UFC Manila: Muñoz dominates Barnatt, ends MMA career on a winning note

Be it striking or on the ground, Mark Muñoz proved to be the far superior fighter over Luke Barnatt of England as he dominated the latter over the course of three five-minute rounds in his farewell fight in UFC's first event in the Philippines at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

Muñoz's game plan was clear from the very first round: reign over Barnatt in boxing and wrestling. Barnatt was game, throwing knees with bad intentions but Muñoz's wrestling was able to pacify the 6-foot-6 English.

Barnatt was more active in round two but was getting tagged with counter shots from Muñoz when coming in. Sensing urgency in the final round, Barnatt came out swinging in the opening seconds of the third round only to eat looping rights from the Filipino.

Muñoz managed to land a series of hard shots on top from both hands but Barnatt proved too durable to go down. After going to the mat once more, Muñoz showcased his trademark ground and pound in the dying seconds of the fight.

The dominant performance earned Muñoz a unanimous decision victory ending his mixed martial arts career with a record of 14-6.

"I feel so good. To love what you do and do what you love, it doesn't feel like work, and that's fighting for me. But family is always the priority. I'm going out on my own terms. I don't want to miss any more special moments with them. I've had an amazing career. The UFC has given me so much and I'm very fortunate," said Muñoz after the fight.

"I left the Octagon but I'm leaving the legacy of treating people the way I want to be treated. I'm known as one of the nicest guys in the UFC and there's a reason for it. That's the Filipino way: you respect and you're respected back. I'm very Filipino, this is who I am. This is my culture. I uphold traditions close to my heart. It's a storybook ending here in the Philippines. I couldn't have asked for a better ending and I thank God I was able to end my career here." - RAF, GMA News