LFA vet Kaue Fernandes was looking for his first win inside the octagon when he took on Mohammad Yahya at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Yahya was likewise seeing UFC win number one, after losing his debut to Trevor Peek.
One man was going to get their hand raised for the first time under the UFC banner on Saturday, and it turned out to be Fernandes.
The lightweight contest opened up with some back-and-forth on the feet, with Fernandes in particular hammering away with leg kicks. Those kicks were adding up, hobbling Yahya and forcing him to be very timid on a leg that was quickly swelling, welts showing clear as day. Towards the end of the opening five minutes, Yahya was limping, and with 30 seconds to go, Fernandes connected with a two-punch combo that dropped the UAE-born fighter. A left hook then a right hand put Yahya on the floor, and a bit of follow-up ground n’ pound sent the ref in to make the save!
“I’m so happy, I trained so hard for this fight,” an elated Fernandes said following the fight, promising to do even more in future. “I need to show who I am. I want to fight at the end of this year again,” he added.
Official Result: Kaue Fernandes def. Mohammed Yahya by TKO, Round 1, 4:45
