by JAMES S. KIM | @james_s_kim
editor@charactermedia.com
James Moontasri lost his third bout in the UFC last night after submitting to Kevin Lee in the first round. The two lightweights were competing as part of the main card at last night’s UFC Fight Night 71 event at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, Calif.
After a few early kicks, the fighters exchanged simultaneous eye-pokes, causing the referee to call a dual recovery period. Once the fight resumed, Lee quickly got a takedown, transitioning into back control on Moontasri. From there, Lee eventually the rear-naked choke, forcing Moontasri to eventually tap out despite his efforts to struggle against the hold. The referee stopped the fght at the 2:56 mark of the first round.
Moontasri apologized for his performance, which he called “disappointing,” on his Facebook page. “I had a great training camp, and a great group of people that support me,” he wrote. “I just didn’t perform the way I expected.”
https://instagram.com/p/5NKfmjFTIW/?taken-by=jmoontasri
Lee’s UFC record now falls to 1-2 in his last three fights. This is his first professional loss that ended in a submission or other than a split-decision.
As Moontasri prepares for his next bout, be sure to check out our story on the fighter in the meantime.
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Featured image via UFC/YouTube
