantamweight tourney quarterfinal: Beau Brooks def. Robert Duran via submission (triangle choke) – 1:20
- Bantamweight tourney quarterfinal: Brandon Moreno def. Ryan Carroll via submission (D’Arce choke) – 3:21
- Absolute: Nick Maximov def. Brian Brown via submission (triangle choke) – 6:36