Charles Oliveira makes UFC history in Sao Paulo

Most submission wins in UFC history!!@CharlesDoBronxs makes HISTORY in Sao Paulo!! #UFCSP pic.twitter.com/5bLtlaPQjy
— UFC (@ufc) September 23, 2018

OLIVEIRA vs GIAGOS

Lightweight standout Charles Oliveira set the record for most submission wins in UFC history on Saturday in his home city of Sao Paulo, breaking Royce Gracie’s mark with his 11th tap out victory, this one coming against the returning Christos Giagos in the second round at Ginásio do Ibirapuera.

Early on, it looked like Oliveira was going to have to settle for three rounds of standup action, as Giagos was able to keep it on his feet while jumping up immediately when the fight did hit the mat, but in the second round, Oliveira got the fight to the canvas, and as soon as he took his opponent’s back, it was just a matter of time until “Do Bronx” sunk in the rear naked choke that forced Giagos to tap out at 3:22 of round two.

Oliveira moves to 24-8 with 1 NC. Giagos falls to 15-7.

"It was an honor having my last fight here in Brazil."#Salute, @EvanDunham155! Amazing career! #UFCSP pic.twitter.com/116twmCEqW
— UFC (@ufc) September 23, 2018

TRINALDO vs DUNHAM

Brazilian lightweight veteran Francisco Trinaldo spoiled the final fight of Evan Dunham’s career, stopping the Las Vegan in the second round.

There was some good action between the veterans in the opening frame, Dunham using his reach and movement to pick his shots and Trinaldo countering well when his opponent got in striking range. In a brief trip to the mat, Dunham was effective, but only for a spell, as the two resumed their standup battle for the rest of the round.

Trinaldo landed a hard left to open round two, but Dunham shook it off and got back to his stick and move strategy. Upon going to the canvas in the second minute, Trinaldo sought a choke briefly before the two stood. The bout settled back into a standup rhythm when Trinaldo suddenly ended matters with a knee to the liver that sent Dunham to the mat in pain. Referee Marc Goddard stepped in immediately, with the end coming at the 4:10 mark.

With the win, Brasilia’s Trinaldo moves to 23-6. Dunham retires with a record of 18-8-1.

SPANN vs HENRIQUE

Light heavyweight newcomer Ryan Spann went the distance for the first time since February 2017, gutting out a hard-fought decision victory over Luis Henrique.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Spann, now 15-5. Henrique, who was returning to 205 pounds after a run at heavyweight, falls to 10-5 with 1 NC.

After eating a series of jabs that bloodied his nose, Henrique finally got the takedown he wanted just before the midway point of the round. Spann got up immediately, only to get taken down again, but a guillotine attempt by the Texan forced Henrique to give up position and get back to his feet. There would be another takedown by Henrique before the horn sounded, but it didn’t come without the Brazilian taking more hard shots on the feet.

Henrique had a better round in the second, as he worked his ground game for much of the frame, nearly locking in a guillotine choke in the process. Spann did finish the frame strong, though, as he landed several hard ground strikes that lumped up Henrique’s face, and he did the same thing in the third, rebounding from some early adversity on the mat to reverse position and stay in control until the end of the bout.

These knees in the clinch were vicious! #UFCSP @AugustoSakai pic.twitter.com/hQopIQllmJ
— UFC (@ufc) September 23, 2018

SAKAI vs SHERMAN

Heavyweight newcomer Augusto Sakai thrilled fans in his home country of Brazil as he stopped Chase Sherman in the third round.

Neither fighter shied away from throwing bombs in the opening stanza, but both Sherman and Sakai took the incoming fire well, with neither able to score that finishing blow over the first five minutes. Sherman did hold the activity edge, but Sakai did start to land more frequently in the second round before Sherman cleared his head with a brief clinch midway through the frame.

Sakai finally rocked Sherman just before the midway point of round three, but the now bloodied Mississippi native shook off the blows and got back to work. Sakai was relentless, though, and a series of flush knees put Sherman in trouble again, with a series of elbows when the fight hit the mat making matters worse for “The Vanilla Gorilla.” Finally, more unanswered blows brought in referee Marc Goddard to halt the fight at 4:03 of the third frame.

With the win, Curitiba’s Sakai, fresh from a win on the Brazilian version of Dana White’s Contender Series, moves to 12-1-1. Sherman falls to 11-6.

MORAES vs SAUNDERS

Showing off his world-class ground game from start to finish, Brazilian welterweight Sergio Moraes won his second straight, submitting Ben Saunders in the second round.

Curitiba’s Moraes (14-4-1) got Saunders to the mat in the first minute of the fight and he wouldn’t let Saunders get back up, nearly locking in an armbar late in the frame. It was more of the same in the second round, but this time he ended the bout, with an arm triangle choke forcing Saunders to submit for the first time in his career. The official time of the finish was 4:42 of round two.

SILVA vs ROBERTSON

Fresh from earning a UFC contract in August, Dana White’s Contender Series alum Mayra Bueno Silva improved her pro record to 6-0 in her Octagon debut, submitting Gillian Robertson in the first round of their flyweight bout.

The Sao Paulo newcomer was expected to have a tough time with submission specialist Robertson (5-3) on the mat, but after surviving a couple rough positions, it was Silva who locked in the armbar that ended the bout at 4:55 of the opening frame.

Leites exits the Octagon T-3 in wins in MW history with 13.

What a career, @ThalesLeites #UFCSP pic.twitter.com/fX3BlYJpRh
— UFC (@ufc) September 22, 2018

LEITES vs LOMBARD

Thales Leites’ last pro fight was a victorious one, as the middleweight veteran from Rio de Janeiro outworked and outpointed Hector Lombard over three rounds, taking a unanimous decision victory to end his career with a 28-9 record.

The 37-year-old, a former middleweight title challenger, retires with 13 UFC wins, third most in UFC history.

It was a tactical first round from the two veterans, with Lombard’s tactic of attacking Leites’ leg with kicks being the winning strategy for the frame.

Leites upped his work rate in the second round and had a lot of success with his standup game, leaving Lombard with a bad cut over his right eye. Leites wasn’t left unscathed by the battle, as he had a knot above his knee and swelling around his eye. But as the bout progressed, it was Leites outworking Lombard, and it was no surprise that he took the decision via three scores of 29-28.

Lombard, who has lost six straight, falls to 34-10-1 with 2 NC.

ZALESKI DOS SANTOS vs VENDRAMINI

Parana’s Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos upped his current winning streak to six with another highlight reel knockout, this one a second-round finish of Octagon debutant Luigi Vendramini.

Vendramini sought a takedown in the first 30 seconds, but Zaleski dos Santos responded with a Peruvian necktie, but the newcomer got loose and took his foe’s back as the two stood. A rear naked choke attempt followed and the two fell to the mat, allowing ZDS to escape. With 1:39 left, the two broke and Zaleski dos Santos landed some solid strikes before the end of the round.

Early in the second, Vendramini appeared to hurt himself after throwing a kick, and as the 22-year-old backed up, Zaleski dos Santos delivered one of his trademark finishes, as he landed a right knee and followed with a right hand that put Vendramini down and out, with referee Fernando Portella halting the bout at 1:20 of round two.

With the win, Zaleski dos Santos moves to 20-5. Brasilia’s Vendramini, who came in on short notice to replace the injured Belal Muhammad, falls to 19-6.

SOUZA vs CHAMBERS

Former Invicta FC strawweight champion Livinha Souza made an immediate impact in her UFC debut, taking just 81 seconds to submit Australia’s Alex Chambers.

Aggressively going after Chambers at the start of the bout, Souza showed off her hands before taking her opponent to the mat. There, she continued to work, eventually sinking in the guillotine choke that forced Chambers to tap out at the 1:21 mark, a submission that was the fastest in UFC strawweight history.

Sao Paulo’s Souza moves to 12-1 with the win. Chambers falls to 5-5.