UFC 173's Mitch Clarke: Once I heard 'gurgles,' $50K comeback was complete

Since joining the UFC, Mitch Clarke has had a knack for getting himself in early trouble in his fights. So after he was manhandled for a round at Saturday’s UFC 173 event, a cornerman stated the obvious.

“Luckily I have good cornermen,” said Clarke (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC), whom fellow lightweight Al Iaquinta (8-3-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) dominated for the first round of their bout. “He was like, ‘Good, we’ve got him right where we want him!’

“It brought a little levity.”

Clarke (11-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) ultimately rallied in the next round and choked Iaquinta unconscious with a D’arce choke in a FOX Sports 1-televised preliminary-card bout at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. The 28-year-old Canadian, who picked up a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus for his effort, said he knew the choke was locked in when he heard Iaquinta “gurgling.”

He knows the win likely surprised a few fans.

“If you looked at the odds, I wasn’t supposed to win this one,” he said.

Check out the full interview above.

For complete coverage of UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.