Luis Felipe Dias
Brazil
Scores knockout in company debut
Dias defeated Yi Sak Lee via TKO (Punches) at 3:40 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Macau, China.
ANALYSIS
Dias earned his UFC opportunity with a second-round submission win on Dana White's Contender Series last October. He made his officially company debut here and looked pretty good, albeit against a lower-level opponent. Clearly not worried about the power coming his way, Dias stood in front of Lee, preferring to play the counter game. It eventually worked, as a right hand connected late in the opening frame which dropped his opponent and eventually led to the stoppage. Dias is already 31 years old, but he's shown a well-rounded game in the past, with nine career wins via knockout and eight via submission.
Dias earned his UFC opportunity with a second-round submission win on Dana White's Contender Series last October. He made his officially company debut here and looked pretty good, albeit against a lower-level opponent. Clearly not worried about the power coming his way, Dias stood in front of Lee, preferring to play the counter game. It eventually worked, as a right hand connected late in the opening frame which dropped his opponent and eventually led to the stoppage. Dias is already 31 years old, but he's shown a well-rounded game in the past, with nine career wins via knockout and eight via submission.
Fight Log
Loading Fight Log...
More Fantasy News
Debut fight on tap
Dias will fight Yi Sak Lee on May 30 at UFC Fight Night 277 in Macau, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Dias's grappling made up for a slow start in his bout on the Contender Series in October, as he was able to find a choke in Round 2. Lee is a fast starter who can do a bit of everything in the cage, so Dias will need to be on his game to pick up his first win in the organization.
Dias's grappling made up for a slow start in his bout on the Contender Series in October, as he was able to find a choke in Round 2. Lee is a fast starter who can do a bit of everything in the cage, so Dias will need to be on his game to pick up his first win in the organization.
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.