The UFC isn’t known for its love of rematches outside of title fights, but at UFC 326, middleweights Gregory Rodrigues and Brunno Ferreira met for the second time.
Kicking off the night’s main card, broadcast on both Paramount+ and CBS, Rodrigues vs. Ferreira 2 was a rematch of their 2023 encounter, which had seen Ferreira come away with the win. Despite that, Rodrigues was slightly ahead of his fellow Brazilian in the rankings, at #13 to Ferreira’s #15.
The two heavy-handed middleweights spent the opening minute of the first round feeling each other out at range. The first meaningful strike of the fight was landed by Ferreira, clipping the chin of Rodrigues, though “RoboCop” remained composed and unbothered by the power of his opponent.
Continuing to push forward, Brunno Ferreira switched stances into southpaw, leaving a massive opening for a “RoboCop” right hook over the top of Ferreira’s guard, landing directly on the button and putting “Hulk” to rest.
With a massive ranked victory under his belt, the Brazilian middleweight Gregory Rodrigues can likely expect a top-ten matchup in his next fight, potentially even in a main or co-main event opportunity.
“RoboCop” increases his win total to nineteen, while Brunno Ferreira suffers just the third loss of his professional mixed martial arts career.
Official Result: Gregory Rodriges def. Brunno Ferreira by KO (punch), Round 1, 1:47
