Brendson Ribeiro edged Caio Machado in a three-round lightweight war at UFC Edmonton on Saturday night.
It was a battle for position in the early going with Ribeiro taking the center of the Octagon and leading the dance, but hesitant to let his hands go. Machado did an excellent job of keeping Ribeiro at bay with a variety of kicks to the head and body, but Ribeiro landed a clean right hand near the four-minute mark of the round that prompted Machado to retreat.
It was without a doubt the best strike of the fight up to that point, but unlikely to steal the round as Machado was busier throughout the first five minutes.
Machado kickstarted the second with a stiff kick to the body and looked to get his hands going early. Unable to chase down his opponent halfway through the round, Ribeiro appeared to lose his patience and swung for the fences with a big overhand right that missed the mark. Machado made him pay for it with a solid straight left that landed clean.
Things got a little wild in the closing seconds of the round, but both fighters hit nothing but air as they briefly threw caution to the wind.
Desperate to land a knockout shot in the third, Ribeiro swung for the fences with a slew of overhand rights and finally connected with one as we approached 90 seconds left in the fight. Machado fired back with a shot of his own that briefly took Ribeiro off his feet, and the final round came to an end with both fighters looking to leave a lasting impression on the judges.
Official Result: Brendson Ribeiro def. Caio Machado via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
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