Elves Brener returned to winning ways in style. The Brazilian knocked out Josiah Harrell in the first round this Saturday (26), in a lightweight bout (up to 70,3 kg), on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 121. The victory ended a streak of three consecutive losses and marked the recovery of Charles do Bronx 's training partner at Chute Boxe Diego Lima.
Charles Oliveira's teammate scores a knockout.
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Josiah Harrell started by using kicks and, at the first opportunity, managed to take Elves Brener to the ground. The Brazilian, however, quickly defended and took the fight back to striking. More relaxed, Elves began to vary his strikes and effectively used low kicks to wear down his opponent. The São Paulo native continued to pressure until he landed a precise and powerful right cross that took Harrell to the ground and secured Brener's return to winning ways.
Montel Jackson recovers from losses to Brazilians and knocks out rival.
Montel Jackson won by knockout at UFC Vegas 121. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Montel Jackson managed to knock out Ricky Simon in their bantamweight rematch (up to 61,2 kg). The victory came after two consecutive losses to Brazilians, against Raoni Barcelos and Deiveson Figueiredo . With this result, the American now has 10 wins in 14 fights in the UFC.
Montel started by using his reach advantage and landed two powerful combinations. Ricky attempted a takedown and succeeded, but couldn't maintain the fight on the ground. Montel then connected with a jab-straight combination, knocking his opponent down in the final moments. The American then tried to lock in a triangle choke, but Ricky defended. Following that, Jackson attempted an armbar, but Simon again managed to defend.
In the second round, Montel continued to use his distance effectively until he found the right moment for the knockout. The American combined punches and landed a precise sequence that sent Ricky Simon to the ground, ending the fight.
Chinese player surprises and defeats John Castaneda in a close decision.
In a bantamweight bout, Alateng Heili defeated John Castaneda by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). With this result, the Chinese fighter secured his sixth victory in nine UFC fights since 2019.
With mirrored stances, both fighters started at a more measured pace, looking to find the best distance to attack. Castaneda relied on feints and varied his kicks in the opening minutes, constantly switching stances to make it difficult for Alateng to read the opponent's stance. With a higher volume and variety of strikes, the American gained the upper hand in the first round.
In the second round, Castaneda maintained his strategy, using low kicks to control the distance and limit his opponent's advances. Alateng, in turn, began to apply more pressure and found better opportunities with combinations of punches. The Chinese fighter even tried to take the fight to the ground, but Castaneda showed good defense and neutralized the takedown attempt. The second round, however, was more balanced.
In the third round, Alateng secured a takedown early on and spent about three minutes in a dominant back position against Castaneda. The American attempted a guillotine choke, but failed to finish. However, the attempt served to reverse the position and momentarily put Castaneda in the lead. In the final stretch, the Chinese fighter took his opponent down again and controlled the decisive moments, securing the final round in his favor.
Yazmin Jauregui knocks out veteran in just 62 seconds.
Yazmin Jauregui wins at UFC Vegas 121. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
One of the night's top favorites, Yazmin Jauregui had no trouble knocking out Vanessa Demopoulos in the first round during the first fight of the night, valid for the strawweight division (up to 52,1 kg). The victory broke the Mexican's losing streak, which had been against Ketlen Souza at UFC Esfera in September 2024. On the other hand, the Greek suffered her fourth consecutive defeat.
Like a tennis player, Vanessa started the fight trying to vary her attacks and exhaling with each landed strike. Despite landing some good punches and low kicks early on, Yazmin quickly countered with heavier attacks. She cornered her rival against the cage and, after a few more connections, left her opponent unconscious on the ground with only 62 seconds left on the clock.
UFC Vegas 121 results
MAIN CARD
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Raul Rosas Jr. defeated Raoni Barcelos by knockout (injury) at 1:38 of round 5.
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Ailin Perez defeated Norma Dumont by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Light heavyweight (up to 92,9 kg): Luis Hernandez defeated Sedriques Dumas by submission (guillotine choke) at 0:57 of round 1.
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Ilimbek Akylbek defeated Mahammadali Osmanli by disqualification (illegal knee strike with opponent on the ground) at 2:19 of Round 1 – TUF Final
Strawweight (up to 52,1 kg): Tina Black defeated Melissa Amaya by technical knockout (punches) at 3:19 of round 2 – TUF Finale
PRELIMINARY CARD
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Brady Hiestand defeated Rinya Nakamura by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:07 of round 2.
Middleweight (up to 83,9 kg): Rodolfo Vieira defeated Robert Bryczek by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Light Heavyweight (up to 92,9 kg): Christian Edwards defeated Rodolfo Bellato by technical knockout (left cross and punches) at 1:47 of round 3.
Lightweight (up to 70,3 kg): Elves Brener defeated Josiah Harrell by knockout (right cross) at 4:14 of round 1.
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Montel Jackson defeated Ricky Simon by technical knockout (punches) at 2:39 of round 2.
Bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg): Alateng Heili defeated John Castaneda by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Strawweight (up to 52,1 kg): Yazmin Jauregui defeated Vanessa Demopoulos by technical knockout (punches) at 1:2 of round 1.
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