SINGAPORE – Royston Wee, the UFC’s first fighter from Singapore, notched a win and delighted the local crowd, but in terms of competition, David Galera offered little.
The bantamweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC Fight Night 34 event at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. It streamed on the UFC’s new Fight Pass digital network.
The one-sided affair became even more so after a late-fight point deduction, and Wee took the unanimous decision via 30-26 scores across the board.
The first round was quickly all Wee, who scored a big slam-takedown in the opening seconds of the fight and then spent the following five minutes in top position. Galera nearly swept midway through the round, but a relentless Wee kept him pinned on his back and eating ground-and-pound. Galera mixed in a few solid elbows from his back, but Wee’s dominant position gave him a clear 10-9 round.
Unfortunately for Galera, the second round followed the script of the first. Wee scored a quick takedown and worked from top position with ground and pound, as well as attempts to pass guard. Galera simply had no answer and only briefly got off his back.
Running out of time, Galera finally landed some kicks and knees in the third round. A flurry of punches followed, but perhaps a bit overaggressive, Galera was corralled and again taken to the mat. Only an illegal kick to a downed opponent slowed Wee, who got the benefit of a one-point deduction and the ability to maintain top position after a brief timeout. He closed out the fight on top.
“I’m tired, and I’m just glad I was able to bring a win to Singapore,” Wee said. “I have a pretty tough chin so far. … I got rocked (by the kick), but I was never knocked out.”
Wee (3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) picked up a win in his first since December 2011. Galera (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who had stoppage wins in his first five career bouts, suffered his first loss.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 34 results include:
Royston Wee def. David Galera via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
