TUF champ Ricky Turcios faced off against Alberto Montes as part of Saturday’s UFC 326 preliminary card.
Turcios was trying to stay afloat after posting a 2-3 record in the promotion, including his win in the The Ultimate Fighter 29 finale over Brady Hiestand. Montes, meanwhile, was making his debut after earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024, then missing all of last year.
Round 1 – Turcios started the fight with some wild antics, yelling and stomping while circling the cage. He threw some big strikes at a distance before grabbing a leg and trying to land a takedown. He managed to push Montes to the cage, but after a separation, the two exchanged in the middle of the cage. Montes landed a big straight right and kept the combinations flowing with Turcios returning fire and keeping a high pace. After a couple of strong punches from Montes, Turcios grabbed him but was forced to let go and continued taking damage. Montes landed a pair of front kicks to the body, the latter seeming to hurt him. The round ended with more clean punches from Montes, whose striking looked great.
Round 2 – Montes landed more clean punches and forced Turcios to shoot a poor takedown, playing right into his game. Montes immediately locked up his signature Anaconda and had it tight, clearly a bad spot for Turcios. After rolling over, the ref stepped in and called the fight, with Turcios hitting the canvas out cold. Montes grabs a massive win in his UFC debut after becoming the last 2024 DWCS signee to debut.
Official Result: Alberto Montes def. Ricky Turcios by submission (Anaconda choke), Round 2, 0:40
