Former NBA players Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley went at it in a very different arena Saturday night.
The two ex-basketball players met in the co-main event of Brand Risk 14, the influencer fight card promoted by streamer Adin Ross. What started as a striking battle quickly turned into a dominant grappling performance from Stephenson, who finished Beasley in just 90 seconds.
Stephenson wastes no time taking control
Beasley looked comfortable early on and opened the fight working behind a long jab. The former NBA scorer showed flashes of boxing training as he tried to keep Stephenson at range.
That strategy disappeared quickly once Stephenson closed the distance.
Stephenson ducked inside, locked his hands around Beasley’s body, and slammed him to the mat. From there, the fight has shifted in his favor.
Beasley failed to secure a guillotine choke during the scramble, which then Stephenson broke free and immediately capitalized when Beasley exposed his back during the transition.
Rear-naked choke ends fight quickly
With Beasley clearly uncomfortable on the ground, Stephenson locked in a rear-naked choke and forced the tap moments later.
The quick finish drew a loud reaction from the crowd and added another chaotic moment to the Brand Risk card.
Despite the loss, Beasley appeared in good spirits afterward and already floated the idea of running things back under different rules.
“Practicing getting choked and getting choked ain’t the same!” Beasley said after the fight.
He also suggested he would be open to a pure boxing rematch with Stephenson in the future.