Ovince St. Preux Delivers 34-Second Finish on ‘Shogun’ Rua in UFC Fight Night Main Event

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Nothing silences a rowdy crowd quite like the sight of a fallen hero.

Ovince St. Preux ripped apart former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight titleholder Mauricio Rua en route to a quick first-round technical knockout in the UFC Fight Night “Shogun vs. St. Preux” headliner on Saturday at Tancredo Neves Municipal Gymnasium in Uberlandia, Brazil. It was over in just 34 seconds.

Rua (22-10, 6-8 UFC) swooped in with a wild overhand, leaving himself open for the counter. A replacement for the injured Jimi Manuwa, St. Preux (17-6, 5-1 UFC) caught the forward-moving Brazilian with a perfectly placed left hook that put “Shogun” on the ground. The Strikeforce veteran wasted no time in capitalizing on the opportunity, as a series of unanswered lefts on the ground forced referee Mario Yamasaki to act on Rua’s behalf.

The 32-year-old “Shogun” has dropped four of his past five bouts.

Undefeated Alves Avoids Upset

In the welterweight co-main event, “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Season 3 winner Warlley Alves escaped with a controversial unanimous decision against Resurrection Fighting Alliance alum Alan Jouban. Alves (8-0, 2-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with 29-28s across the board.

Jouban (10-3, 1-1 UFC) weathered a ferocious barrage from the gifted Brazilian in the opening moments of the match, as Alves swarmed immediately with punches, drove the Eddie Bravo protégé to the mat and squeezed on a guillotine choke. Jouban battled back and had the X-Gym prospect reeling with a liver kick late in the round.

The second round gave way to similar give and take between the two welterweights. Alves opened a cut on his American adversary with a short right hook, executed a takedown and slid to half guard, but again, Jouban broke through late in the frame.

By the time the third round began, it became clear Alves was spent. Jouban piled up points with multi-punch bursts, standing elbows and kicks to the legs and body. Still, it was not enough to sway the judges.

Da Silva Wins 11th Straight

Claudio Henrique da Silva leaned on timely takedowns, a sturdy chin and a brutish top game, as he eked out a split decision over onetime British Association of Mixed Martial Arts champion Leon Edwards in a competitive welterweight affair. All three judges scored it 29-28, two of them siding with da Silva (11-1, 2-0 UFC).

Edwards (8-2, 0-1 UFC) controlled extended parts of the match with his standup, as he fired away with clean, crisp counters and searing left hooks. However, da Silva waded through dangerous waters to get the fight where he wanted. Edwards lost his foothold in the fight late in the second round and offered little in the third.

There, da Silva secured a takedown, achieved full mount and tore into the British newcomer with ground-and-pound before threatening with an arm-triangle choke.

Da Silva has won his last 11 fights.

Lima Manhandles Late Replacement

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 19 finalist Dhiego Lima recorded his fourth win in five outings, as he cruised to a unanimous decision over Renovacao Fight Team’s Jorge Antonio Cezario de Oliveira in a featured welterweight encounter. Lima (10-2, 1-1 UFC) carried all three scorecards with 30-27 marks.

A short-notice replacement for Pawel Pawlak, de Oliveira (7-1, 0-1 UFC) could not stay upright. Lima struck for one takedown after another, moved to mount in all three rounds and blasted his fellow Brazilian with sustained ground-and-pound.

A finish was within reach more than once -- a rear-naked choke presented itself in the first round -- but Lima settled for a one-sided decision.

Carneiro Spoils Ansaroff Debut

Takedowns and a smothering top game carried Juliana de Lima Carneiro to a unanimous verdict over MMA Masters representative Nina Ansaroff in a women’s strawweight showcase. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Carneiro (7-2, 1-1 UFC).

Ansaroff (6-4, 0-1 UFC) threatened with a triangle choke and a standing guillotine in the first round and tried an armbar in the second, but she spent too much time fighting from her back. Fatigue overtook both women in round three, as they danced in the clinch and exchanged plodding knees in close quarters.

Ansaroff made a final push in the waning moments with spinning attacks and looping combinations, but the finish she needed never materialized.

Unbeaten Rivas Outpoints Perez

Chilean export Diego Rivas stayed undefeated, as he took a unanimous decision from fellow “Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” castmate Rodolfo Rubio Perez in an undercard tilt at 145 pounds. Rivas (6-0, 1-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with identical 30-27 scores.

Rivas executed takedowns in all three rounds and delivered more of the significant strikes on the feet. The 15-minute match featured repeated positional exchanges between the two inexperienced featherweights. Perez (12-7, 0-1 UFC) twice achieved full mount but surrendered top position on both occasions.

Rivas punctuated a victorious Octagon debut in the third round, where he escaped mount, settled in top position and scored with shoulder strikes and short punches.

Magalhaes Stops Smith in 31 Seconds

Former Shooto Americas champion Caio Magalhaes took care of Trevor Smith with a first-round knee strike and a violent volley of follow-up hammerfists in their preliminary middleweight clash. Smith (12-6, 2-3 UFC) succumbed to the blows 31 seconds into round one.

Magalhaes (9-1, 4-1 UFC) backed up the Strikeforce veteran with clubbing lefts and rights, cracked him with a left hook and then cut loose with the knee. A staggered Smith then absorbed a burst of hammerfists, some of which appeared to strike the back of the ahead, that left him face down and unconscious.

The 26-year-old Magalhaes has rattled off four wins in a row.

Silva Taps Reeling Brenneman

Chute Boxe’s Leandro Silva submitted Charlie Brenneman with a first-round rear-naked choke in an undercard battle at 155 pounds. The end came 4:15 into round one, as Silva (17-2-1, 1-2 UFC) slid the choke into place, cut off all means of escape and handed “The Spaniard” his third consecutive defeat.

Brenneman (19-8, 4-7 UFC) struck for multiple takedowns in the brief encounter and raised a nasty hematoma on the Brazilian’s forehead with a well-placed elbow from the top. However, Silva grew wise to his attacks. He countered one of Brenneman’s takedown attempts, climbed to the AMA Fight Club representative’s back and cinched the choke.

Silva, 28, has won six of his past seven bouts.

Prospect Almeida Now 17-0

Former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder Thomas Almeida kept his perfect professional record intact in his organizational debut, as he claimed a unanimous decision over a game Tim Gorman in a preliminary bantamweight pairing. All three cageside judges scored it for Almeida (17-0, 1-0 UFC): 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.

Gorman (8-4, 0-2 UFC) had his moments. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 18 alum landed multiple takedowns and did significant damage to Almeida’s right eye with a stabbing left jab. It was not enough.

Almeida had the American ducking for cover on various occasions in the second and third rounds, where he complimented stinging leg kicks and left hooks to the liver with uppercuts and knees up the middle. The 23-year-old Chute Boxe prospect’s multi-punch combinations were things of beauty.

Covington Choke Submits Gomes

American Top Team prospect Colby Covington submitted Wagner Silva Gomes with a third-round rear-naked choke in an undercard scrap at 170 pounds. A graduate of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Season 3, Gomes (3-2, 0-2 UFC) conceded defeat 3:26 into round three.

Covington (7-0, 2-0 UFC) executed repeated takedowns, scored with mild ground-and-pound and stifled the Brazilian in the clinch for much of the first two rounds. In the third, the undefeated 26-year-old delivered another takedown, moved to side control and ultimately transitioned to the back, snaking his arms around the neck
of an unsuspecting Gomes.

A two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Oregon State University, Covington has secured five of his seven wins by submission.