Luiz “Banha” Cane returned to the win column Friday night, and he did it in beautiful fashion.
Fighting in the main event of Standout Fighting Tournament’s inaugural edition last Friday in Sao Paulo, Brazil, “Banha” (13-5, 1 no-contest) needed four minutes to put the fellow UFC veteran Rodney Wallace (19-7) out cold with a flying knee.
That was Cane’s first win since March of 2011, following back-to-back losses to Stanislav Nedkov and Chris Camozzi under the Zuffa banner.
“I missed fighting,” Cane said after his first-round win. “Fighting is what I love to do. I came back with a great win in this great event. I’m very happy. I realized he was turning his head down all the time, leaving a lot of openings, so I caught him.”
In the co-main event, MMA veteran Flavio Alvaro (45-10) increased his win streak to four with a unanimous decision victory over Sergio Soares just six days after the passing of his mother.
“I dedicate this victory to the person that I lost most in this life, my mother,” Alvaro said after the fight.
One of the most promising prospects coming out of Brazil, Thomas Almeida moved to 14-0 with a second-round knockout victory over Cenir Alves. It was the first time the 22-year-old featherweight has gone past the opening round.
“I don’t know if it’s the time yet,” Almeida said about signing with the UFC after his 14th finish in 14 MMA fights, “but if they call me, I’ll be ready to fight.”
Check below the complete results of Standout Fighting Tournament: