/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20922643/20131008_jla_ooo_011.0.jpg)
Before UFC Fight Night 29: "Maia vs. Shields" main card kicked off on FOX Sports 1 tonight (Weds., Oct. 9, 2013) from Jose Correa Gymnasium in Barueri, Brazil, a four-fight "Prelims" under card was broadcast on the same network.
The latest installment of the "Prelims" had five fighters making their promotional debuts and the broadcast itself was quite good, treating mixed martial arts (MMA) fans to some entertaining fights that included a few stoppages, too.
Headlining the "Prelims" was a Welterweight bout between Ildemar Alcantara and Igor Araujo, in which the latter won a decision.
Araujo stormed out of the gate by landing two big kicks and followed up with a takedown attempt, but was unsuccessful in bringing Alcantara down with him. Alcantara was trying to keep the fight standing as much as possible as his opponent's intentions were obvious by trying to bring him down to the ground. Alcantara had a standing choke deeply sunken in and brought Araujo down to the mat with him, yet Araujo was able to survive and even finished the round in Alcantara's guard.
A clean right hand by Araujo rocked Alcantara early in the second round before Alcantara took him down and caught his opponent in an omoplata. Araujo was able to transition into a gogoplata, but his opponent escaped. A fatigued Alcantara found himself on the bottom of Araujo's attacks, as the M-1 and Shooto veteran stayed on top of him and looked for a submission finish.
In the third round, Araujo tripped Alcantara for the takedown and did much of the same that was giving him the edge -- working the body and trying to submit Alcantara in side control. Araujo pounced on Alcantara relentlessly, as the Brazilian crowd grew restless with the inactivity. Araujo ended the round strong by pummeling Alcantara with strikes yet could not finish his tough Brazilian counterpart.
Araujo wins his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut and has now won five straight bouts.
Yan Cabral had a successful promotional debut in Brazil, too, topping David Mitchell and putting on a jiu-jitsu clinic in the country that birthed the fight style.
In the first round, Mitchell tried to test Cabral's striking before the home crowd favorite secured a takedown and took Mitchell's back immediately. After a rear-naked choke attempt and multiple transitions after that failed, Cabral was terrorizing Mitchell with pressure. After Mitchell was able to climb back to his feet, he tried to land a spinning-back elbow while Cabral went for a right hook and the debutant eventually took him down again and worked to close the round.
Cabral kicked off the second round in a big way, dropping Mitchell with a right hand and followed him on the ground. Fighting off a submission attempt from Mitchell on the bottom, Cabral gripped onto Mitchell for the duration of the round, and tried to setup a triangle choke as well. Mitchell attempted an armbar midway through the round however Cabral jiu-jitsu was simply on another level.
Mitchell pitted Cabral against the fence at the beginning of the third round although Cabral did not waste anytime getting another takedown. As he continued to smother Mitchell, he attempted an arm-triangle though Mitchell was defending well -- which disabled him from attacking, too. Cabral attempted an arm-triangle choke at the end of the round but he could not capitalize.
Chris Cariaso came in as the underdog in enemy territory and shined by defeating Iliarde Santos, stopping the Brazilian in his most impressive performance with the promotion thus far.
The southpaw Cariaso took his time and tested the waters while Santos stalked him before exchanging kicks with the Brazilian. Both flyweights looked a little timid to engage until Santos scored a takedown and moved into side control. After a few stiff right hands, Santos was able to transition into mount and had Cariaso's leg trapped after not being able to capitalize on a rear-naked choke. Back on their feet, Santos rocked Cariaso with a big left hand and worked another takedown, finishing the first round in Cariaso's guard.
The second round saw more action from both competitors, as they engaged into a striking battle. Santos initially was getting the better of the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) alumni, but Cariaso started to find his range and blasted Santos with a few uppercuts. Cariaso had Santos badly hurt with a string of punches as the former Jungle Fight standout went for a takedown immediately to recover. With Cariaso unable to finish and Santos able to get back to his feet, the Brazilian looked a lot slower and was unable to come back to form. Cariaso drilled Santos with a straight left, a body shot and then a couple of right hands that had Santos leaning against the fence in a world of hurt which gave the referee no alternative but to step in. The stoppage may have come early for some yet Santos was in deep trouble and the referee did a good job of not letting him endure more punishment.
Cariaso earns his first finish in the UFC, not to mention his first since 2009 and moves to 5-3 in the Octagon. Santos is now winless (0-3) in the promotion and faces a possible axe.
The FOX Sports 1 broadcast kicked off with a bang, as Allan Patrick rocked Garrett Whiteley and won his promotional debut in front of his Brazilian faithful.
Patrick landed a good combination, setting up an early takedown just seconds into the fight. As Whiteley stood up, Patrick kept him on the fence by burying an elbow in his throat. Patrick was looking to land power shots before he clipped Whiteley's groin, which halted the bout for a few seconds. With his hands down, Patrick almost landed a capoeira kick flush on Whiteley's chin before going for another takedown.
As fancy as one could be, Patrick landed a spinning-elbow and a big right hand, as his opponent looked flat-footed early on.
The Brazilian then landed a left hook right on Whiteley's chin which forced the American to drop and was unable to recover after Patrick swarmed him with punches on the ground.
Patrick's debut was deemed a successful one as he moves to 11-0 in his MMA career and secures his first finish in his past three fights.
Here are the complete results from UFC Fight Night 29: "Prelims" Card:
Ildemar Alcantara vs. Igor Araujo -- Araujo wins by unanimous decision (29-28x3)
Yan Cabral vs. David Mitchell -- Cabral wins by unanimous decision (30-27x3)
Iliarde Santos vs. Chris Cariaso -- Cariaso wins by TKO (strikes), at 4:31 of round two.
Allan Patrick vs. Garett Whiteley -- Patrick wins by TKO (strikes), at 3:54 of round one.
Be sure to follow our live coverage for UFC Fight Night 29: "Maia vs. Shields," including play-by-play updates, right here.