Costa took a calculated risk, filled in for Imanol
Rodriguez on short notice and capitalized on his
opportunity.
The Lobo Gym product took built some more momentum in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, as he wiped out Matt
Schnell with punches in the first round of their featured
UFC Fight Night 278 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las
Vegas. Schnell (17-11, 7-9 UFC) bowed out of their 130-pound
catchweight affair 2:32 into Round 1.
Costa (16-5, 4-3 UFC) bided his time, made his reads and hit the
accelerator when the situation called for it.
He dazed and felled Schnell with a clean left hook, sprawled on a
desperation takedown attempt, pinned the American beneath him and
let fly with rapid-fire hammerfists until the job was
done.
Meanwhile, MMA Lab mainstay Marcus
McGhee outstruck and outmaneuvered John Yannis
to a unanimous decision in their three-round bantamweight battle.
All three judges turned in scorecards for McGhee (11-2, 5-1 UFC):
30-27, 30-27 and 29-28.
A late-notice replacement for Jakub
Wiklacz, Yannis (10-5, 1-2) UFC) made the longtime John Crouch
apprentice work for every inch of ground he gained. McGhee fought
effectively from the orthodox and southpaw stances, as he unleashed
a persistent jab, kicks to all levels and sporadic counters. Yannis
seemed to steady himself in the middle stanza, but his output
plummeted across the final five minutes. McGhee seized the reins,
piled up points and sewed up loose ends against the ex-Fury
Fighting Championship titleholder.
McGhee, 36, has won seven of his past eight bouts.
Further down the undercard, onetime Combate Global champion
Edgar
Chairez took out Bruno
“Bulldog” Silva with a club-and-sub rear-naked choke in the
first round of their flyweight clash.
Silva (15-9-2, 5-6 UFC) clocked out 4:13 into Round 1,
suffering his first submission defeat since Sept. 24, 2011.
Chairez (14-6, 4-2 UFC) troubled the Fight Ready product with his
length and reach. He decked Silva with a right cross, allowed him
to stand, eventually lured him into another exchange and sat him
down a second time by pairing a right uppercut with a left hook.
Chairez pounced on his fallen prey, climbed into full mount,
progressed to the back and cinched the fight-ending choke.
The 30-year-old Chairez has rattled off three straight
victories.
Elsewhere, Chelsea
Chandler rebounded from consecutive losses to Yana Santos
and Joselyne
Edwards, as she dismissed Lioness Studio standout Priscila
Cachoeira with an armbar in the first round of their women’s
bantamweight confrontation.
Chandler (7-4, 3-3 UFC) sealed the deal 3:42 into Round
1.
Cachoeira (13-9, 5-9 UFC) turned her powerful hands loose, only to
be met with return fire. Chandler dropped the Brazilian with a left
hook to the top of the head and a follow-up right hand, powered
into top position and floated to the back. From there, the Cesar
Gracie disciple activated her ground-and-pound, transitioned to
the armbar and forced the tap.
It was Chandler’s first successful submission in almost six
years.
Deeper into the prelims, Chute Boxe export Joanderson
Brito put away Jordan
Leavitt with a ninja choke in the first round of their
featherweight encounter. Leavitt (13-4, 6-4 UFC), who entered the
cage on the strength of back-to-back victories over Kurt
Holobaugh and Yadier Del
Valle, waved the white flag of surrender 4:19 into Round 1.
Brito (19-5-1, 7-3 UFC) stymied the Syndicate MMA rep’s repeated
bids for takedowns and tie-ups, then waited for him to make a
mistake.
Leavitt soon crashed forward with an ill-advised double-leg attempt
and wandered into the Joao Emilio protégé’s waiting arms. Brito bit
down on the choke, cut off avenues of escape and prompted the
tapout.
The 31-year-old Brito now boasts 16 finishes among his 18
professional wins.
Finally, former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Ketlen
Souza dispatched Ariane
Carnelossi with punches and a head kick in the first round of
their women’s strawweight rematch.
Souza (17-6, 4-3 UFC) drew the curtain a cool 94 seconds into Round
1.
Carnelossi (15-5, 3-4 UFC)—who had stopped her Brazilian compatriot
with a body kick in their first meeting seven years ago—tested the
waters with jabs to the body, a few leg kicks and the occasional
multi-punch burst. Souza was unimpressed. She staggered Carnelossi
with an overhand right, floored her with a subsequent head kick and
slammed the door with a sweeping standing-to-ground left.
It was the sixth first-round stoppage of Souza’s career.
In other action, Jeisla
Chaves (8-0, 1-0 UFC) eked out a split decision—29-28, 28-29,
29-28—over Yuneisy
Duben (6-2, 0-2 UFC) in their three-round women’s flyweight
tilt.