UFC Fight Night Prelims: Mirsad Bektic Smashes Late Replacement Lucas Martins

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Lucas Martins made a mistake he will not soon forget, stepping up on short notice to meet one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most promising young featherweights.

Mirsad Bektic smashed through the Chute Boxe-trained Brazilian with frightening ease, as he forged a second-round technical knockout at UFC Fight Night “Condit vs. Alves” on Saturday at the Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. Martins (15-3, 3-3 UFC), who replaced the injured Renato Carneiro, succumbed to blows 30 seconds into round two.

American Top Team’s Bektic (10-0, 3-0 UFC) was relentless. The unbeaten 24-year-old Bosnian blasted away with early punching combinations, executed a double-leg takedown and tore into Martins with brutal ground-and-pound before threatening with a rear-naked choke late in the first round. Moments into round two, Bektic felled his counterpart with a booming right hand and moved immediately to a dominant position, letting the standing-to-ground punches fly until referee Mario Yamasaki had seen enough.

Bezerra Triangle Submits Jackson

“The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Season 1 winner Rony Mariano Bezerra submitted former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder Damon Jackson with a first-round triangle choke in a preliminary featherweight pairing. Bezerra (15-5, 5-2 UFC) finished it 3:31 into round one.

Jackson (9-2, 0-2 UFC) was in charge, up until the submission. The 26-year-old struck for a pair of takedowns and battered Bezerra with hammerfists and punches from inside guard. Bezerra weathered the storm and waited for an opportunity to present itself. It did. While operating in top position, Jackson wandered too deeply into the Brazilian’s guard.

Bezerra locked up a triangle from the bottom, tightened it through a sequence of desperate scrambles from the American and coaxed the tapout.

‘Formiga’ Wins Third Straight

Nova Uniao rep Jussier da Silva recorded his third consecutive victory, as he captured a unanimous verdict from Wilson Reis in an undercard affair at 125 pounds. Da Silva (18-3, 4-2 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28s across the board.

Reis (19-6, 3-2) failed to sustain the offense necessary to turn the corner against the former Shooto Americas champion. Da Silva was the aggressor for much of the first 10 minutes and floored him with a right hand in the second round. Perhaps sensing he was behind on the cards, Reis pressed an active clinch in round three and capitalized on da Silva’s apparent decision to coast.

However, “Formiga” cut off his advances in the closing seconds, as he executed a quick takedown and passed from full mount to the back in a blink, firing away with punches and fishing for a potential choke.

Unbeaten Dalby Edges Dos Santos

Former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Nicolas Dalby paired a steady diet of kicks to the arms, legs, body and head with a series of well-timed takedowns, as he remained unbeaten and eked out a split decision over Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in a highly competitive undercard tilt at 170 pounds. All three cageside judges saw it 29-28, two of them siding with Dalby (14-0, 1-0 UFC).

The 30-year-old Danish import set the pace with a strong opening frame, as he targeted his counterpart’s legs and body with kicks before grounding him with takedowns on multiple occasions.

Dos Santos (14-5, 0-1 UFC) started to pick up the pace in middle stanza but again saw much of his good work neutralized by the Dane’s takedowns. The 28-year-old Brazilian made a last-ditch effort to save his four-fight winning streak in the third round, where he attacked Dalby’s body with stinging knees and countered a takedown by sweeping into top position under threat of a kimura. It was not enough to carry him on the scorecards.

Carneiro Sinks Newcomer Almeida

Juliana de Lima Carneiro spoiled the organizational debut of onetime Jungle Fight champion Ericka Almeida, as she cruised to a unanimous decision in their preliminary women’s strawweight clash. All three cageside judges sided with Carneiro (8-2, 2-1 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and 30-25.

Almeida (7-1, 0-1 UFC) filled in on short notice for Jessica Penne, who was moved into a June 20 main event opposite 115-pound champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Carneiro chewed up the newcomer with her top game, as she executed takedowns in all three rounds and piled up points with punches and elbows from inside the guard.

Almeida enjoyed some success on the feet in round three, but Carneiro answered with effective counters and another takedown.

The 33-year-old Carneiro has rattled off three wins in her last four appearances.

Breese Breezes Past Dutra

Tristar Gym prospect Tom Breese lived up to the hype that accompanied his arrival in the UFC, as he disposed of Luiz Jorge Dutra Jr. with first-round punches in an undercard battle at 170 pounds. Breese (8-0, 1-0 UFC) brought it to a close 4:58 into round one.

Dutra (11-4-1, 0-2 UFC) challenged the undefeated Brit with standing elbows, an active clinch game and the occasional power punch. However, he lacked the necessary firepower to give Breese pause. The 23-year-old Firas Zahabi protégé invested heavily in knees to the body and mixed in leg kicks before flooring Dutra with a straight left late in round one.

Breese then pounced on the turtled Brazilian with unanswered punches and hammerfists for the finish.

A graduate of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” reality series, Dutra, 33, has dropped back-to-back bouts for the first time in his career.