Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout vs Thiago Tavares

Round 1:
Tavares landed a right hook and closed the distance early in the fight, then took Stout down against the cage. Tavares briefly took Stout’s back, but Stout battled back to his feet and landed a combination. Tavares took him down again, but Stout stood a second time. Tavares picked Stout up and slammed him to the mat. Stout continued to use the cage to work back up.

Tavares managed to keep Stout down for a minute, but Stout got up and Tavares pulled half-guard with a guillotine choke. Stout escaped and had to spin out of a heel hook attempt. A right cross backed Tavares up and Stout ducked under a flurry from Tavares soon after. Tavares scored with a right hook and added a left seconds later. 10-9 Tavares.

Round 2:
Stout landed a pair of counter right hands in the second round and Tavares tried for a takedown. He didn’t get it, but snapped Stout’s head back with a nice right hook. Stout stuffed another takedown, but Tavares drilled him with an overhand right. Stout closed in with a body kick and a quick combination. He continued to target the body.

Tavares mixed up his strikes with kicks and landed a grazing one to the head that opened a cut. Stout fired back with a a hard right hand and a body kick. Stout jabbed and avoided a right hand from Tavares. A quick one-two to the body scored for the Brazilian and he circled away. Stout threw a right hook to the body and Tavares answered with a leg kick. Close round. 10-9 Tavares.

Round 3:
The final round opened with an exchange of strikes and time was called after Tavares was kicked in the groin. He appeared to be in a considerable amount of pain, but the fight eventually continued and Tavares threw body kicks. He tried for a takedown, but Stout shrugged him off and landed a knee. Tavares clinched again and Stout fought him off a second time.

Both fighters landed jabs and Tavares began bleeding from the nose. Stout avoided a takedown and landed a grazing uppercut. He scored with more jabs, but Tavares answered back with a right hook. Stout finally mixed in some kicks and Tavares returned the favour with a kick to the body. Stout rocked Tavares with a right hook and followed with another one. He swarmed with punches late, but Tavares stayed on his feet. 10-9 Stout.

Winner: Thiago Tavares by Unanimous Decision (No Scores Announced) after three rounds. He improves to 17-4-1.

Gabriel “Napão” Gonzaga vs Edinaldo “Lula” Oliveira

Round 1:
Little transpired in the opening minute as the fighters circled. Gonzaga finally landed a right hook and Oliveira answered with one of his own. Another right scored for Oliveira, but Gonzaga took him down and landed in side control. He transitioned to the back, but Oliveira stood up. Gonzaga tripped him again and landed short punches from half-guard. Oliveira tried to use the cage to get to his feet, but Gonzaga took his back in the scramble and locked on a rear-naked choke that forced Oliveira to submit.

Winner: Gabriel Gonzaga by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:22 of round one. He improves to 13-6-0.

Yuri “Marajo” Alcantara vs Michihiro Omigawa

Round 1:
Alcantara landed a knee to the liver in the first three seconds of the fight and Omigawa circled away. Alcantara landed another knee and a quick one-two that backed Omigawa up. The fighters exchanged short left hooks in close and Omigawa missed with a spinning backfist. Alcantara continued to get the better of the striking exchanges and scored with a quick combination.

Alcantara remained aggressive with punches and landed another one-two that forced Omigawa to circle away. Alcantara landed a big knee and dropped Omigawa briefly with a left hook. Alcantara took Omigawa’s back, but Omigawa spun into his guard. Omigawa punched and elbowed from the top and passed to half-guard. Alcantara got back to full guard and locked on an armbar. It looked like Omigawa tapped once, but time expired. 10-9 Alcantara.

Round 2:
Alcantara threw a head kick early in the second round and the pace slowed down somewhat. He walked right into a one-two from Alcantara and fell to the ground. Alcantara landed in Omigawa’s guard and escaped an inverted armbar attempt. Alcantara moved to mount and then to back control. He tried for a rear-naked choke. Omigawa rolled to his side and Alcantara landed punches and elbows from S-mount.

Alcantara secured a rear-naked choke and Omigawa managed to escape. Alcantara cut him with elbows to the ear, but Omigawa got back to full guard and attempted another inverted armbar. Action slowed down again as Alcantara threw occasional strikes and defended against Omigawa’s submission attempts from the bottom. Alcantara postured up and landed a series of punches in the final seconds. 10-9 Alcantara.

Round 3:
Alcantara missed with a knee, but landed a weak one-two in the final round. He appeared to be much slower with his strikes than earlier in the fight and Omigawa looked to take advantage by setting up punching combinations. Omigawa’s corner screamed instructions at him and he missed with a spinning backfist. Alcantara became a bit more active and threw a combo and a body kick.

Omigawa landed two short right hooks and Alcantara replied with a left. Omigawa threw short, peppering punches to close the distance and took Alcantara down against the cage. Omigawa landed punches and elbows from the top, but none had any power behind them. He kept Alcantara pinned down with his elbow until the fighters were stood up. Alcantara rushed in with punches and reversed a takedown into mount, but time ran out. 10-9 Omigawa.

Winner: Yuri Alcantara by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 27-3-0.

Mike “Quicksand” Pyle vs Ricardo “Golden Boy” Funch

Round 1:
The fighters clinched early on and briefly exchanged knees to the body. Funch broke away and landed a nice left cross. Pyle rocked him with a right hand and Funch retreated to the cage. He dropped Funch with a knee and followed with punches on the ground until referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the fight.

Winner: Mike Pyle by TKO (Knee & Punches) at 1:22 of round one. He improves to 22-8-1.

Felipe “Sertanejo” Arantes vs Antonio “Pato” Carvalho

Round 1:
Punches were exchanged right away and Arantes fell after a glancing head kick. Carvalho dove into Arantes’s half-guard and moved to side control. Carvalho nearly secured a rear-naked choke in a scramble and landed knees from a front headlock after the fighters stood. Arantes tried for a takedown, but Carvalho reversed and landed in mount.

Carvalho landed punches and elbows, but Arantes scrambled out to his feet. Head kicks were exchanged and Arantes landed stiff jabs. Two right hands scored for Carvalho and Arantes answered with one of his own. Arantes landed a knee, but Carvalho caught it. He tried for a takedown, but Arantes stayed on his feet. Carvalho threw two kicks before the bell. 10-9 Carvalho.

Round 2:
Both fighters landed body kicks early in round two and Carvalho continued to try to land head kicks. Arantes countered a punch-kick combo with a three-punch flurry. Arantes began to mix up his strikes with kicks and Carvalho replied with a one-two that fell short. He clinched and pressed Arantes up against the cage. Carvalho backed away from the clinch and landed a kick to the upper body.

Carvalho countered a right hook by clinching, but Arantes punched free. The fighters traded punches and Arantes got the better of it, but Carvalho landed a quick combination and a body kick soon after. A jumping knee and leg kicks landed for Arantes in the final minute. He followed with punches and Carvalho responded with some of his own. Carvalho narrowly missed with a spinning hook kick in remaining seconds. Very close round. 10-9 Arantes, barely.

Round 3:
Leg kicks were exchanged to open round three and Arantes continued to keep Carvalho guessing with a varied arsenal of kicks. Carvalho launched into a double-leg takedown attempt and pulled guard. He looked to utilise rubber guard, but Arantes postured up and rained down elbows. He opened two cuts near Carvalho’s eyes with the strikes and Carvalho tried to defend.

Carvalho punched from the bottom, but Arantes resumed elbowing him in the face. Carvalho tried to use rubber guard again, but was unsuccessful and Arantes peppered him with short strikes. Arantes moved to half-guard, but Carvalho worked back to his feet. Arantes landed a knee on the way up and followed with a right hook. Carvalo missed with a jumping knee and Arantes threw a head kick at the bell. 10-9 Arantes.

Winner: Felipe Arantes by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 14-4-0, 2 NC.