Cesar Almeida made a huge Octagon debut earlier tonight (Sat., April 6, 2024) at UFC Vegas 90 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the former kickboxing standout stopped Contender Series alum Dylan Budka with a nasty second-round TKO (punches).
Almeida, who also won his fight on the Contender Series back in Aug. 2023, is known for his world-class striking skills. In fact, the Brazilian middleweight fought current UFC champion Alex Pereira three times during his kickboxing career. Pereira ended up winning two of those contests, but they were close and Almeida handily captured a unanimous decision in the other one.
On Saturday, Almeida was tested from the opening bell as Budka quickly moved inside for the clinch along the cage. Budka needed to pressure Almeida with grappling and wrestling, but the Brazilian newcomer looked fairly good in keeping his back off the mat. He wasn’t completely outmatched as some may have initially thought.
Eventually, Almeida was able to create space in the second round and unload heavy combinations and body punches. Budka was absolutely exhausted from all of his takedown efforts and really stood no chance. Almeida’s shots were getting through and Budka eventually crumbled, forcing the TKO stoppage.
Check out the final moments in the above video player.
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