Ryan Bader was dominant in his first title defense against Linton Vassell.
Bader closed the distance and drove in. The cage held Vassell up. Vassell reversed the position, but Bader countered with a throw. Vassell got back to his feet. He landed a heavy leg kick. Another leg kick connected for the challenger. He went for another kick, but Bader scored a takedown. Vassell scrambled and returned to his feet. Vassell went for a takedown, but once again Bader reversed. The round ended with the champion in top control.
Early in the second stanza, Bader scored another takedown. Bader was content to remain in top control as Vassell couldn’t find a way up. He landed a knee to the body. Vassell got back up, but was quickly dumped back down. Bader turned up the heat with a barrage of strikes. Referee Keith Peterson had seen enough and stopped the fight.
Final Result: Ryan Bader def. Linton Vassell via TKO (strikes) – R2, 3:58
