Ciro Rodrigues Flattens UFC Vet David Michaud in Legacy Fighting Alliance 19 Headliner

Ciro Rodrigues built his reputation on a successful run on the regional circuit in his native Brazil and aimed to make a splash in his United States debut on Friday in the Legacy Fighting Alliance 19 main event. He wound up creating a tidal wave.

Rodrigues showed no fear and never hesitated against local favorite David Michaud inside the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The two traded strikes early and often, but the Brazilian ducked an overhand right from Michaud and detonated a perfect left hook on the Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran’s face. Michaud crumpled, rolled to his stomach and covered his head. Rodrigues jumped in to land a few follow-up punches, but referee Bobby Womacher was in the process of rushing in to call for the stoppage, the end coming just 1:57 into the first round.

While Sid Bice lacked Rodrigues’ explosiveness, he was nevertheless dominant in his flyweight co-headliner with Ken Porter. Bice controlled the pace from the start, outstruck Porter and took him down repeatedly. Based at the Factory X gym in Colorado, Bice earned 30-27 marks from all three cageside judges.

Meanwhile, Marcus Edwards nearly put away Clarence Jordan in the second round, where he slammed his left shin into the liver. However, when Jordan took a knee, Edwards inadvertently kicked him across his shoulder and head. Edwards was deducted a point for the foul but still managed to carry 29-27 scores across the board.

Former Olympian Maikel Perez Gonzalez ran a clinic on Derrick Mandell for three rounds, as the Cuban flyweight walked away with a lopsided unanimous decision. Gonzalez executed takedowns whenever he wanted but could not finish off Mandell. He settled for 30-27 scorecards from the judges.

In other action, welterweight J.P. Saint Louis submitted Tyler Ray with a guillotine choke at the 1:44 mark of the first round; Emeka Ifekandu took out fellow bantamweight Steven Merrill with punches 1:25 into the third round; and heavyweight Maurice Greene submitted Jermaine McDermott with a triangle choke 3:06 into the first round of their contest.