One of two fighters to have missed weight for UFC Vegas 101 was Jose Johnson, a six-foot flyweight who came in a couple of pounds over the 126lb non-title limit.
Opposite Johnson, who is believed to have competed in upwards of 80 amateur bouts, was Felipe Bunes. The Brazilian was looking to bounce back from a loss against Josh Van.
The towering Johnson looked to use his length early, fighting from the outside and mixing in kicks with some long punches. Bunes did catch a kick, but Johnson broke free, and when Bunes launched into a takedown, Johnson rolled, using the momentum to come out on top. A Bunes arm-bar attempt didn’t pay off, and Johnson settled into Bunes’ guard – only to end up in another arm-bar attempt! It was nasty, and Johnson fought hard, rolling with it more than once only to end up caught in the submission again and forced to tap!
A quick finish for Felipe Bunes, who secures his first win and finish under the UFC banner and improved to 1-1 in the promotion, and 14-7 overall.
“Believe in your dreams,” Bunes urged fans following the fight, speaking with analyst and former welterweight champ Michael Bisping. Speaking via translator, he would later call out Tim Elliott. “It would be my honor to fight you.”
Official Result: Felipe Bunes def. Jose Johnson by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 2:04
