Yahoo Sports UFC Fight Night 74 Results: Patrick Cote Takes Out Josh Burkman, Takes Aim at Hector Lombard
Each at 35 years of age, Patrick Cote and Josh Burkman entered the Octagon on Sunday night in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, looking for the same thing: to avoid becoming a welterweight gatekeeper.
Both have at least 30 professional fights to their credit. Both have spent years in the Octagon. Neither has ever won a major MMA championship.
When a fighter is on the backside of 35, he’s got to know that it’s now or never to make a run at a UFC belt.
At UFC Fight Night 74, it was Cote that kept his fortunes turning toward gold.
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Burkman looked good in the opening round, stuffing Cote’s takedown attempts, and landing a variety kicks that seemed to confuse his Canadian foe a bit. Cote was aggressive though, not afraid of Burkman’s countering style, so he remained aggressive.
Late in the first round, Cote landed a bone-crushing right cross that nearly sent Burkman to one knee. Burkman inexplicably remained on his feet and survived the round, but it wasn’t without repercussions.
Though he kept counter-striking and stuffing takedowns, Burkman slowed in round two, looking like he was a bit out of sorts, which is understandable considering the power behind the shot he survived in the final 20 seconds of the first frame.
In the final round, Burkman appeared renewed and came out firing instead of sitting back and waiting to counter. He got the better of Cote in an early exchange and then landed a hard overhand right a short time later, but just as momentum seemed to swing to Burkman’s favor, Cote took his legs out from under him… literally.
Cote stepped in with a powerful right hand that put Burkman on the mat. “The Predator” immediately pounced on his prey, relentlessly battering Burkman with hammerfists and punches until the referee finally stepped in to halt the fight.
The victory started some momentum for Cote, who has now won his two most recent bouts in succession and five out of his last six, effectively taking the keys to the gate out of his hands.
“I think I proved my game more this past year than in the last 10 years,” he said after the fight, before taking aim at Hector Lombard for his next bout.
“One year ago, there was a guy who called me (out). He wasn’t able to finish Burkman, but he got caught, he cheat. So I tell Lombard, I accept the challenge now. When you come back in January, I’ll be there for you.”
Burkman is now on the outside looking in with two losses and one no contest during his current UFC stint.
