Fight Blog Recap: Carlos Condit mangles Thiago Alves' nose to earn TKO victory in Brazil
Carlos Condit broke Thiago Alves' nose in the second round of their main event matchup from Brazil and continued to pour on the punishment until the doctor decided the damage was done and stopped the fight before it could get any worse.
Following a year away from fighting due to a knee injury, Condit returned on Saturday night and didn't skip a beat as he blasted through Alves, getting a finish after two rounds in the main event from Brazil.
Condit showed no fear taking on a feared Muay Thai specialist like Alves, who definitely pushed the pace and tested the former champion's knee with a series of hard leg kicks throughout the first round.
Once Condit found his range following the opening stanza, he came back with supreme confidence in the second round and absolutely battered Alves with punches and elbows on the feet.
One of the Condit's elbow strikes caused Alves' nose to explode and "The Natural Born Killer" continued to pile on the offense until the final horn sounded.
Alves survived, but once he got back to the corner the doctor took one look at his nose, saw it was zig-zagged in at least three different directions and that's all it took for him to stop the fight.
Condit was declared the winner as he returns to top form after missing out on the past year of his career.
In the co-main event, Charles Oliveira put to rest his rivalry with Nik Lentz that went on for nearly four years as he choked out the top-10 featherweight in the third round of a very eventful, back and forth fight.
Oliveira is now 4-0 in his past four bouts as he looks to climb closer to the top five of the division.
Full results and play-by-play for UFC FIGHT NIGHT: CONDIT VS. ALVES below:
MAIN EVENT: Carlos Condit vs. Thiago Alves
Round 1:
Alves looks for the head kick while Condit keeps busy with constant movement. Alves cracking away with leg kicks both inside and outside. Condit comes back with an elbow strike while tossing out head kicks to keep Alves honest. Condit presses forward and eats a hard right hand courtesy of Alves.
10-9 Thiago Alves
Round 2:
Alves pops Condit with a couple more leg kicks to start round 2. Condit jumps in with a big left hand that drops Alves to the mat and it looks like he broke the Brazilian's nose because he's gushing blood. Condit is just battering Alves on the ground but he's surviving. Alves is back up and he's searching for a guillotine choke. Condit slips free and they are back in the center. Condit unloads a monster elbow that rattles Alves and he throws him to the ground. Condit still pouring it on but Alves refuses to quit. Alves gets up and he's still throwing before the round ends!
10-8 Carlos Condit
The fight is stopped between rounds due to Alves' broken nose. The referee won't allow him to continue
Official result: Carlos Condit def. Thiago Alves by TKO (doctor's stoppage) at 5:00, R2
Analysis: Carlos Condit returned to form on Saturday night putting on a punishing performance to beat Thiago Alves in Brazil. Condit was as devastating as ever with a heavy barrage of strikes tearing through Alves through the first two rounds. Condit's return gives the welterweight division yet another serious contender and a real threat to either Robbie Lawler or Rory MacDonald. While he's still probably a fight or two away from challenging for the belt, it's certainly good to have Condit back after dealing with a knee injury for the past year.
Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira
Round 1:
Lentz grabs for the body lock immediately, but Oliveira counters with a guillotine choke and they fall to the ground. Lentz is able to slip out and begins to work from the top until they work back to the feet. Oliveira and Lentz are starting to exchange big strikes on the feet. Oliveira looks for a knee to the body and Lentz crumbles to the mat! Oliveira is pounding away from the top trying to get the finish. Lentz tries to scramble, Oliveira gets in another knee to the body before landing in the mount as the round end. What a round!
10-9 Charles Oliveira
Round 2:
Lentz gets the body lock again this round and he's able to pull Oliveira to the ground. Lentz works to pass to side control, but Oliveira explodes up to escape. Oliveira blasts Lentz with two big up kicks and Lentz counters with a guillotine choke. Lentz is still on top now and he's laying down some elbow strikes. Oliveira looks for a heel hook but Lentz slips free and lands back on top against the cage. Oliveira works back to the feet with just under 30 seconds to go, but Lentz puts him down again before time expires.
10-9 Nik Lentz
Round 3:
Oliveira looks refreshed in round 3 and he's nailing Lentz with more knees to the body. Lentz seems to be the tired fighter as Oliveira is just attacking constantly. Lentz leaves his neck open and Oliveira grabs onto a guillotine choke and falls to the mat. Lentz rolls but the choke just gets tighter and tighter and he has no choice but to tap out. Oliveira finishes yet another fight and a huge win for him in the featherweight division.
Official result: Charles Oliveira def. Nik Lentz by submission (guillotine choke) at 1:10, R3
Analysis: First of all, Oliveira and Lentz clearly bring the best out of each other because both of their fights have been non-stop action from start to finish. Oliveira gets a little revenge after the last fight was declared a no contest and now he's riding a four-fight win streak in the featherweight division as he finally starts living up to the potential he first showed when he showed up in the UFC in 2010. Oliveira deserves a matchup in the top five to see if he's ready for the upper echelon of the division. If he fights like he did on Saturday night, Oliveira is going to be a tough fight for anybody at 145 pounds.
KJ Noons vs. Alex Oliveira
Round 1:
Noons on point with his punches as he nails Oliveira with a good straight right to start the fight. Oliveira grabs onto the body lock and takes Noons to the ground as he begins looking to take the back. Oliveira slips his arm under the chin and wrenches up the hold. Noons winces in pain and has no choice but to tap out! Oliveira with a slick finish over a real veteran in Noons.
Official result: Alex Oliveira def. KJ Noons by submission (rear naked choke) at 2:51, R1
Analysis: Great performance and finish from Alex Oliveira to put away KJ Noons in the first round. Oliveira was having a good outing in his debut against Gilbert Burns before giving up a submission late. He comes storming back and finishes Noons in the first round with a rear naked choke. Oliveira seems like he could be a fun prospect to watch after his first two fights in the UFC were both exciting affairs.
Francimar Barroso vs. Ryan Jimmo
Round 1:
Jimmo wants to strike, but Barroso rushes forward to initiate the clinch as he tries for the takedown. Jimmo defending well but he's still stuck against the cage. The referee finally breaks them with just under a minute to goo in the round. Jimmo finally has space and doesn't do anything with it.
10-9 Francimar Barroso
Round 2:
Barroso wastes no time to grab onto Jimmo and press him against the cage. The fighters are separated and Barroso unloads a huge kick straight up the middle into Jimmo's groin. The fight is paused to give Jimmo time to recover. Jimmo almost needs the full 5 minutes to recover, but the fight is restarted. Jimmy is trying to aim his shots as Barroso charges in but he's also eating a few counter shots while loading up on his punches. Uneventful final 30 seconds in a rather uneventful round.
10-9 Ryan Jimmo
Round 3:
Barroso standing and waiting to react but Jimmo not doing much of anything either. Barroso just bull rushes and throws wild punches. Nothing lands but he's the only one really creating offense this round. The fighters get locked in the clinch again until the referee forces the restart. Barroso rushes forward again with strikes, doesn't land much, but does manage to get the clinch against the cage again as time runs out.
10-9 Francimar Barroso
FOX Sports scores the fight 29-28 for Francimar Barroso
Official result: Francimar Barroso def. Ryan Jimmo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Analysis: Well, that's definitely not a fight anyone will want to watch a second time, but still a win for Francimar Barroso. The most memorable part of the fight was the unfortunate groin kick that nearly put an end to Jimmo's night. Outside of that, Barroso basically controlled the action with his clinch game against the cage and Jimmo just couldn’t escape. Rinse, wash and repeat for 15 minutes.
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Norman Parke
Round 1:
The fighters exchange a couple of big overhand punches back and forth to open the fight. It's an even matchup on the feet so Parke swoops in to grab a takedown and put Trinaldo on the mat. Parke is able to maintain control, but Trinaldo works his way back to the feet. Parke still isn't letting go with the pressure against the clinch until the round ends.
10-9 Norman Parke
Round 2:
Trinaldo is head hunting to start round 2 and Park quickly moves in to grab for the clinch. Trinaldo separates and begins to work combinations to the body followed by a knee when Parke engages for the clinch. Trinaldo shrugs off a takedown attempt and he's out striking Parke on the feet as he lands another big overhand left. Trinaldo is eating Parke alive with his lead left hand. Dominant round for the Brazilian.
10-9 Francisco Trinaldo
Round 3:
Parke is able to secure a takedown in rapid fashion and he's working to take Trinaldo's back. Parke is looking to wrap up a rear naked choke. Trinaldo keeps squirming and he's able to wiggle free and work back to the feet. Parke is able to get another takedown with less than 30 seconds to go. It might secure the round, but now it depends on how that first round was scored.
10-9 Norman Parke
FOX Sports scores it 29-28 for Norman Parke
Official result: Francisco Trinaldo def. Norman Parke by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
Analysis: Trinaldo gets the split decision nod and it really came down to how round one was scored. Trinaldo certainly had a strong round two where he tagged Parke with some big shots on the feet, but then struggled to stay off the mat in round three. A very close fight like that could easily go either way and in this case it went to Trinaldo. Unfortunately that marks two losses in a row for Parke after starting out his UFC career with an undefeated run for his first five fights.
Round 1:
Till fires off a couple of body kicks, which forces Oliveira to shoot in and look for the takedown. Oliveira still pressing the action against the cage but not much happening. They finally separate and Till unloads a head kick followed by a punch. Oliveira defends well but it's clear he's paying close attention to Till's striking prowess. Not much happens for the last two minutes of the round.
10-9 Darren Till
Round 2:
Till cracks Oliveira with a big overhand punch followed by a kick. Till circles in and tosses Oliveira to the mat and opens up with a big elbow to the head. Till with another vicious elbow followed by one more and Oliveira is out! That was a nasty knockout for Darren Till!
Official result: Darren Till def. Wendell Oliveira by KO at 1:37, R2
Analysis: Darren Till looked very comfortable and relaxed for his UFC debut. He unloaded some good strikes on the feet and once he knew Oliveira couldn’t hurt him, Till's confidence grew. After Till tossed Oliveira to the ground, he found an opening and landed a vicious series of elbow strikes to put Oliveira to sleep. Very impressive ground and pound finish for his debut.
Round 1:
Jason looking to land a big knee but instead finds himself on the ground with Jackson on top of him. The fighters work back up, and Jackson lands a big knee but Jason's hand was on the mat and the fight is paused for the illegal strike. Jason is okay and the fight continues. Jackson gets another takedown, but Jason quickly locks on a triangle choke. Jackson rolls and tries to get free, but Jason locks it up tighter and he finally gets the tap! Impressive finish!
Official result: Rony Jason def. Damon Jackson by submission (triangle choke) at 3:31, R1
Analysis: Rony Jason is still a really fun fighter to watch, and he always tries to put on a show whenever he competes at home in Brazil. Jackson looked good until he got caught in that triangle. It's unfortunate his knee strike was deemed illegal while Jason was putting his hand on the mat because otherwise Jackson may have been able to take advantage and look for the finish or at least maintain control.
Round 1:
Formiga gets a quick trip takedown, but Reis pops up after just a moment on the mat. Formiga showing a lot of confidence with his hands, tagging Reis with right hands whenever he jumps in with his strikes. Reis' corner is telling him to take the fight to the mat, but Formiga defending well until the round ends.
10-9 Jussier Formiga
Round 2:
Formiga drops Reis with a quick right hand and he jumps on the ground to continue his assault. Reis is recovered now and he's able to scramble and get on top of Formiga on the ground. Formiga works back to the feet and he lands another big right hand to the Reis' mush. Reis is able to swoop in and get a takedown for a split second but Formiga is back up again. Formiga able trip Reis from the clinch and get a takedown of his own.
10-9 Jussier Formiga
Round 3:
Reis grabbing the clinch against the cage, looking for the takedown. Reis is able to land a nice jumping knee, but Formiga doesn't show any damage from the strike. Reis back in the body lock looking for the takedown but with just a minute to go, he needs to try for the finish because this probably won't get the job done. Formiga with two quick right hands before a takedown and grabs back control as the fight comes to an end.
10-9 Jussier Formiga
FOX Sports scores it 30-27 for Jussier Formiga
Official result: Jussier Formiga def. Wilson Reis by unanimous decision (29-28 on all cards)
Analysis: Complete performance from Jussier Formiga outside of getting the finish. He showed a lot of improvement in his striking although Reis isn't exactly a kickboxing champion. Formiga has turned things around after his last loss to John Dodson with three wins in a row, but it's still going to be hard to sell him in a title fight without a win over another top 10 opponent. Maybe he faces Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo if he's successful in his next fight at UFC 188? Could be a title eliminator at that point.
Round 1:
Dalby feeding dos Santos a heavy diet of kicks to open the fight. Dos Santos comes back with a flurry of punches that tag Dalby to back him off. Dalby swoops in and grabs the takedown. The referee with a quick stand up. Dalby with a body kick and dos Santos counters with a spinning roundhouse that misses as he loses his balance and Dalby gets the takedown. Dalby gets another takedown before the round ends.
10-9 Nicolas Dalby
Round 2:
Dos Santos comes out aggressive in round 2 as he looks to get close and unload punches in bunches. Dalby's had enough of the standup and he looks for the takedown. Dos Santos still trying to find a home for his kicks and instead catches a knee from Dalby in the groin. On the restart, Dalby is able to land a couple more punches but eats a big left from dos Santos as well. Close round.
10-9 Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Round 3:
Dos Santos with a big right hand to open the final round. Dalby still pressing the action but dos Santos is landing the more effective strikes. Dos Santos uncorks a few knees from the inside before they end up against the cage again. Dalby is able to get the body lock and drag dos Santos to the ground. Dos Santos is able to threaten with a kimura to get a reversal and land on top. Dalby is able to push him off as they get back to the feet. Another very close round. This decision is going to be interesting.
10-9 Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
FOX Sports scores it 29-28 for Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Official result: Nicolas Dalby def. Elizeu Zaleksi dos Santos by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Analysis: Both of these fighters had a good showing in their debuts. Dalby looked a bit more well rounded, but he struggled whenever he got caught up in exchanges with dos Santos, who was throwing fire all night long. Still, Dalby was able to get the fight to the mat on numerous occasions and was definitely the aggressor for more time than dos Santos. Very close fight, could have easily gone either way.
Round 1:
Martins trying to strike but it doesn't take time for Bektic to push forward and land a big double leg takedown. It looks like Martins also got a cut on his cheek during the early exchange. Bektic is just blasting away with punches against the cage. Martins is able to work back up but only for a moment before Bektic puts him down again, despite a fence grab from the Brazilian. Bektic just smothering with his attacks through round one.
10-9 Mirsad Bektic
Round 2:
Bektic blasts Martins with a fast overhand right hand that puts the Brazilian down. Bektic hops on top and just starts dropping bombs until the referee has no choice but to stop the fight. Martins just laying on the ground covering up and eating shots. Good stoppage.
Official result: Mirsak Bektic def. Lucas Martins by TKO (strikes) at 30 seconds, R2
Analysis: Mirsad Bektic is a name to watch in the next year as this featherweight star begins his climb up the ranks. He's a devastating wrestler with serious power in both hands and with American Top Team behind him, Bektic is only going to get better. Don't be shocked if he's inside the top 10 by the end of 2015.
Round 1:
Almeida looks for a judo toss and ends up on her back instead with Lima on top, which is exactly the last place she wanted to be. Lima lands a few nice inside elbows while keeping Almeida trapped against the cage. Lima maintaining control as Almeida scrambling to try to do something from the bottom to no avail.
10-9 Julianna Lima
Round 2:
Lima starts the round with another takedown. Lima just staying in control on top while doing just enough to maintain position. The referee finally stands them up after about 4 minutes on the ground. Lima traps Almeida against the cage with some good knees before landing another takedown as the round end.
10-9 Julianna Lima
Round 3:
The fighters start to exchange strikes in round 3. Almeida cracks Lima with a straight right hand that rattles her jaw. Lima lands another takedown with about 90 seconds to go and that will probably win her the fight.
10-9 Julianna Lima
FOX Sports scores it 30-27 for Julianna Lima
Official result: Julianna Lima def. Ericka Almeida (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)
Analysis: It's a win for Julianna Lima, but she certainly didn't make many fans with her performance. Lima stuck to Almeida like glue all night and basically worked from the top after takedowns in every round. She has to up her offense if she plans on landing any top 10 fights in this division because otherwise she's going to be relegated to the prelims for a long, long time.
Round 1:
Dutra swinging wild while trying to figure out the distance with a much taller fighter in Breese. Dutra tags Breese with a body shot that forces the Brit to shoot in and look for the takedown. Breese cracks Dutra with a big straight left hand that puts the Brazilian down on the canvas! Breese follows up with hammer fists and the referee stops the fight with just seconds to go in the round.
Official result: Tom Breese def. Luiz Dutra by TKO (strikes) at 4:58, R1
Analysis: There's a lot of hype around Breese as an undefeated prospect joining the UFC. At 6'3" and training under Firas Zahabi in Montreal and former UFC middleweight Denis Kang, Breese showed up confident and make quick work of Dutra while traveling into enemy territory. That's always a tough debut but Breese looked good getting the finish.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: CONDIT VS. ALVES
MAIN CARD (Airs lives on FOX Sports 1 starting at 10pm ET)
MAIN EVENT: Carlos Condit vs. Thiago Alves
Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira
KJ Noons vs. Alex Oliveira
Francimar Barroso vs. Ryan Jimmo
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Norman Parke
Wendell Oliveira vs. Darren Till
PRELIM CARD (Airs live on FOX Sports 1 starting at 8pm ET)
Rony Jason vs. Damon Jackson
Jussier Formiga vs. Wilson Reis
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Nicolas Dalby
Lucas Martins vs. Mirsad Bektic
EARLY PRELIMS (Airs live on UFC Fight Pass starting at 7pm ET)
Juliana Lima vs. Ericka Almeida
Luiz Dutra vs. Tom Breese