UFC on FOX 28 results: Alan Jouban KOs friend Ben Saunders in memorable scrap

ORLANDO, Fla. – Alan Jouban and Ben Saunders didn’t want to fight each other. But circumstances dictated it was the move to make for each of them.

The 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu teammates (though not in the same locations) and friends turned in a memorable battle before Jouban (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) put Saunders (21-9-2 MMA, 9-6 UFC) out with a second-round knockout. The end came at the 2:38 mark of the middle frame.

The welterweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC on FOX 28 event at Amway Center in Orlando, Fla. It aired on FOX following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on FOX.

Saunders went to the center, then tried to slip away from a body kick. Seconds later, Jouban landed a solid inside leg kick, then circled outside again. The two tied up 45 seconds into the round and briefly traded knees before breaking apart. Saunders caught Jouban with a right hand 90 seconds in, but Jouban shook his head like it didn’t land. Not long after, Jouban landed – but with a kick too low. Saunders kept going without a break, though, and then landed a few big right hands. Jouban answered with one of his own and kept working the inside leg kicks.

Then he stung Saunders with a left and wobbled him with a knee seconds later. With two minute sleft, Saunders was on wobbly legs, but recovered. Jouban started putting together combinations with 90 seconds left, and then it was Saunders’ turn to land a low kick. Jouban tried a spinning wheel kick on teh restart, then started piecing up Saunders with punches. He knocked him down, then let him back to his feet with 30 seconds left.

Jouban landed a high kick in the first minute on the second, then put Saunders in trouble with punches and knees. But Saunders kept scrapping back and threw elbows and punches of his own. The crowd cheered in a frenzy for the action between the two friends. Both fighters took turns looking wobbled, but they kept trading. Jouban measured elbows that found their marks – but again, Saunders kept firing back.

And when Saunders put his hands down, it was all she wrote. Jouban kicked him to the inside leg, and when Saunders turned to move away, Jouban leveled him with a right hand to put his lights out.

“I just told him I love him,” Jouban said. “I’ve got so much respect for him. … We became training partners, we became brothers. … I needed it, man.”

Jouban is back on track after back-to-back losses for the first time in his career. Saunders now has back-to-back losses for the first time since 2010 on the heels of a run that saw him win five of six.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on FOX 28 results include:

• Alan Jouban def. Ben Saunders via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:38
• Sam Alvey def. Marcin Prachnio via TKO (punch) – Round 1, 4:23
• Rani Yahya def. Russell Doane via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 2:32
• Alex Perez def. Eric Shelton via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Manny Bermudez def. Albert Morales via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:33

For complete covearge of UFC on FOX 28, check out the UFC Events section of the site.