UFC light heavyweight Modestas Bukauskas earned a brutal finish to open up the promotion’s return to Seattle.
Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall‘s training partner, Modestas Bukauskas, kicked off UFC Seattle with a bang.
Bukauskas and emerging prospect Raffael Cerqueira opened things up at UFC Seattle on Saturday in the promotion’s long-awaited return to the Emerald City. It was an under-the-radar fight on the prelims featuring two high-octane light heavyweights.
It didn’t take long for Bukauskas to get into a groove against Cerqueira.
Just minutes into the first round, Bukauskas landed a vicious left hand with Cerqueira wobbled on his feet. Bukauskas took advantage of the opening by blitzing Cerqueira with a flurry of punches.
Modestas Bukauskas opens up UFC Seattle with a brutal blitz
Cerqueira didn’t respond to Bukauskas’ blitz and referee Jeff Hoiby quickly stepped in to stop the fight. After re-signing with the UFC in 2023 following a Cage Warriors championship win, Bukauskas has won four of his last five fights back in the UFC Octagon.
Bukauskas’ first UFC stint didn’t go according to plan as he went 1-2 in his first promotional tenure. But after getting a second chance, Bukauskas hasn’t disappointed and moved one step closer to a spot in the Top 15 with the win at UFC Seattle.
Before UFC Seattle, Bukauskas rebounded from a knockout loss to Vitor Petrino by tapping out Marcin Prachnio at UFC 304 last July. He began his second UFC chapter with back-to-back decisive wins over Tyson Pedro and Zac Pauga.
Tom Aspinall vs. Jon Jones fight talks continue as summer quickly approaches
As for Aspinall, he remains in active negotiations with the UFC to potentially face Jon Jones to unify the heavyweight titles later this year. The Aspinall vs. Jones fight talks have stalled in recent weeks, and UFC CEO Dana White threatened to strip Jones of his title if negotiations don’t progress.
White shut down a rumor that Jones wanted a $30 million paycheck to face Aspinall later this year. Jones teased retirement ahead of UFC 309 in November but pivoted after a brutal finish to Stipe Miocic.
As of this writing, the state of Jones vs. Aspinall remains uncertain. After UFC Seattle this weekend, White and the matchmakers will return their attention to making one of the biggest heavyweight fights come to fruition.