UFC newcomers Allan Patrick and Yan Cabral made big impressions in their home country of Brazil at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields Wednesday night.
To kick off the event, Alan Patrick picked up a TKO win over fellow UFC rookie Garett Whiteley. Patrick, who shed some tears as he made his first walk out to the UFC Octagon, connected on a strong left hand that rocked Whiteley in the first round. Patrick followed up with some punches and hammerfists before the referee stepped in. The Brazilian improved to 11-0 in his pro MMA career, while the American Whiteley suffered his first loss and fell to 8-1.
In welterweight action, Yan Cabral won a unanimous decision over David Mitchell by using a dynamic display of grappling. Mitchell is a crafty veteran on the ground, but Cabral showed he’s on another level. Cabral improved his record to 11-0 in what was his first pro fight since 2011. The 30-year-old took a two-year hiatus before appearing on the second season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil earlier this year.
Main card recap: Shields edges out split decision over Maia
Chris Cariaso was the lone non-Brazilian to win on the prelims, earning a stoppage victory over Iliarde Santos in a flyweight bout. After a strong start from Santos, a big punch from Cariaso in the second round shifted the momentum and eventually led to the former WEC bantamweight getting the TKO win. The win was Cariaso’s first stoppage win under the Zuffa banner.
Also, Igor Araujo was victorious in his UFC debut, handing Ildemar Alcantara his first loss in 10 fights. Araujo won a unanimous decision to improve to 24-6; he has now won 13 of his last 14 bouts.
