
Fight Coverage
After the prelims wrapped with a finish, the action remained hot and heavy on the main card, as four of the first five bouts ended inside the distance before Brazilians Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba got after it in a strawweight headliner carrying legitimate championship ramifications.
Hyder Amil kicked things off with an incomparable finishing barrage before Dooho Choi and Bruno Silva collected second-round stoppage wins. After Kurt Holobaugh and Kaynan Kruschewsky went the distance in a gun, grimy encounter at lightweight, Steve Garcia collected his fourth straight stoppage win, setting up the all-Brazilian showdown in the main event.
And in the main event, Jandiroba showed she’s ready to challenge for championship gold, submitting Lemos in the second round to lock up her fourth straight victory.
It was a thoroughly entertaining night of action inside the Octagon, and we’ve got all the details of what transpired collected for you here. | Official Scorecards | Prelim Results
The fight between Hyder Amil and JeongYeong Lee lasted just over 60 seconds and they very well may have landed 457 combined strikes during that time.
The featherweights waded into the center and just started throwing, with Lee stinging Amil first before the Dana White’s Contender Series alum planted his feet and started planting shots on the South Korean’s jaw. It was a 38-punch flurry that finally brought about the standing stoppage, giving Amil his second UFC victory and one of the most electric performances of the year.
Now 10-0 as a pro, the 34-year-old has firmly established himself as a must-see action fighter through his first two UFC outings, and could get a step up in competition after this wildly entertaining performance.
The featherweight clash between Dooho Choi and Bill Algeo was every bit as action-packed as anticipated, with “The Korean SuperBoy” collecting the second-round stoppage win.
Every minute of this fight was non-stop activity, as the duo traded blows and punishing attacks from the outset. While Algeo appeared to be the more active and efficient of the two in the opening stanza, Choi’s power was clearly on a different level, and in the second, a series of targeted lefts eventually hurt the Pennsylvania native to the point that he was forced to back off and take a knee, bringing the fight to a close.
This was an emotional win for the now 33-year-old Choi, as he was able to snap a four-fight run without a victory and pick up his first UFC win since knocking out Thiago Tavares in July 2016.
What a comeback for Bruno Silva!
Late in the second round of a fight he was losing convincingly, Silva clobbered Cody Durden with a swift, precise uppercut that sent his mouthguard flying out of the Octagon, and from there, the Brazilian pounced, levelling the American with a barrage of elbows and punches that ended the fight.
Silva has now earned four consecutive stoppage victories, showcasing a different type of power than is traditionally seen in the flyweight division. If he can stay active, “Bulldog” could be a big time player in the 125-pound weight class.
The fight between Kurt Holobaugh and Kaynan Kruschewsky ended the run of finishes on Saturday night, but it wasn’t for lack of trying, as the lightweight DWCS graduates paired off in a wildly entertaining back-and-forth that went the distance.
While Kruschewsky tried to make this a technical battle early, Holobaugh dragged this fight into the mud, making the Brazilian meet him on his terms in a grimy affair. Holobaugh was the more consistently effective of the two, blasting Kruschewsky on the feet and grappling well in spurts, while his counterpart showed flashes and chased choke attempts that could not be fully realized.
When the tens and nines were tallied, it was Holobaugh that came away on the happy side of the result, earning 29-28 scores across the board and a trip back to the win column in the process.
Steve Garcia has now earned four straight victories, collecting his fourth straight knockout win over SeungWoo Choi in the co-main event of the evening.
As expected, these two got after it from the outset, and once Garcia found Choi’s chin, it was the beginning of the end. With the South Korean on rubber legs, the New Mexico native kept firing off heavy shots, eventually putting Choi on the deck, where he pounded out the finish.
Since beginning his UFC tenure with just a single victory in his first three appearances, the 32-year-old Garcia has put together a blistering run of success. He’s now each of his last four outings inside the distance, showcasing tremendous tenacity, power, and finishing instincts, and should land another step up in competition next time out.
We have a new contender in the strawweight division, as Virna Jandiroba showcased her superiority on the canvas and submitted recent title challenger Amanda Lemos to collect her fourth straight win.
The former Invicta FC champ was a step ahead of Lemos at every turn on the canvas, controlling the action in the first as the two scrambled through positions, and after Lemos opted to bring the fight to the ground in the second, “Cacerea” took full advantage, working around to her back. After briefly looking for a rear-naked choke, Jandiroba shifted her hips and attacked an armbar, forcing Lemos to tap in just ahead of the horn at the end of the second.
Jandiroba was one of two top contenders that has yet to face Zhang Weili for the title, along with Tatiana Suarez, and after tapping out Lemos, she could very well find herself sharing the Octagon with the Chinese champion later this year. Just an outstanding performance in the biggest moment of her career from the charismatic and entertaining Jandiroba.
UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs Jandiroba took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. See the Final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!