Brady Hiestand found success with his grappling defense, and he used his striking to set up his own takedown and submission victory over Rinya Nakamura in the featured UFC Vegas 121 prelim.
Hiestand’s pressure got him control of the action from the get-go, consistently forcing Nakamura back with his striking. While Nakamura would find success with his own strikes, Hiestand’s forward pressure and combinations helped get him an early edge, one that he would not relent on.
Nakamura went for a single-leg takedown early in round two, only to have to roll away from an Anaconda choke attempt by Hiestand. The two battled in the clinch, with Hiestand being the one to find a takedown at that point. Hiestand found a body triangle and worked to the back, eventually sinking in a rear-naked choke for the tapout.
Hiestand, the runner up from season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, has now won four straight in the Octagon since losing the TUF final.
