Evan Dunham, after almost ten years in the UFC, retired on a loss against Francisco Trinaldo at UFC Sao Paulo.
Evan Dunham had fought in the UFC for almost ten years coming into UFC Sao Paulo on Saturday. Having faced the likes of Rafael Dos Anjos, Donald Cerrone and Edson Barboza, he’d fought and beat some of the best at lightweight. However all things must come to an end, and before his bout against Francisco Trinaldo, Dunham announced his fight against the Brazilian would be his last.
That made their fight Saturday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil a little more meaningful. It was also the second retirement fight on the night, as Thales Leites stepped away earlier in the evening.
Round one of Dunham vs. Trinaldo saw lots of back and forth action until near the end of the frame. There, it looked like Trinaldo went down, and Evan Dunham pounced on him. Throwing lots of short uppercuts and punches, he then looked for a guillotine. However Dunham couldn’t secure the choke, and Trinaldo recovered as the two ended the round on the feet.
Trinaldo started the round with a big left hand that landed clean on Dunham, however Dunham then looked for the takedown. He couldn’t land it, which would come back to haunt him. Trinaldo took Dunham down and moved into north south position. While he couldn’t get anything from that position, as Dunham got up he ate a big knee from the Brazilian. Foreshadowing, perhaps. Near the end of the second round, Trinaldo landed a giant counter knee and that was all she wrote. Trinaldo had the victory!
"It was an honor having my last fight here in Brazil."#Salute, @EvanDunham155! Amazing career! #UFCSP pic.twitter.com/116twmCEqW
— UFC (@ufc) September 23, 2018
Ten years in the UFC, one knee to end it. Yet that’s how the MMA game all so often plays out, and Dunham still has plenty of accomplishments to look back on. Meanwhile, what a counter by Francisco Trinaldo on Saturday in Sao Paulo!
Francisco Trinaldo def. Evan Dunham by TKO, Round 2, 4:10
