UFC Fight Night 39 results: Jared Rosholt cruises in win over Daniel Omielanczuk

Pitting an expert heavyweight wrestler opposite a mid-level striker in the Abu Dhabi heat was a recipe for a snoozer, and Jared Rosholt and Daniel Omielanczuk didn’t disappoint.

Rosholt didn’t win the crowd’s heart, but he ground out Omielanczuk over three rounds to secure a unanimous decision win.

The heavyweight bout concluded today’s UFC Fight Night 39 preliminary card. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass from du Arena in Abu Dhabi.

After a brief striking exchange, Rosholt made it clear he wanted a wrestling match. He landed big shots from half guard, at one point illegally putting his thumb in Omielanczuk throat to punch with his right hand. It was a dominant round, however, for the Team Takedown product.

Omielanczuk was ready for Rosholt’s shot in the second and blocked it with a headlock and a kick before Rosholt redoubled his efforts and got the fight down. There, he landed the most significant strike of the round with a punishing knee to the body.

Unlike the opening frame, Omielanczuk managed to get up, using his feet to walk the fence and get to his hands and knees, and he landed a pair of punches that got Rosholt’s attention. Inexplicably, though, he pulled guard and spent the remainder of the frame on his back.

Omielanczuk met Rosholt with a knee in the third frame, but he was easily taken down and mounted. Although sweat kept Rosholt from holding the position, he stayed on top and landed enough strikes to avoid a standup. The approach didn’t woo the audience, however, and boos accompanied the fight’s final minutes. Rosholt tried to create some intrigue by attempting a north-south choke, but he couldn’t secure the position to get the finish.

The final scores were not read by UFC announcer Andy Friedlander.

Rosholt (10-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) ups his UFC record to 2-0 after a debut victory over Walt Harris at this past November’s TUF 18 Finale. Omielanczukuk (16-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) suffers his first octagon setback since a debut win over Nandor Guelmino at UFC 165 and loses for the first time since 2011.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 39 results include:

For more on UFC Fight Night 39, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(John Morgan contributed to this report from on site in Abu Dhabi.)