The UFC returned to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the sixth time on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 119: Brunson vs. Machida. The thirteen fight card kicked off hours prior to the main event with a two bout slate available on UFC Fight Pass.
With UFC Sao Paulo, the UFC opted to open the card with it’s heaviest division, followed by it’s lightest, for the men. Women were notably absent from the UFC Fight Night 119 card, but heavyweights got things underway, with Denmark’s Christian Colombo heading into enemy territory against Brazil’s Marcelo Golm.
That was followed up by flyweight action featuring Deiveson Figueiredo taking on Jarred Brooks.
Christian Colombo vs. Marcelo Golm
Golm, who had never before set foot in a UFC arena, was making his debut against Denmark’s Christian Colombo to open the UFC Sao Paulo card.
Once the action got underway, Golm opened up with a combination early, landing clean and setting the tone for the rest of the fight. Those initial strikes had Colombo retreating, leading Golm to unleash a flurry of punches with his opponent’s back on the cage. Several right hands connected, but Colombo survived. Golm then completed a takedown and unleashed heavy ground and pound, with cutting elbows, forcing his opponent to give up his back. That allowed Golm to get busy looking for a rear-naked choke on the bloodied Colomblo, who couldn’t fight the finish for long. He was forced to tap, and UFC Sao Paulo had its first finish!
Marcelo Golm def. Christian Colombo by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:08
Jarred Brooks vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks faced Brazil’s Deiveson Figueiredo in flyweight action in the featured fight on UFC Fight Night 119’s Fight Pass prelims.
The pair clinched early on, with the Monkey God changing levels early in the first round. Figueiredo tied him up against the fence, but Brooks scooped him up for a slam with less than two minutes gone from the clock. That allowed Brooks to go to work from within Figueiredo’s guard. Brooks postured up and landed a number of strikes while Figueiredo held on to his closed guard. The damage would force him to open up, but when Brooks moved to pass Figueiredo escaped. Brooks defended with a guillotine but the two were back to their feet, with the crowd energized and firmly behind the Brazilian. A second slam by Brooks, however, took the action back down, and he finished the round on top.
Figueiredo opened up the second round with a front kick that met nothing but air, while Brooks fell back on his wrestling once more. The Brazilian would defend in the clinch with double underhooks and avoid the takedown, at least early in the round. Back in the middle, he’d land a right, followed by a couple of uppercuts, but Brooks would charge forward with a takedown. Figueiredo immediately locked in a guillotine, but Brooks escaped and again worked from the top.
Figueiredo was much quicker to regain his footing this time out, and began to move forward, landing a number of strikes. Brooks again relied on a double leg, and was once again caught in a guillotine. Tighter that time out, but the Monkey God still broke free. Able to control his opponent for a longer stretch, Brooks continued to do damage, and nearly had Figueiredo’s back until ref Mario Yamasaki. With action back underway, Figueiredo would finish the frame by scoring a late takedown of his own.
As the third got underway, Brooks’ wrestling seemed to get a little sloppy, and Figueiredo would again try to lock in a guillotine, but sweat at that point had become a factor. Another, less powerful slam came about a minute in, and though he would finish it, Brooks was starting to look fatigued. On the feet, Figueiredo began to connect, and a string of shots were having an impact. The American looked a tad shaky on his feet, and Figueiredo was able to walk him down, cutting off the octagon. Time, however, was of the essence, and soon it would run out. A final takedown for Brooks put an exclamation point on things.
However, when the judges’ scorecards were read, two saw it in favor of Brazil’s Figueiredo, 29-28, while one gave all three rounds to Brooks. Even the local fans seemed flummoxed, with the decision confusing many.
Deiveson Figueiredo def. Jarred Brooks by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC Fight Night 119 Fight Pass Preliminary Results:
Marcelo Golm def. Christian Colombo by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:08
Deiveson Figueiredo def. Jarred Brooks by split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
