Cirkunov wins by submission, Jotko KOs McCrory on UFC Ottawa prelims

Lightweight Bout: Jason Saggo def. Leandro Silva via split decision

Jason Saggo came out on the winning end of a split decision in a close fight with Leandro "Buscape" Silva in the UFC Fight Night 89 featured preliminary bout in Ottawa, Ontario on Saturday.

Saggo and Buscape proved to be evenly matched on the feet and on the mat for the duration of their three-round contest. It was the activity and aggression of Saggo that tilted the bout in his direction, even though Buscape finished the fight wailing away at Saggo from top position.

Saggo got on the scoreboard first with a takedown off of a Buscape kick in Round 1. His own Brazilian jiu-jitsu expertise proved to be more than a match than Buscape's jiu-jitsu as he moved into half-guard and blocked Buscape's sweep attempts while chipping away with ground-and-pound.

The second round was more favorable for Buscape as he went to his striking to pop Saggo with jabs and trip him up with a leg kick.

Maybe Buscape should have been told that the fight was up for grabs heading into the third, as his output wasn't up to snuff compared to the more tactical Saggo.

Saggo wins his second straight fight, while Buscape loses in the UFC for the first time since September 2014.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Misha Cirkunov def. Ion Cutelaba via 3rd-round submission (arm-triangle choke)

Misha Cirkunov is ready for a step up in competition.

First-time UFC fighter Ion Cutelaba put on a spirited effort against Cirkunov, but it was the 29-year-old Toronto resident who thrilled the Ottawa, Ontario crowd with a third-round arm-triangle submission of Cutelaba.

Cirkunov struck Cutelaba with a Superman punch first, using the maneuver to close the distance and take Cutelaba down to set up the fight-ending choke.

Despite the loss, Cutelaba showed plenty of potential in his Octagon debut. He landed big punches on Cirkunov in the opening round and he had his own chin tested when Cirkunov returned fire.

The action settled down after an opening-round slugfest, with Cirkunov showing off a more mature striking game to keep Cutelaba at bay until the closing moments of the bout.

With the submission win, Cirkunov becomes the first fighter to finish Cutelaba. He is now 3-0 in the UFC with all of his wins coming by knockout or submission and he hasn't lost in an MMA contest since March 2012.

Middleweight Bout: Krzysztof Jotko def. Tamdan McCrory via 1st-round KO

So much for Krzysztof Jotko being the middleweight division's best kept secret.

Jotko won his fourth straight fight with a stunning 59-second knockout of Tamdan McCrory on Saturday.

An overhand left from Jotko robbed McCrory of all of his senses and the referee could barely jump in in time to save McCrory from the follow-up hammer fists.

Jotko's record now stands at a sterling 5-1 in the UFC and 18-1 overall, and a top-10 opponent could be in the cards for him soon.

McCrory lost by knockout for the first time in his career and it was also his first setback since he returned to MMA in September 2014 after a five-year hiatus.

Bantamweight Bout: Joe Soto def. Chris Beal via 3rd-round submission (rear-naked choke)

Joe Soto isn't ready to leave the UFC just yet.

The veteran bantamweight was facing the prospect of an 0-4 start to his UFC career, and likely a spot on the unemployment line. His opponent Chris Beal was doing everything he could to make sure that happened.

Instead, after two rounds that saw Beal getting the better of Soto with his boxing, it was Soto who would take Beal down in the third and secure a rear-naked choke submission.

Beal landed picturesque combinations in the opening frame, putting Soto's chin to the test. The action evened up in the second round, but there was still the sense that if this fight remained standing, Beal would come out on top.

Soto's resilience paid off as Beal slowed down in Round 3. Beal looked lost when Soto took him to the mat, quickly surrendering his back and giving in to Soto's submission skills.

The result reversed the fortunes for both fighters, with Soto snapping a three-fight losing streak and Beal now finding himself winless in his last three.