UFC 212’s main card opened up with a bang as Yancy Medeiros and Erick Silva traded until Silva was put down with strikes in the second round.
With Yancy Medeiros and Erick Silva owning similar wild styles, the UFC 212 main card opener delivered on all fronts.
The fighters met in the center and the first strikes thrown were a few distance-finding shots from Yancy Medeiros, including a spinning back kick. After a head kick from Silva, Medeiros floored him with a punch. Silva was able to bounce back quickly though, keeping Medieros off of him. Medeiros landed a pair of hooks as Silva was still seeking his range.
A spinning back kick landed for Silva, then a hard body kick. Medeiros answered with a two punch combination. Another pair of punches landed for Medeiros and Silva responded with a heavy leg kick. Medeiros landed a two-punch to body kick combo but was blasted with another leg kick. Silva pushed forward and landed a hard knee to the chin that sent Medeiros stumbling. The Hawaiian stayed on his feet though, and the round ended shortly after.
Round two started with a few successful body kicks from Medeiros, then a clean body kick from Silva. A funny exchange happened when Medeiros tried to bait Silva into a right hook by hitting his hand against the fence, then Silva threw a wheel kick as soon as the right hook came. Neither landed and the fighters reset to the center.
A multitude of hooks landed for Silva, then Yancy pushed right back with punches of his own. A right hand landed over the top for Medeiros, then a huge left hook cleaned Silva’s clock. Silva’s head bounced off the canvas, and Medeiros pursued the finish with heavy ground and pound. The stoppage was a touch quick, as the ref jumped in as soon as Silva attempted to control Medeiros’ body. It was a close fight, but Silva was certainly in trouble at the end.
Medeiros stated in his post-fight interview that he feels much better at 170 (this was his second welterweight fight in the UFC), and that he has “pep in his step, and stride in his glide.”
