After original UFC Vegas 71 co-main event Song Yadong vs. Ricky Simon was pushed back a week to serve as the April 29 main event, middleweights Brad Tavares and Bruno Silva saw their fight upgraded to the co-headlining slot.
Tavares and Silva had no problem swinging early on Saturday night, getting their hands going inside of a minute. The back and forth would continue throughout much of the round, with Tavares adding a kick to the body. Tavares appeared to have Silva hurt at one point, but he would recover. Coming in later in the frame, Tavares found himself caught with a check hook, and had to beat a hasty retreat. Silva followed, pouring it on, with Tavares initially holding on, staying upright.
That didn’t last, however. Silva caught the already hurt Tavares with a big knee, rocking the Hawaiian further. A right hand then put him down, and a single follow-up strike from Brazil’s Silva sealed the deal, with ref Dan Miragliotta waving off the affair.
Tavares would protest the stoppage, but it was pretty clear that he was a sitting duck, having been rocked two if not three times and dropped hard. Either way, the end result was the same: Bruno Silva secured the biggest finish of his career.
Bruno Silva's 4 KO victories are the most by any middleweight since 2021 👏 #UFCVegas71 pic.twitter.com/Rj2mGdL6GD
— UFC (@ufc) April 23, 2023
Silva snaps a two-fight skid with the win, while Tavares is now on a two-fight losing streak himself.
Official Result: Bruno Silva def. Brad Tavares by TKO, Round 1, 3:35
