SAITAMA, Japan – Fighting for the first time in the UFC at welterweight, 39-year-old Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) returned from a layoff of more than two years and put a beating on replacement Amir Sadollah (6-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC). Akiyama pitched a shutout on the judges’ scorecards with unanimous 30-27 scores, snapping a four-fight losing streak and winning for the first time since July 2009. The welterweight bout was part of the main card of today’s UFC Fight Night 52 card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass. Akiyama opened the fight with a masterfully timed trip that put Sadollah on the mat and forced him on the defensive. Unable to get off his back for much of the round, the winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 7” shied away from opening up with the threat of the takedown present
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