Ike Villanueva entered UFC Fight Island 8 with his back to the wall, having a dismal 2020 and losing both his first two UFC bouts. The light heavyweight was paired up with Vinicius Moreira in Abu Dhabi — and in a bit of a twist, Moreira received a warning from USADA for using banned substances just days out from the fight.
Villanueva, perhaps fighting with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, put the pressure on early. Moreira found himself retreating, and tried to maintain distance with a front kick when not circling out of range. “Hurricane” Ike landed a couple of right hands, and was definitely the aggressor more often than not in the opening frame. He also had some success attacking the body. Moreira found the motivation to jump into a superman punch later in the round, but for the most part, volume and aggression were giving Villanueva the early lead.
In the second round, Ike Villanueva secured his first UFC victory. In a heartbeat, he connected with a right hand, trailing a left, that landed clean on the jaw. Moreira, attempting a kick as Villanueva’s knockout blow hit home, dropped instantly, head snapping to the side. There was no need for any follow-up strikes. Hurricane Ike had done enough damage.
JUST. LIKE. THAT. 🤯@Hurricane_UFC with an insane right hook KO!
[ #UFCFightIsland8 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/SOVOKl6WHH
— UFC (@ufc) January 20, 2021
Official Result: Ike Villanueva def. Vinicius Moreira by knockout, Round 2, 0:39
