As much fun as Sodiq Yusuff’s suggestion that Bruno Silva was dropping five weight classes on Saturday at UFC Las Vegas (which might actually kill the man) was, it was Bruno “Bulldog” Silva, not his middleweight counterpart, in action against Tyson Nam on the preliminary card.
Both fighters entered the night coming off wins, with Nam defeating Ode Osbourne in his last outing. Silva had won two straight, most recently knocking out Victor Rodriguez.
Bruno found a home for his left hand from the outset, splitting the guard in the early going of a very active round. The Brazilian uncorked a spinning back fist that landed, though Nam ate it and continued to walk his opponent down. Nam was warned for having his fingers outstretched, giving him one more thing to worry about. The pair then traded leg kicks, with half the round still in front of them.
From there, Nam slipped a right hand, then Bruno Silva ripped a short combination. Silva changed levels, briefly pursuing a takedown before bailing on the attempt. Nam found a home upstairs for his right hand, and worked to trap Silva against the fence, cutting him off at angles.
Early in round two, Silva scored an early picture-perfect front kick to the jaw, sending Nam to his back. Silva was right on him, moving into guard. When Nam scrambled up, Silva trapped the neck, locking up the rear-naked choke while still standing. They went back down, and out went Nam, giving Silva the victory!
WHAT A SEQUENCE TO GET THE FINISH! @BrunoBulldogUFC is BACK! #UFCLasVegas pic.twitter.com/5eFqFGtjHK
— UFC (@ufc) March 11, 2023
Official Result: Bruno Silva def. Tyson Nam by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:23
