UFC 148 main card recap: Cung Le decisions Patrick Cote to earn first UFC win

Cung Le secured his first UFC victory by unanimous decision and ruined the UFC return of Patrick Cote at UFC 148.

Le started the bout landing his kicks as expected, while avoiding the powerful right hand of Cote. Cote continued to pursue the elusive Le as the round wore on but had trouble closing the distance and putting together any significant combinations outside of landing his jab during the first round.

Cote found his range in the second, connecting with his right hand on several occasions early in the round. As Cote continued to pressure, Le adjusted, using his counter right hand to prevent Cote from stringing together any big combinations. Cote abandoned the jab that was mostly ineffective in the first round, instead going to the body to set up his right hand. Cote managed to score, but Le continued to land with his kicks as the second round came to an end.

The third round saw Cote again close the distance, but the wrestling of Le turned the tables in the clinch as he managed to trip his opponent to the mat. Cote quickly made his way back to his feet, then changed levels looking for a single leg takedown. Le easily shrugged off the attempt before securing another late takedown of his own. Le finished the fight on top and looked to be on his way to earning his first UFC victory.

When the scorecards came in, Cung Le had in fact earned his first win in the octagon by unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 across the board. The victory moves Le to 8-2 (1-1 UFC).