UFC 278 started off with a bang earlier tonight (Sat., Aug. 20, 2022) live on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, as flyweight prospect Victor Altamirano came back from nearly being finished to stop Daniel Da Silva with a first-round TKO (elbows and punches).
This flyweight affair had all the fixings from the opening bell. After missing on some whipping wheel kicks Da Silva was able to hurt Altamirano bad on the feet and scored a knockdown. It looked like Da Silva was on his way to his first UFC finish, but Altamirano battled back to gain top control and landed devastating ground-and-pound. Da Silva attempted a few submission attempts off his back, but it wasn’t enough to ward off Altamirano’s elbows and punches.
Check out the full fight video highlights below courtesy of UFC/ESPN:
El Magnifico opens things up with a bang
Stream #UFC278 tonight on @ESPNPlus ?? https://t.co/pxRev9nc4A pic.twitter.com/wSbqh4NDvS
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 20, 2022
Altamirano, 31, came up short in his Octagon debut back in February so this was a much-needed win in an expanding UFC flyweight division. The former Contender Series alum is more known for his grappling, but Altamirano clearly has some serious ground-and-pound skills. He’ll be one to watch as he eyes down the flyweight top 15.
For complete UFC 278 results and coverage click here.