Mitch Raposo looked like he was cruising to the biggest win of his UFC career until Allan Nascimento reminded everyone why one punch can change everything. After putting on a striking clinic for two rounds, surviving a dramatic third-round knockdown, and weathering a furious finish from the Brazilian, Raposo did just enough to escape UFC Vegas 119 with a razor-thin split decision victory.
Round 1 – Raposo came out fast, pumping the jab and immediately taking the center of the cage while Nascimento looked to settle into the fight. That proved costly early, as Raposo uncorked a big combination that sent Nascimento stumbling backward into the fence.
Raposo’s footwork was the story of the opening round. He stayed light on his feet, constantly circling away from Nascimento’s power while forcing the Brazilian to chase him around the cage. Nascimento began mixing in kicks to slow him down and eventually shot for a takedown, but Raposo stuffed it after catching him with a sharp uppercut on the way in.
The exchange left Nascimento busted open, and Raposo kept pouring it on. Just past the midway point of the round, he cracked Nascimento with a crushing left hook that snapped his head back and had the crowd buzzing.
Nascimento struggled to deal with Raposo’s speed all round long. Every time he looked to counter, Raposo had already landed and moved out of range, making the veteran swing at air more often than not.
With about 90 seconds left, Nascimento changed levels for another takedown, transitioning from a double-leg to a single, but Raposo calmly reversed the position and pinned him against the fence.
Raposo eased off the gas slightly in the final minute, allowing Nascimento to land a couple of solid leg kicks, but it wasn’t enough to erase what had been a dominant opening round for the quicker, sharper Raposo.
Round 2 – Raposo came out in the second with a different approach. Instead of bouncing around the outside, he stood right in front of Nascimento, trusting his hands and his timing to win the exchanges.
Nascimento tried to slow him down with front kicks to the body, but Raposo wasn’t having it. He blitzed forward with a sharp combination before accidentally eating an eye poke that forced the referee to step in.
Raposo barely took any time to recover. He wanted right back in there, clearly not interested in giving Nascimento a chance to catch his breath.
The game plan had completely shifted. Raposo wasn’t relying on movement anymore. He was making reads, timing Nascimento’s attacks, and tagging him every time he came forward.
Nascimento got desperate, shooting for takedowns whenever he could, but Raposo shut every one of them down. The Brazilian simply couldn’t get his wrestling going.
Even with the height and reach advantage, Nascimento couldn’t solve the puzzle. Raposo’s speed was on another level, and his accuracy was even better. Every time Nascimento thought he had an opening, Raposo was already gone after landing another clean shot.
Through two rounds, Raposo was putting on a clinic.
Round 3 – Knowing he was likely down two rounds, Nascimento came out for the third with a sense of urgency. He started winging big shots, looking for anything that could change the fight, and even connected with a flying knee that helped him close the distance into the clinch. But once again, Raposo refused to be dragged to the mat.
Nascimento kept pouring it on, taking bigger risks and finally finding some success. He backed Raposo up with heavy punches, forcing the shorter fighter to tie him up to slow the pace. Nascimento made him pay anyway, ripping a hard knee to the body before breaking free.
Then came the moment he’d been searching for all night.
Nascimento uncorked a massive right hand that crashed into Raposo and sent him crashing to the canvas. The Brazilian immediately jumped on top, sensing the finish was right there.
Raposo did everything he could to survive, grabbing hold of Nascimento and breaking his posture to keep the ground-and-pound from doing even more damage. But for the first time in the fight, the momentum had completely shifted.
Nascimento unloaded with everything he had, firing punches from the top in a desperate attempt to steal the fight with a late stoppage. After spending the first two rounds chasing Raposo, it was suddenly the Brazilian who had the crowd on its feet and Raposo fighting to make it to the final horn.
Mitch Raposo pulled it off in the end with a razor-thin split decision victory and called out Brandon Moreno and Edgar Chairez for Noche UFC.
Official Result: Mitch Raposo def. Allan Nascimento via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
