Following a memorable afternoon in Sydney, Australia, the UFC was unable to sustain the momentum across the world in Uberlandia, Brazil, as they featured a fight card riddled with an assortment of lackluster decisions and underwhelming performances.
However, several fights did stand out amongst the largely forgettable fight card.
Ovince St. Preux avenged his loss to Ryan Bader in emphatic fashion when he knocked out former light-heavyweight champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua in the opening round of their main event. The American blitzed through Shogun in front of the Brazilian’s adoring fans to advance his professional record to 17-6 (5-1 UFC).
Leandro Silva earned one of the biggest victories of his career with the slight upset over Charlie Brenneman on the preliminary portion of the card. Apart from notching his first ever UFC victory, he has also secured an extra $50,000 for his efforts.
Thomas Almeida and Tim Gorman took part in a fantastic three-round fight on the preliminary portion of the fight card that highlighted the Brazilian’s breathtaking striking skills, as well as Gorman’s unbreakable will and granite chin. While most expected Almeida to storm through his UFC debut, he instead went the distance for the first time in his career and advanced his professional record to 17-0.
While he did not pocket one of the post-fight bonuses, Caio Magalhaes needed just 31 seconds to extend his UFC winning streak to four consecutive victories, as he dispatched Trevor Smith with a barrage of (illegal) strikes to the back of the head. While he dropped Smith with an initial knee, the referee ignored the following 4-5 strikes that cascaded on the American’s occiput.
Performance of the Night: Ovince St. Preux, Leandro Silva
Fight of the Night: Thomas Almeida vs. Tim Gorman
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