Evans-Smith records TKO win, Ayari, Sobotta, Lapilus win on UFC Hamburg prelims

Women's Bantamweight Bout: Ashlee Evans-Smith def. Veronica Macedo via 3rd-round TKO

It was only a matter of time before Ashlee Evans-Smith triumphed with her size and wrestling ability.

Evans-Smith recorded the first finish of her UFC career with a brutal torrent of elbows to put away Veronica Macedo in the third round of their women's bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night 93 in Hamburg, Germany on Saturday.

Evans-Smith won her second straight bout after taking a split decision from Marion Reneau in February. She is now 5-1 in her professional career.

The first Venezuelan-born woman to compete in the UFC, Macedo was light on her feet to start and she showed off some impressive kicking techniques early on.

But once Evans-Smith got in close, she was able to use her wrestling to stifle Macedo. The two women spent much of the fight pummeling against the cage, with Evans-Smith getting the better of those exchanges. She took Macedo down and worked her over on the mat, where the taekwondo expert was unable to utilize her striking arsenal.

The gritty UFC newcomer repeatedly dropped down to attempt kneebars on Evans-Smith, but that just allowed the larger fighter to stack Macedo up and keep her pinned down. By Round 3, an exhausted Macedo was stuck on her back as Evans-Smith used ground-and-pound to take a TKO victory.

Macedo loses for the first time in her six fight career. She made her professional debut five months ago and accepted the fight with Evans-Smith on just two weeks notice after originally scheduled opponent Germaine de Randamie was forced to bow out with an injury.

Welterweight Bout: Jessin Ayari def. Jim Wallhead via split decision

Jim Wallhead's long-awaited UFC debut ended in bitter disappointment.

24-year-old German, Jessin Ayari, thrilled his countrymen at the Barclaycard Arena by outpointing Wallhead, a veteran of 39 MMA matches. After 15 minutes of closely contested action, the judges rewarded Ayari with a split decision.

It was the first Octagon victory for Ayari, who was also making his debut with the promotion. He won for the ninth time in his past 10 professional bouts.

Ayari stepped in on five weeks notice after originally scheduled opponent Emil Weber Meek was removed due to a potential compliance issue with the USADA.

Much of the contest involved "Judo Jim" patiently tracking the tricky Ayari and searching for an opening. Ayari comfortably switched stances while constantly circling to make life difficult for Wallhead who was able to land significant blows on only a few occasions.

Those rare moments of success looked like they could be enough to get Wallhead the W, but Ayari kept a steady, if unspectacular output throughout the fight. Regardless of his lack of highlights, Ayari's style of striking won over two of the three judges, including one who scored all three rounds in his favor.

Wallhead has competed for notable promotions around the world, including Cage Warriors, Bellator MMA, and BAMMA.

His first UFC loss drops his overall record to 29-10.

Welterweight Bout: Peter Sobotta def. Nicolas Dalby via unanimous decision

Peter Sobotta kept his resurrected UFC career alive with a dominant victory over Nicolas Dalby.

Sobotta dropped Dalby with a right hand to the jaw early in the first and never relinquished control, taking the Dane’s back and nearly locking in a rear-naked choke before round's end. His early efforts would be the closest he'd come to a finish, effectively sealing Dalby's fate for his third win since returning to the UFC in 2014.

The German jiu-jitsu champion wouldn’t pursue a finish in the second, contentedly taking the fight back to the ground and maintaining top position without inflicting much noteworthy damage.

A battered and bruised Dalby attempted to strike his way back in the third, only to be rewarded with a vicious kick to the body for his efforts:

After a winless first stint in the UFC, Sobotta continues to make the most of his second chance, while Dalby's record with the promotion falls to 1-2-1.

Bantamweight Bout: Taylor Lapilus def. Leandro Issa via unanimous decision

In a matchup against a jiu-jitsu specialist, Taylor Lapilus won with his fists and otherworldly takedown defense.

Lapilus spoiled Leandro Issa's return from a year-long layoff with a unanimous decision victory. The Frenchman repeatedly stuffed Issa's takedown attempts and sent him running from his quick hands on several occasions, which proved enough to have his hand raised for the third time in the Octagon.

The entirety of the bout looked locked in an infinite loop as the fighters alternated between striking exchanges, where Lapilus easily outclassed Issa, and a grappling stalemate against the cage, where the Brazilian desperately, and futilely tried to get the Frenchman to the mat.

Issa, now 2-3 in the UFC, has dropped his last two contests.