Fighter pays tribute to deceased mother after submitting hometown opponent at UFC Winnipeg.

Robert Valentine beside Mairon Santos Before his victory at UFC Winnipeg. Photo: Instagram Robert Valentine

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Robert Valentine He starred in one of the most exciting moments of UFC Winnipeg, held this Saturday (18). The Swede faced Julien Leblanc and gave the Canadian no chance. Still in the first round, the 'Viking' took the fight to the ground and secured the victory with a rear-naked choke. Afterwards, he dedicated the triumph to his mother, who recently passed away.

The most striking moment happened right after the submission. Valentin loosened his grip, broke down in tears, and knelt in the octagon.

Robert Valentine destroys and only Julien Leblanc in the first round 🚨#UFCWinnipeg | Watch live by @PPlusDeportes pic.twitter.com/AGTDqUfreJ

- UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) April 18, 2026

With this result, the Swede reached 11 career wins, achieving his first in the UFC and ending a streak of three consecutive losses in the organization. Julien Leblanc, on the other hand, suffered his third defeat, precisely in his Ultimate debut.

Gokhan Saricam knocks out rival in UFC debut.

In the only heavyweight (up to 120,2 kg) bout of the night, Gokhan Saricam turned off the lights. Tanner Boser In the final part of the second round, the Turk showed his sharp boxing skills and, after staggering the Canadian with a right straight, finished the fight with ground and pound.

The two fighters went straight into a stand-up exchange right from the start of the fight. While Boser moved laterally, feinted, and varied his strikes, Saricam adopted a more aggressive stance. He came close to knocking out his opponent with powerful punches against the cage in the final minute of the first round.

After listening to his corner's instructions, Boser tried to avoid direct exchanges, but continued to be hit by quick combinations to the head during the second round. At one point, he even fell after missing a punch, but recovered and had his best moment in the fight by pressing Saricam against the cage, connecting with knees and short elbows.

Despite his comeback, the Canadian was ultimately surprised by a powerful right hook in the final seconds of the round. Boser went down, and referee Herb Dean stopped the fight at 4 minutes and 43 seconds of the second round, preserving the athlete's physical integrity.