Charles Oliveira Wins Seventh Straight, Submits Kevin Lee in UFC Fight Night 170 Headliner

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Nilson Nelson Gymnasium may have been practically empty, but that didn’t stop Charles Oliveira from putting on a show.

“Do Bronx” won his seventh consecutive bout, submitting former interim title challenger Kevin Lee with a guillotine choke in the third round of the UFC Fight Night 170 headliner in Brasilia, Brazil, on Saturday. The lightweight matchup came to a halt 28 seconds into Round 3, as Lee was forced to submit to a guillotine choke. The venue was absent of fans due to the Brazilian government banning large gatherings in the country as a result of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

The future for the UFC and its athletes may be uncertain in the coming weeks, but Oliveira (29-8, 1 NC, 17-8, 1 NC UFC) is certain of one thing.

“I’m one of the best in the world There’s no way to deny it,” Oliveira said. “The belt’s gonna be mine.”

Oliveira was aggressive from the opening bell, as he attacked his opponent with a variety of unorthodox strikes in the opening stanza. After landing a takedown, the Brazilian never allowed Lee (18-6, 11-6 UFC) to get comfortable, forcing him to defend a variety of submission threats as the combatants scrambled on the canvas.

Round 2 saw Oliveira look even more comfortable on the feet. He walked Lee down and mixed up his shots nicely — tagging him with a nice uppercut-right hand combination near the fence. Lee shifted gears and landed a takedown halfway through the frame and was able to spend the majority of that time in top position.

That approach led to Lee’s demise in the third frame after Oliveira trapped “The Motown Phenom” in a guillotine choke when the American shot for a single leg early in the period. Shortly thereafter, Lee tapped approximately five times on Oliveira’s shoulder, giving the Brazilian the second-longest finishing streak in UFC history.

JUST THAT QUICKLY!

Oliveira ends the night from #UFCBrasilia. pic.twitter.com/m8uJShU4kc

— UFC (@ufc) March 15, 2020

Burns Drops, Finishes Maia

In a battle of decorated Brazilian grapplers, Gilbert Burns used his striking to make a statement.

Burns (18-3, 11-3 UFC) won his fifth consecutive fight, defeating former title challenger Demian Maia via technical knockout in their welterweight co-main event encounter. The end came 2:34 into Round 1, snapping Maia’s three-fight winning streak in the process.

“I’ve been following this guy his whole career,” Burns said. “I have tremendous admiration and respect for him. I think he’ll be a future Hall of Famer.”

Maia (28-10, 22-10) attempted to use his jiu-jitsu skills early, as he landed a single-leg takedown and moved to Burns’ back. However, Maia was unable to get both hooks in, and Burns eventually exploded to his feet. Shortly thereafter, “Durinho” dropped his veteran foe with a left hook to the chin. Burns briefly assumed that the blow was worthy of a walk-off knockout victory, but when referee Osiris Maia didn’t stop the fight, the Hard Knocks 365 representative dove in, cleared his foe’s guard and finished Maia off with rapid-fire ground-and-pound.

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Carneiro Taps Hadzovic in Lightweight Debut

It’s safe to say Renato Carneiro’s lightweight debut was a success.

After eight fights at featherweight, Carneiro (14-3-1, 6-3 UFC) announced his presence in a new division by making short work of Damir Hadzovic (13-6, 3-4 UFC) in a featured 155-pound affair. “Moicano” forced his opponent to tap to a rear-naked choke just 44 seconds into the opening stanza.

There wasn’t much of a feeling-out process for Carneiro. Shortly after landing a takedown, the Brazilian swiftly took Hadzovic’s back and secured a body triangle. Moment’s later, his arm was under Hadzovic’s chin and the fight was over. Shortly after the submission, Carneiro engaged in post-fight scuffle with his foe, but the cause of the altercation wasn’t exactly clear.

“I’m very frustrated because today I fought in my hometown and I don’t see nobody,” Carneiro said. “I don’t see familiar faces. I don’t see anybody here.”

Krylov Grinds Down Walker

Nikita Krylov did all he could to take the wind out of Johnny Walker’s sails.

In a light heavyweight bout that was expected to end in spectacular fashion given the history of both fighters, Krylov adopted a wrestling-heavy approach to grind out a unanimous verdict (30-26, 29-28, 29-28) over his Brazilian opponent. After his first 32 professional bouts ended by knockout, technical knockout or submission, Krylov has gone the distance in consecutive UFC outings.

Krylov (27-7, 8-5) landed takedowns in each round, forcing Walker to work outside of his comfort zone. With the exception of a couple submission attempts and some ground-and-pound at the end of Round 2, the 27-year-old Brazilian looked like a fish out of water as Krylov controlled the bout with a heavy top game. Walker (17-5, 3-2 UFC), who began his promotional tenure with three consecutive first-round knockouts, has lost back-to-back fights for the first time in his career.

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Trinaldo Outworks Makdessi

Franciso Trinaldo continues to churn along at 41 years old, as he captured a unanimous decision triumph against John Makdessi in a featured lightweight encounter. Two judges scored the fight 30-27, while a third had it 29-28 for “Massaranduba.” Trinaldo (25-7, 15-6 UFC) has been victorious in three of his last four Octagon appearances.

Trinaldo was the aggressor for the majority of the bout. The Brazilian veteran pressed the action throughout, attacking with straight left hands, uppercuts and kicks to the head and body. Makdessi (17-7, 10-7 UFC), meanwhile, was largely content to circle away while throwing periodic leg kicks and side kicks to the midsection.

“All my opponents have been running away from me for some reason,” Trinaldo said. “I might be an old man, but I’m going to beat these guys that run away from me.”

Continue Reading » UFC Fight Night 170 Prelims: Dos Santos Garners Split Verdict vs. Kunchenko