Griffin wins first bout since release from UFC

Tyson Griffin, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender, wanted a flashy finish to prove he had regained the form that made him so successful in mixed martial arts.

He settled for a solid but unspectacular unanimous decision over fellow UFC veteran Efrain Escudero on Friday night at Texas Station.

Griffin got Escudero to the ground in all three rounds and slipped out of a few submission attempts to secure the victory in the main event of a Resurrection Fighting Alliance card. The fight was Griffin's first since being released from the UFC in late 2011 after losing four of five bouts.

"The game plan was really just to fight my fight more than I did and push the pace more than I did," said Griffin, who has moved his training camp from Las Vegas back to California. "I really wanted that finish tonight; that's why you see me hanging my head a bit. But I'm going to build on it and just keep going."

In the welterweight co-main event, Chidi "Bang Bang" Njokuani spent two rounds abusing fellow Las Vegan Phil Dace with kicks to the head, body and legs and then mercifully finished him off early in the third by dropping him with a right hook.

"I knew he was going to last a long time. He's tough," said Njokuani, the younger brother of UFC veteran Anthony Njokuani. "What makes it most satisfying is I got to do it in front of my friends and family that came to watch me."

Also on the card, UFC veteran Macio Cruz submitted Joe Yager in the second round of a light heavyweight bout.

Two veterans of Season 15 of "The Ultimate Fighter" scored impressive victories in lightweight action.

James Krause handed Guilherme Trindade the first loss of his career with a first-round knockout that was set up by a head kick, and Dakota Cochrane submitted Derrick Burnsed in the first round.

Bantamweight prospect Chris Holdsworth, who trains with Urijah Faber and Team Alpha Male, remained undefeated with a second-round submission of Tyler Shinn.

It was a rough night for local fighters early in the event.

The first five Las Vegans in action lost, including Jimmy Jones, who dropped a unanimous decision in a bantamweight bout to Sergio Pettis, the younger brother of UFC star Anthony Pettis.

UFC veteran Fredson Paixao lost a split decision to Lance Palmer in a bantamweight bout, and heavyweight Tyler Perry was submitted in the second round by Steve Mocco, an Olympic wrestler making his MMA debut.

Jerry Shapiro, who had by far the most enthusiastic and vocal crowd support, was stopped by a series of punches from Cory Galloway in the second round.

Also, Joey Angelo lost his professional debut by decision to Jordan Isordia.

■ NOTE - Las Vegas-based World Series of Fighting will host its first event tonight at Planet Hollywood.

The card, featuring a main event of Devin Cole against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, will air live on NBC Sports Network (Cable 38) at 7:30 p.m.

Several other UFC veterans, including Miguel Torres and Anthony Johnson, will be in action. The first fight is scheduled for 4:45 p.m.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.