Peruvian Claudio Puelles returned to the octagon after a nearly two-year absence to face prospect Jordan Leavitt. The bout took place on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 28 held at UFC Apex.
Puelles’ road back to the octagon was far from easy. Due to the pandemic, the Peruvian was stranded in his home country for virtually all of 2020. When the opportunity presented itself, Claudio made the decision to sell his car and make the trip to Florida to resume his training.
Claudio Puelles defeats Jordan Leavitt and adds 3 consecutive victories inside UFC
The sacrifice paid off for Puelles as he defeated Jordan Leavitt, who started out as the favorite. In fact, the American managed to impose conditions in the first round, working from the clinch and controlling the body. He even managed to take the fight to the ground on a couple of occasions but the Peruvian managed to defend himself and recover the vertical.
In the second round they would open with a duel of kicks, until Leavitt looked to take Puelles to the ground again. The Peruvian would be much more efficient in his defense and ground work at this point of the fight. The duel became very technical and tight, with both fighters showing a high level of ground-and-pound. Claudio was able to take the top position and punished with a couple of hard punches.
In the third round Puelles would change the formula and would be the one who would look for the first takedown. Claudio was able to stay on top once and returned to attack with punches to the canvas. Leavitt tried to sweep him but the Peruvian frustrated his attempt and kept the position. The fight stalled and the referee put them on their feet, to the frustration of the Peruvian. When the action resumed, Puelles got another takedown and returned to control on the canvas to secure the victory.
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