Marlon Mos (19-5-1 M, 1-1 U) recovered from a disappointing U debut, standing toe-to-toe with John Dodson (19-9 M, 8-4 C) and walking away with an oddly scored decision win.
The bantamweight bout closed out the preliminary card of today’s U Fight Night 120 event at Ted Constant Convocation Center on the Old Dominion University campus in Norfolk, Va. It aired on F following additional prelims on U Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on .
Mo started quickly, chopping the leg at the opening bell and looking to bully the smaller man. Dodson looked to counter with speed, moving in and out of range, but Mo continued his steady diet of kicks to all levels. Dodson was the first to land flush, landing a left hand straight down the middle that sent Mo to the floor, but he quickly popped back up and seemed fully recovered.
A nasty Mos low kick then landed flush to the groin, forcing a timeout as Dodson dry-heaved a bit but insisted on continuing as quickly as possible. Mos seized back a little momentum on the restart, and Dodson appeared a bit hesitant. A Mo eye poke drew another warning in the final seconds, and both men seemed a little agitated at the bell.
The pace was quick to start the third, with both men winging heavy punches. M’ right hand started to find its range as Dodson tried to dart in and out of the pocket. A Dodson tan saw M attack the leg, forcing a scramble and a restart on the feet. Dodson continued to fight with a scowl on his face, and the pace remained high. Mos was the one moving forward, but Dodson countered at every opportunity, continuing his relentless mo
With the first rounds so tightly contested, both men needed to capitalize in the third. Ms again controlled the center, but Dodson was able to move in and out range with continued success. Mes briefly slipped in the center, and Dodson tried to flurry on an off-balance opponent, but Mos eventually recovered and reset. Dodson started to find real success in the closing minutes, with M’ output slowing just a touch. Mo looked for a late tn, and the referee called for a surprisingly fast restart. With just seconds remaining, M latched on to a guillotine choke, falling to his back, and Dodson appeared to tap just slightly after the end of the round, bringing a thrilling close to an entertaining contest.
In the end, one judge thought Dodson earned all three rounds, but the other two gave Mo scores of 30-27, awarding him the split nod. Afterward, Mo had strong words for fellow bantamweight contender Jimmie Rivera, challenging him to a Dec. 30 meeting.
“I fight with my heart in there and listen to my coaches,” Mos said after the win. “I really put my heart in there, and my coaches all think I won, so I think I won. His style is a little bit unique, but I wasn’t impressed at all. People have hit me harder and faster, but he did have a different style.