Would the wait make their showdown that much better? Luis Pena (or Violent Bob Ross, if you prefer, and we certainly do) finally got to face off with Alex Munoz at UFC Vegas 24 on Saturday.
The pair had first been booked opposite one another in February of 2020. But a Munoz injury scrapped that pairing, in what would have been the Team Alpha Male fighter’s debut. Instead, he was booked in a losing effort against Nasrat Haqparast last summer, while Pena had a fight earlier this year against Drakkar Klose fall through.
Now, Pena and Munoz were finally ready to throw down, in the UFC Vegas 24 main card opener.
Pena, as usual, had the height and reach advantage on Saturday. But Munoz was able to get in, get an early takedown, and get Pena down ever so briefly early in the fight. From there, a bit of a grappling battle ensued, but Pena escaped, firing a high kick back at range. Despite the reach different, Munoz was holding his own on the feet, though he had to watch out for a flashy knee from Violent Bob Ross late in the frame.
Pena came under fire in round two, with Munhoz hitting home with a combination. For the first time since the knee in the opening frame, Munhoz then shot in for a takedown. That led to a bit of control time, but Pena was able to escape to his feet.
The third round saw another jump knee from Pena in the opening half to the round. He appeared to have found his flow. The artist known as Violent Bob Ross was giving different looks, mixing in feints, and displaying some decent movement. Munhoz was still having a surprising amount of success on the feet, however. He also chopped at the leg of Pena. In the end, they’d battle it out to the final bell, with Pena winning the split decision against a very game Munoz.
Official Result: Luis Pena Alex Munoz by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
