If UFC 147‘s main card proves as entertaining as the FX prelims, we are in for an incredible Saturday night of fights.
Brazil is a country that loves fights, and the preliminary fighters seemed eager to give fans what they like to see, as all four FX preliminary fights were fun to watch.
Thiago Perpetuo vs. Leonardo Mafra got things started off with a back-and-forth battle. Mafra likely won the first round. He seemed to land more punches than Perpetuo and was definitely more aggressive. In the second, the tides changed as Perpetuo was able to get top position on the ground and land some vicious elbows. In the third, Perpetuo landed a clean right hand that dropped Mafra and followed up with relentless punches until the fight was stopped.
After that, we saw Hugo Viana earn a hard fought split-decision victory over John Teixeira. Teixeira missed weight and came in at 150 lbs. He was noticeably bigger than Viana, who usually fights at bantamweight instead of feather. However, the smaller fighter was able to land effective counters throughout the fight and use his speed to win.
Francisco Drinaldo made a big statement by finishing the much-muscled Delson Heleno with strikes. Heleno tried to use his strength to bring the fight to the mat, but Drinaldo was surprisingly resilient, refusing to be brought to the ground and consistently landing heavy shots. Drinaldo eventually ended up on top of a seemingly gassed Heleno to earn the TKO from half-guard.
Rodrigo Damm looked good, submitting Anistavio Medeiros with a rear-naked choke in Round 1. Both fighters seemed content to exchange standing, and it was Damm who took advantage, badly hurting Medeiros with two solid combinations. Once on the ground it was clear that Medeiros was still rocked, and Damm was able to take the back and sink in the choke.
Four great fights with a variety of finishes, and it was all free.
Official Results
Thiago Perpetuo defeats Leonardo Mafra via TKO at 1:04 of Round 3
Hugo Viana defeats John Texeira via split-decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Francisco Drinaldo defeats Delson Heleno via TKO at 4:21 of Round 1
Rodrigo Damm defeats Anistavio Medeiros via rear-naked choke at 2:12 of Round 1
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a stand-up comedian. Check him out on Twitter @AndrewBarr8.
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