An all-Brazilian light heavyweight scrap at UFC Oklahoma City saw undefeated Levi Rodrigues Jr. debuting against Felipe Franco.
Franco was 0-1 in the UFC; Rodrigues had seen his Contender Series victory last season overturned after testing positive for steroids, specifically Nandrolone metabolites.
The fight started with Rodrigues pushing forward and making it clear he was the faster fighter. Franco landed a good jab early, and both men landed heavy in an exchange. It was likely Rodrigues who got the better of it, as Franco immediately shot for a takedown. Franco nearly completed it, but Rodrigues showed a strong whizzer to stay upright and escape.
Franco landed a solid right hand that Rodrigues took clean, but he continued to come forward and stunned Franco with a clubbing left. Rodrigues tried to swarm him, but Franco responded with a flying knee before transitioning into a takedown. With a little over a minute left in the round, Rodrigues found himself on his back. Franco advanced to mount with around 30 seconds remaining and landed several huge elbows, though Rodrigues was able to survive to the bell.
Round two started with a stiff jab from Franco that seemed to hurt Rodrigues again. Instead of chasing the finish on the feet, Franco shot for a takedown, and it paid off immediately as he moved straight into mount. Rodrigues tried to simply sit up and explode out, but Franco stayed heavy on top and landed punishing shots. He turned up the pressure until the referee stepped in and called a stop to the fight.
Official Result: Felipe Franco def. Levi Rodrigues Jr by TKO (ground n’ pound), Round 2, 1:40
