There’s that old, tired argument about finishes versus quality fights going the distance when it comes to MMA. A certain segment of the fan base will never be satisfied without, at least, a handful of knockouts per event. It’s the “just bleed” attitude living on. But there’s no question that, after nine straight fights went the distance, UFC Brasilia needed some fireworks.
Maybe it was the lack of a crowd in the venue. Speak to fighters, and half will tell you the fans motivate them, while the other half claim to tune them out. The proof may have been in the proverbial pudding on Saturday. But at long last on the main card, Gilbert Burns shocked Demian Maia with what looked like a pure knockout early in the co-main event. When veteran Maia leaned back in guard position, buying himself some time, Burns had no choice but to add in some ground n’ pound — but that was almost a formality. Maia was already dazed, and the ref quickly saved the veteran.
The main event, meanwhile, saw Charles Oliveira capitalize on a poorly thought-out Kevin Lee takedown, locking in a guillotine. Lee clearly tapped (though he later claimed otherwise), but that third-round submission was Oliveira’s seventh straight win. It was also his seventh straight finish.
Both men earned well-deserved Performance of the Night bonuses for those showings. Fight of the Night at UFC Brasilia, meanwhile, went to a scrappy affair between Maryna Moroz and Mayra Bueno Silva. Moroz earned the win, but they both leave Brasilia $50,000 richer.
