Luis Felipe Dias
Brazil
Turns tide to earn contract
Luis Felipe Dias defeated Donavan Hedrick via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:37 of Round 2 at Dana White's Contender Series on Tuesday. After the show, he was one of six fighters to be officially awarded a UFC contract.
ANALYSIS
Dias made the walk for the first time in over two years on Tuesday, which may explain the hesitancy to strike early. Rather than control the fight, Dias opted for an extreme counterpunching style, which led to the Brazilian fighter eating stiff jabs and combinations. Still, Dias leaned on what he does best, as he immediately looked for the back during each grappling scenario, which eventually led to a choke in the final minute of Round 2. The 30-year-old is long on experience and looks like he was chiseled out of marble. These attributes may have been contributing factors in his promotion. However, he will need to show much more than what he offered here, as he was almost certainly losing this bout before he found the finish. Dias improved to 16-5-0 in professional MMA as a result of the victory.
Dias made the walk for the first time in over two years on Tuesday, which may explain the hesitancy to strike early. Rather than control the fight, Dias opted for an extreme counterpunching style, which led to the Brazilian fighter eating stiff jabs and combinations. Still, Dias leaned on what he does best, as he immediately looked for the back during each grappling scenario, which eventually led to a choke in the final minute of Round 2. The 30-year-old is long on experience and looks like he was chiseled out of marble. These attributes may have been contributing factors in his promotion. However, he will need to show much more than what he offered here, as he was almost certainly losing this bout before he found the finish. Dias improved to 16-5-0 in professional MMA as a result of the victory.
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