UFC on Fuel TV 2: What We Learned from Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad

After a razor-thin first round that saw both Francis Carmont and Magnus Cedenblad showcase some serious ground skills, Carmont came out with a purpose in round two and turned a quick takedown into a an eventual submission win.

The win brings Carmont to 2-0 inside the Octagon, and he will likely be looking at a step up in competition for his next bout.

What We’ll Remember About This Fight:

Francis Carmont knows how to survive.

After getting his back taken by Cedenblad early in the first round, Carmont fought off a ton of rear naked choke attempts and survived a dicey first round.

The second was all Carmont, as he quickly established his dominance by gaining the mount and putting a beating on the Swede, eventually forcing the submission.

What We Learned About Francis Carmont:

This dude is for real.

There is a lot of hype involved with a fighter whenever they are cornered and train with Georges St-Pierre, but Carmont has been able to live up to that hype thus far in his UFC career.

His heart in surviving the first round showed us a lot, and his subsequent submission win has made him a contender to watch at 185.

What We Learned About Magnus Cedenblad

All in all, it wasn’t a terrible UFC debut for Cedenblad.

Although he took the loss, Cedenblad showed he has a good grappling game and a ton of heart, as he took a ton of punishment in that second round.

It’s not time to call him a top prospect yet, but if he can continue to improve with each fight he’ll climb the middleweight ladder quickly.

What’s Next For Francis Carmont

The loser of tonight’s co-main event between Brian Stann and Alessio Sakara would test Carmont’s stand up skills and provide a nice step up in competition.

What’s Next For Magnus Cedenblad

Clifford Starks, who most recently lost to Ed Herman at UFC 143, would be a nice test for Cedenblad’s ground game, as Starks is a smothering wrestler who can tell us if Cedenblad has the takedown defense to survive in the UFC.