The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to José Corrêa Gymnasium in Barueri, São Paulo, Brazil tonight for UFC Fight Night 29: “Maia vs Shields.” The card was headlined by a pivotal five-round welterweight fight between world-renowned jiu-jitsu specialists Demian Maia and Jake Shields.
Also tonight, top welterweight prospect Erick “Índio” Silva took on Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim in the co-feature. Thiago Silva looked for his second straight win when he battled Matt “The Hammer” Hamill in a featured light heavyweight bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for the main card.
Jake Shields vs Demian Maia
Round 1:
Maia pressed forward right away and dropped levels in search of a takedown. He tried to pull Shields to the ground, but Shields stayed up. Maia got him down on his second try and landed short right hands. Shields stood and worked for a takedown of his own. Maia reversed and took him back down. He jumped on Shields’s back, but Shields shrugged him off and wound up on top. Maia kept Shields tied up, but Shields snuck in occasional punches. He finished the round with short elbows. Close opening round. 10-9 Shields, barely.
Round 2:
Shields dragged Maia down to the mat in the second round and struck from the top in half-guard. He peppered Maia with short punches and elbows and prevented him from standing up. More elbows scored for Shields and he stayed on top until the end of the uneventful round. 10-9 Shields.
Round 3:
Shields kicked to the body in round three and Maia countered with an overhand left. He stuffed a takedown and held Shields against the fence. Shields reversed into a guillotine choke position and Maia escaped. Maia flurried with punches and took Shields’s back. He tripped Shields, but Shields reversed and worked from Maia’s half-guard. Shields landed hammerfists and elbows in the final minute. 10-9 Shields.
Round 4:
The second round began with a lengthy clinch battle against the fence. Referee Marc Goddard eventually separated the fighters and Shields shot in for a takedown. Maia stuffed it and Shields appeared to be fatigued. Maia defended against another takedown and wound up in Shields’s guard. Maia was relatively active from the top, but the fighters were stood up. Maia landed a right hand over the top. 10-9 Maia.
Round 5:
Maia sprawled out of a takedown attempt in the final round, but Shields landed a head kick. He shot in for another takedown and Maia defended once again. Shields continued to throw high kicks and Maia answered with a left hook. Shields nearly got Maia down, but Maia stayed up against the cage. The fighters were separated and Maia landed three left hooks. 10-10.
Winner: Jake Shields by Split Decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-48) after five rounds. He improves to 29-6-1, 1 NC.
Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim vs Erick “Índio” Silva
Round 1:
Kim tried for takedowns early in the fight and Silva countered with short knees. He circled away and threw more knees to the body. Kim missed badly with his strikes and Silva landed a series of knees. Silva lost his balance and Kim knocked him down with a counter hook. Kim mounted Silva on the mat and Silva scrambled against the cage. He tried for a heel hook, but Kim regained top position. Kim landed hammerfists and worked for a kimura. Silva attempted another heel hook and Kim punched free. 10-9 Kim.
Round 2:
Silva rocked Kim with a counter right hook and swarmed with punches in round two. Kim weathered the storm and clinched. Silva broke free and blocked a head kick. Both fighters slowed down, but Silva managed to land a hard one-two and he just missed with a spinning back elbow. Silva scored with an elbow and an uppercut. He took Kim’s back, but let him go. Silva jabbed and threw a knee to the body. Kim landed a massive left hook and an unconscious Silva crashed to the mat.
Winner: Dong Hyun Kim by KO (Punch) at 3:01 of round two. He improves to 18-2-1, 1 ND.
Thiago Silva vs Matt “The Hammer” Hamill
Round 1:
Hamill landed an early one-two and a leg kick, then tripped Silva to the mat. Silva stood up and stuffed a takedown. He stunned Hamill with a right hand and landed a combination soon after. Both fighters punched to the body and Silva mixed in leg kicks. More punches were exchanged and Silva was the aggressor. Hamill landed a liver shot and Silva kicked at his lead leg. Another left hook landed to the liver for Hamill and Silva countered with two leg kicks. Close round. 10-9 Silva.
Round 2:
Hamill knocked Silva down with a leg kick in round two and rushed in with punches as Silva stood. A spinning elbow partially landed for Hamill and he took Silva down. Silva got back to his feet and countered a body shot with a right hook. Silva continued to kick at Hamill’s lead leg. Hamill briefly tripped him, but Silva stood and badly rocked him with a series of looping hooks. Hamill fell and Silva punched on the ground. Hamill got back to his feet and Silva landed punches and knees. Hamill clinched and pulled him down to the mat. 10-9 Silva.
Round 3:
Silva stuffed a takedown in the final round and took Hamill’s back on the ground. Hamill managed to get back to his feet, but Silva slowed him down with leg kicks and easily avoided a takedown. Time was called after Silva was poked in the eye. After the restart, he punished Hamill with more leg kicks. Hamill clinched, but he could not get Silva down. Silva kicked at Hamill’s leg and landed a stiff jab. He fought off a takedown with hammerfists and an exhausted Hamill could barely stand. Silva landed kicks and punches at will until the end of the fight. 10-8 Silva.
Winner: Thiago Silva by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-27) after three rounds. He improves to 16-3-0, 2 NC.
Fabio Maldonado vs Joey “The Mexicutioner” Beltran
Round 1:
Maldonado jabbed in the opening seconds and circled away from Beltran’s power punches. Beltran clinched and tried for a takedown against the cage. Time was called after Maldonado was punched in the groin. Action resumed and Beltran landed a one-two. He worked for another takedown and Maldonado stayed on his feet. Both fighters landed punches to the body in close. A hard two-punch combo scored for Maldonado, but Beltran retained the clinch. Maldonado countered a takedown with a guillotine choke. Beltran stood and landed a right hand. Close round. 10-9 Beltran.
Round 2:
The second round opened with an exchange of punches and Beltran pressed the action. He walked Maldonado down with punches and clinched, but Maldonado countered with body shots. Maldonado landed a hard uppercut and a combination. He beckoned Beltran to step back into the pocket and landed two more punches. Beltran flurried with punches and elbows and followed with a knee. Time was called to replace Maldonado’s mouthpiece. The fight continued and Maldonado landed jabs and right hands. He began to pick Beltran apart with punches to the body and head. 10-9 Maldonado.
Round 3:
Maldonado appeared to be the fresher fighter heading into round three and he landed an early combination, but Beltran answered with a right hand. Maldonado returned fire with a right hook that prompted Beltran to clinch. The fighters were separated and Maldonado landed a series of jabs. More jabs scored for Maldonado, but Beltran answered with a lunging right and a quick flurry. Maldonado punched to the body, but one strayed low and time was called. The fight continued and Maldonado, bleeding badly from the mouth, landed a combination. Beltran took him down and scored with knees. He punched until the bell. 10-9 Beltran.
Winner: Fabio Maldonado by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 20-6-0.
Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares vs Mike Pierce
Round 1:
Palhares wasted no time in dropping down for a leglock mere seconds into the fight. Pierce escaped the first attempt, but Palhares pulled him back down and locked on a heel hook. Pierce immediately tapped out, but Palhares, just as he has done in the past, took a few seconds to release the hold.
Winner: Rousimar Palhares by Submission (Heel Hook) at 0:31 of round one. He improves to 15-5-0.
Raphael Assuncao vs T.J. Dillashaw
Round 1:
Assuncao scored with a hard right hand early in the fight and kept the pressure on with punches. Dillashaw responded with a quick combination and took Assuncao down. Assuncao scrambled back to his feet and he caught a head kick. Dillashaw pulled his leg free and Assuncao landed a flying knee. Dillashaw jumped on his back in search of a rear-naked choke.
Dillashaw locked on the choke and it appeared to be tight, but Assuncao held on. Dillashaw adjusted his grip and Assuncao again looked to be in some trouble, but he managed to scramble free and escaped to his feet. Assuncao’s left eye began to swell up from Dillashaw’s hammerfists on the ground. The fighters traded punches before the bell. 10-9 Dillashaw.
Round 2:
Assuncao landed a left hand in round two and Dillashaw responded with kicks. Dillashaw fired off a head kick and Assuncao tried for one in return. Assuncao stunned Dillashaw with a right hook, but Dillashaw recovered. Assuncao secured a guillotine choke and Dillashaw rolled to escape. Assuncao switched to another guillotine and Dillashaw escaped to his feet.
Assuncao flurried with punches and finished with a left hook. He took Dillashaw down for a split second, but Dillashaw stood and dragged Assuncao down. A bloodied Dillashaw punched from back control, but he could not keep Assuncao on the mat. Assuncao stood up and landed a left hook. Big punches were exchanged until the bell. 10-9 Assuncao.
Round 3:
Assuncao used feints to keep Dillashaw guessing in the final round, but Dillashaw landed a knee and fought off a clinch attempt. Dillashaw pressed forward with punches and Assuncao landed a counter left. He dropped levels for a takedown and Dillashaw easily avoided it. Dillashaw stuffed a second takedown and landed a nice knee to the body.
Assuncao attempted a switch kick and a front kick, but neither strike landed. He flurried with punches and shrugged off Dillashaw’s attempt to clinch. Dillashaw scored with a left hook and followed with a combination. He tried for a takedown and nearly took Assuncao’s back on the feet. The fighters separated and Dillashaw landed a body kick. He finished the close round with two right hooks. 10-9 Dillashaw.
Winner: Raphael Assuncao by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 21-4-0.
Undercard Fights:
– Igor Araujo defeated Ildemar “Marajo” Alcantara by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 24-6-0, 1 NC with the win.
– Yan Cabral defeated David “Daudi” Mitchell by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 11-0-0 with the win.
– Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso defeated Iliarde Santos by TKO (Punches) at 4:31 of round two. He improves to 15-5-0 with the win.
– Alan Patrick “Nuguette” Silva Alves defeated Garett Whiteley by TKO (Punches) at 3:54 of round one. He improves to 11-0-0 with the win.