Windsor’s T.J. (The Truth) Laramie loses UFC debut via first-round submission

LAS VEGAS — Darrick Minner spoiled T.J. (The Truth) Laramie’s UFC debut on Saturday, submitting the Canadian featherweight in the first round of a televised card. 

Canadian strawweight Randa (Quiet Storm) Markos was also submitted in the first round, falling victim to a nasty armbar by Mackenzie Dern, who is ranked 15th among 115-pound contenders.

Minner (25-11-0) was aggressive from the get-go and, after the two clinched at the fence, took Laramie’s neck. Minner then dropped to the ground, locking in the guillotine choke.

Laramie (12-4-0) was forced to tap 52 seconds into the fight as the underdog Minner celebrated his 22nd submission win. 

“What can I say? I made a small mistake and my opponent capitalized. Congrats to him.” Laramie said in a social media post. “I’m not hurt at all luckily. I’ll be back better.”

Minner lost his UFC debut on short notice as an injury replacement in February when he was submitted in the first round by Grant (KGD) Dawson. Minner was slated to fight Jordan Griffin in June but had to pull out after getting sick during his weight cut.

“Man it’s been a long time coming, baby,” the 30-year-old from Nebraska said of his first UFC win. “I’ve been a pro for eight years, man. It was just a matter of time that this was going to happen … I’m here to stay and I’m here to make an impact.”

Laramie is the only Canadian to earn a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, now in its fourth season. The 22-year-old from Windsor, Ont., won his way into the promotion Aug. 11 when injured opponent Daniel (Agent Orange) Swain was unable to come out for the second round.

The main event at the UFC’s Apex production facility pitted former welterweight champion Tyrone Woodley, currently ranked No. 5 among 170-pound contenders, against No. 2 Colby (Chaos) Covington.

Covington won the UFC interim welterweight title in June 2018 with a victory over Rafael dos Anjos but was later stripped of the title. He lost by TKO to champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 last December.

Dern, a former Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, slipped in a kick early in the fight and Markos moved into her guard. Dern (9-1-0) wrapped her legs around Markos, gradually improving her position until she moved into mount.

Dern locked in an armbar which Markos, a 35-year-old from Windsor, finally tapped to at 3:44 of the round.

Markos (10-9-1) lost her second straight and third in her last four outings as her UFC record dropped to 6-8-1. 

“When I was on the ground, it was almost like being in a jiu-jitsu tournament,” said Dern. “I threw maybe five or six punches in the whole fight. It was my home, so it definitely felt kind of easy on the ground.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2020.

The Canadian Press