Video: 'TUF' winner Elias Theodorou moves to 2-0 in post-UFC career with TKO
Elias Theodorou remained undefeated in his post-UFC fighting career on Saturday when he beat fellow octagon veteran Matt Dwyer in the main event of Rise FC 6.
After being released from the UFC following a loss to Derek Brunson in May 2019, Theodorou (18-3) picked up his second consecutive victory outside the promotion with a third-round TKO of Dwyer (11-8) in their middleweight headliner, which took place at Songhees Wellness Centre in Victoria, B.C., Canada.
It was a classic showing from Theodorou. He used pressure, wrestling and ground-and-pound to wear down Dwyer over the course of the bout. By the time the third round arrived, Theodorou – who won “The Ultimate Fighter: Nations” in April 2014 – got himself in position to unleash a flurry of punches that forced the referee to wave off the bout.
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Theodorou, 32, is now 2-0 in his post-UFC tenure, adding Dwyer’s name to his resume after also finishing UFC veteran Hernani Perpetuo with strikes at a PFC event in December 2019.
The fight was meaningful for Theodorou beyond just getting his hand raised. The Canadian has been pushing hard for the allowance of therapeutic-use exceptions for cannabis in MMA for the past several years. He received one from the British Columbia Sporting Commission going into the fight, which he said is a significant moment in MMA.