UFC fans were able to view the preliminary bouts for UFC 134 via live stream on Facebook. The stream included five exciting bouts, four of those fights went the distance, and the one that finished early had a vicious knockout in the first round. Some would argue that the preliminary bouts on the UFC 134 fight card where much more exciting than the main card. This is because of less than stellar performances from veterans such as Forrest Griffin, and Yushin Okami. The final preliminary bout was an exciting match up between David Mitchell and Paulo Thiago.
Paulo Thiago, is now 14-3 in his mixed martial arts career, and was a huge fan favorite at the HSBC arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Thiago has back-to-back losses to Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann and desperately needed a win to get back on track. This Brazilian native had a significant amount of fan support as he fought in front of his fellow countryman.
David Mitchell now 11-2 had suffered his second loss since he entered the UFC. Prior to making his UFC debut in September 2010, Mitchell was undefeated with an impressive eleven fight win streak. Mitchell is a fighter out of Northern California who displayed excellent Jujitsu knowledge. He seemed well composed, but just did not have the talent to compete against Paulo Thiago.
The Fight
Round 1 – Paulo Thiago strikes first with a leg kick, followed by some heavy hands. Thiago has some serious crowd support here in Brazil. Thiago delivers a takedown into side control. The referee stands the fighters up. Again, Thiago lands a takedown on Mitchell. Paulo works Mitchell into a crucifix position.
Round 2 - Thiago scores the first takedown of the round. Mitchell attempts a sweep but is not successful. Thiago stands up out of the guard. After a small exchange of strikes, Thiago lands another takedown. He works some strikes on Mitchell then stands back up. The round ends with both fighters on their feet.
Round 3 – The crowd is fired up rooting for Thiago. Both men exchange punches. Thiago lands a big left hand, and shoots for the takedown. He works some ground strikes on Mitchell then lets him back up. Mitchell now has a mouse forming over his right eye. The action continues with both fighters trading strikes. Take down by Thiago! He now has Mitchell’s back, and is working the rear naked choke. Ten seconds left, but he does not sink in the choke. The fight ends.
Decision: Winner Paulo Thiago by unanimous decision
UFC 134 was a great show. The Brazilians on the card such as Paulo Thiago fought with all their heart, as they were fired up to fight in front of their home crowd. It has been over thirteen years since the UFC put on a show in Brazil, and most would agree because of the excitement at the arena, it won’t be another thirteen years before they return.
Darrell Pacansky - A MBA student from Trident University, who currently works in Marketing for one of the largest Chiropractic offices in the state of ...
Join the Conversation