Julio Arce displayed crisp striking in his first bantamweight fight since 2016, knocking out Andre Ewell in the second round at UFC Vegas 32.
Bantamweights Julio Arce and Andre Ewell were attempting to get back in the win column at UFC Vegas 32. Arce started his UFC tenure with three wins in four appearances, including two stoppages and a win over Dan Ige, but was on the wrong side of a split decision against skilled striker Hakeem Dawodu last time out. It’s been a long layoff since then, as the Dawodu loss came in November 2019. During the layoff, Arce was able to cut down to bantamweight, where he hadn’t fought since 2016.
Ewell has had a solid UFC run with a 4-3 record, three of those victories coming by split decision. He made his debut in a big way on short notice against former dominant champion Renan Barao, getting the better of the Brazilian. Ewell was looking to bounce back from a loss against Chris Gutierrez.
Both fighters flared out jabs to start the fight as the range was not easy to find early on. Arce was then able to land a combination and then got into his groove quickly. Arce was putting together strikes consistently whereas Ewell was limited to just one successful combination. Arce was in control heading into the second round.
Arce continued his success early in the second frame, mixing in leg kicks with his consistent combinations. Eventually, a big left hand staggered Ewell and Arce was all over him. Arce was crushing Ewell with hooks and the fight was stopped on the feet.
OH MY GOODNESS 😳
💢 @JArceTSMMA with a HUGE statement to end it in RD 2. #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/raTHkQOYHk
— UFC (@ufc) July 24, 2021
Julio Arce def. Andre Ewell by TKO (Punches) in Round 2 (3:45)
