Bruno Lopes was unwilling to let his second Dana White’s Contender Series chance slip through his fingers.
At DWCS 67, Lopes (13-1) finished opponent Mikheil Sazhiniani (13-3) with a series of body blows for a stoppage at 4:14 of Round 3. The light heavyweight bout was the third of the series’ eighth season, which launched with its first card Tuesday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Sazhiniani had a strong opening round. As the fight progressed, however, the tables turned. Sazhiniani wore down and Lopes’ body shots expedited the process of cardio failure. A big step-knee to the body by Lopes just prior to the finish hurt Sazhiniani. Seconds later, a body punch put Sazhiniani in visible agony. Lopes pounced and landed a series of punches to the midsection as Sazhiniani covered up.
The body work paid off 😤
Bruno Lopes takes care of business!
Watch #DWCS NOW on @ESPNPlus 📺 pic.twitter.com/hvwYys9zZ1
— UFC (@ufc) August 14, 2024
Lopes, 31, makes good one year after he lost in a massive upset to Brendson Ribeiro on DWCS in 2023. After the loss, he returned to LFA where he defended his title in January with a second-round submission win.
Sazhiniani, 27, has a six-fight winning streak snapped. The Georgian light heavyweight had competed in BRAVE CF and Octagon among other promotions prior to Tuesday’s bout.
The up-to-the-minute DWCS 67 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 67.
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