Kayla Harrison awarded Alex Poatan a yellow belt in Judo after his impressive victory at UFC 303. Following his second-round knockout win over Jiri Prochazka, Poatan was recognized for his commitment to grappling training, despite his triumph being achieved through striking.
During the main event of UFC 303, held last Saturday, Alex Poatan successfully defended his light heavyweight title with a knockout victory over Prochazka, using a brutal high kick in the second round. Although his victory did not involve takedowns or submissions, his consistent training in Judo was acknowledged by Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic Judo champion and current UFC bantamweight fighter.
Earlier this year, Poatan was promoted to black belt in BJJ.
In a post-fight interview, Poatan expressed his gratitude for the recognition and highlighted the significant impact of training with Harrison on his ground game. He emphasized how her Judo techniques and expertise have increased his confidence.
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“I was definitely very happy to receive the yellow belt in Judo. Training with her, learning her techniques related to falls, and paying attention to her tips have been very beneficial in my training. During the fight, I saw opportunities to apply takedowns, but I chose to stay calm. However, it’s something that might happen in future fights,” Poatan said.
UFC 303 Results:
- Main Card:
- Alex Poatan defeated Jiri Prochazka by technical knockout in Round 2
- Diego Lopes defeated Dan Ige by unanimous decision
- Anthony Smith vs. Roman Dolidze (Light heavyweight)
- Macy Chiasson defeated Mayra Sheetara by technical knockout in Round 2
- Ian Machado Garry defeated Michael Page via unanimous decision
- Preliminary Card:
- Joe Pyfer defeated Marc-Andre Barriault by TKO in Round 1
- Andre Fili defeated Cub Swanson by unanimous decision
- Jean Silva defeated Charles Jourdain by KO in Round 2
- Payton Talbott defeated Yanis Ghemmouri by TKO in Round 1
- Gillian Robertson defeated Michelle Waterson-Gomez by unanimous decision
- Martin Buday defeated Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision
- Rei Tsuruya defeated Carlos Hernandez by unanimous decision
- Vinicius LokDog defeated Ricky Simon by unanimous decision
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