MMA: Jiri Prochazka earns UFC win via spinning back elbow

Prochazka pocketed an extra US$50,000 (S$66,500) for turning in one of the performances of the night. PHOTO: JIRKAPROCHAZKA/INSTAGRAM

(REUTERS) - Jiri Prochazka stopped Dominick Reyes with a spinning back elbow at 4 minutes and 29 seconds of the second round to win a light-heavyweight bout that served as the main event of the UFC Fight Night card Saturday (May 1) night in Las Vegas.

According to ESPN, the result was just the third knockout via spinning back elbow in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history.

Prochazka, a 28-year-old Czech fighter with a 28-3-1 record, pocketed an extra US$50,000 (S$66,500) for turning in one of the performances of the night.

He and Reyes got another US$50,000 each for participating in the fight of the night.

"I just flow," Prochazka said following the fight.

"After some counterpunches from Dominick, I can have no chance to think for some plans. I just was in the flow. (I thought), 'After that, maybe spinning elbow. OK, let's try it.' "

Reyes, a 31-year-old Southern California native, saw his record drop to 12-3 with his third consecutive defeat.

Earlier on the card, the Republic of Georgia's Giga Chikadze (13-2) knocked out the United States' Cub Swanson (27-12) at 1:03 of the first round in a featherweight fight.

Moldova's Ion Cutelba (15-6-1) and the United States' Dustin Jacoby (14-5-1) fought to a draw in light-heavyweight action.

The United States' Sean Strickland (23-3) earned a unanimous-decision win over Poland's Krzysztof Jotko (22-5) in a middleweight bout, and the Republic of Georgia's Merab Dvalishvili (13-4) also won a unanimous decision against the United States' Cody Stamann (19-4-1) in a bantamweight fight.

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