NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND — Lightweight Sam Stout said he'd improved his wrestling dramatically while training with Joe "Daddy" Stevenson and later in the Xtreme Couture camp and on Saturday in the opening fight of UFC 80 at Metro Radio Arena, he proved it.

Stout showed a significantly better takedown defense and managed to avoid several submission attempts from Swede Per Eklund en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Stout was a much harder puncher and punished Eklund with strikes in the first two rounds. Eklund was visibly tired by the end of the second and seemed as if he wouldn't be able to finish the bout.

He spent much of the third hitting his back trying to lure Stout into a grappling contest, but Stout simply backed off and referee Mario Yamasaki forced them to stand back up.

Stout credited his coach, Shawn Tompkins, as well as his takedown defense.

"Whenever I got (to the ground), my game plan was to get back to my feet … and not get caught with something stupid," Stout said.