XFC 22: Main Event – Scott “Hot Sauce” Holtzman def. Jason “The Ronin” Hicks, earns title shot.

XFC 22 play-by-play

Scott “Hot Sauce” Holtzman def. Jason “The Ronin” Hicks

Round 1 – Title shot on the line. Leg kick Scott. Nice Superman punch from Scott, pushes Hicks to the cage. Hicks gets free to the center, leaping in with a one two punch from Scott, clinches, presses Hicks to cage. Hicks escapes, throws a big right. Big leg kick from Scott. Left from Hicks. Scott presses him to the cage. Knee from Scott, Hicks backs out. Leg kick from Scott. Nice head movement from Scott. Leg kick inside. Working the angles is Scott, left hook, Thai plum, lets it go, presses Hicks to cage. Hicks with underhooks, backs out. Body kick from Scott, another one with the other leg, presses Hicks to the cage. Knees from Scott to the thigh. Hicks turns and backs out, big flying knee from Hicks goes just over Holztman’s head, a short right staggers Scott. Scott gets the takedown before the bell, had to push through hard to get it and gets in an elbow before the bell. Man that flying knee just misses Scott. That would have been BAD. Close round guys. I might lean toward Scott, but The Voice and Miletich gave it to Hicks.

Round 2 – Leg kick from Scott. Big knee from Hicks catches Scott in the face (it appears) and knocks him completely in the opposite direction, he looks dazed for a moment, but clinches and puts Hicks to the cage, uses an inside trip to get the takedown, now inside his full guard. That was one of the weirdest things I’ve seen was that knee that turned him around. It didn’t even look real it happened so fast. Scott working the ground and pound, elbow, he postures up, stacks Hicks, dropping short elbows but Hicks is giving him some trouble from the bottom throwing elbows and Holtzman is bleeding a bit. Two minutes to go. Hicks has a Jon Jones-esque body. He’s a longer guy than most in this weight class. Fast hands too. Inside leg kick from Scott. Left hook, jumping knee from Scott, Scott presses him to the cage, big takedown with under a minute to go. Scott inside full guard drops some short elbows. Nice elbows from the bottom from Hicks.  PMN has it 10-9 Holtzman.

Round 3 – It could be tied up here. Leg kick from Scott. Left from Scott, clinches, puts Hicks to the cage. Knees to the thigh, Hicks breaks out to the center. Leg kick Scott. Leg kick Scott. Great head movement from Scott. Leg kick from Scott. Nice left hook from Hicks. Scott staying very aggressive, kick, clinch presses him to the cage. 3:00 to go, a lot on the line here. Ref resets them. Leg kick, overhand right from Scott.  Leg kick. Jumping knee, big left hook catches Hicks on the chin and drops Hicks. Holtzman goes in for the kill, gets stuck inside full guard now. 1:30 to go. Holtzman working but ref stands them up. Scott catches a kick, sweeps the back leg and ends back up on top of Hicks inside guard. Holtzman staying busy, postures up, drops a big right. Scott turns it on with 10 seconds left. Scott helps Hicks up after the round. That was a beautiful short right from Holtzman that nearly ended it. PMN has it 10-9 and 30-27 for Holtzman.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Scott Holtzman def. Jason Hicks by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) “Hot Sauce” will move on to fight Nick Newell for the title.  Now go listen to our interview with Hot Sauce Holtzy this week from Pro MMA Now Radio.

Courtesy of our friends at ProMMAnow

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