LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] returned from a career-long 476-day layoff at UFC 248 on Saturday and picked up a big win against [autotag]Li Jingliang[/autotag].
After dealing with a situation with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in which he was ultimately exonerated, Magny (22-7 MMA, 15-6 UFC), who has been one of the most active fighters on the roster in recent years, was able to get dominate Jingliang (17-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) for a clean-sweep unanimous decision.
“This victory feels so great,” Magny said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “The last 16 months, I was in a real tough spot. So to be back, it feels great.”
Jingliang came out of the gate very aggressive, trying to put a lot of pressure on a potentially rusty Magny. He even tried to get inside for a takedown, but Magny stayed upright and was able to switch the position and be first to get the fight to the ground. The first frame largely consisted of grappling against the fence, but there were moments of striking in space, although neither man could do momentum-altering damage.
The early stages of the second round looked quite similar to most of the first. The fighters clinched up near the fence after just a few seconds, trading positions and battling for the takedown. Jingliang clinged to Magny’s legs for a good amount of time, but he couldn’t do much with it. Magny, meanwhile, achieved the biggest moment of the fight late in the frame when he teed off on Jingliang with punches and knees before securing a takedown and climbing into mount just as time expired.
In need of a crucial momentum shift, Jingliang came out somewhat desperate in the final round. Magny was ready for it, though, and survived the flurry before continuing to cruise.
It was the first time since May 2018 that Magny had his hand raised and gave him his 15th UFC win in the welterweight division, which trails only Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16) for the most all time.
The welterweight bout was part of the UFC 248 main card at T-Mobile Arena. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 248 results include:
- Neil Magny def. Li Jingliang via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Alex Oliveira def. Max Griffin via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Sean O’Malley def. Jose Quinonez via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 2:02
- Mark Madsen def. Austin Hubbard via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Rodolfo Vieira def. Saparbek Safarov via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:58
- Gerald Meerschaert def. Deron Winn via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:13
- Giga Chikadze def. Jamall Emmers via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Danaa Batgerel def. Guido Cannetti via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 3:01