LAS VEGAS – Caio Machado can admit he didn’t put on the most entertaining showing, but was the far more active fighter at Dana White’s Contender Series 57.
Machado (8-1-1) swept the judges’ scorecards to defeat Kevin Szaflarski (11-2) by unanimous decision on Tuesday – and it was enough to earn him a UFC contract.
To Machado’s defense, he came out swinging wildly. But the Brazilian says a hand injury in Round 2 limited his offense, which led to an uneventful affair.
“I think I did my best,” Machado told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I dominated the fight from the beginning to finish. I tried to go for the knockout, but unfortunately I started messing up my hand and foot. I needed to pick my shots a little bit more and not just throw, so I probably would have finished that fight.
“I saw the stats. I think I threw over 100 strikes more than this guy. I defended all the takedowns he attempted. He couldn’t hold me against the cage. He couldn’t hold me down. It wasn’t the most exciting fight, but I dominated. I showed control, I showed dominance, and I know at the end of the day, that’s what I’m here for.”
Machado, who is eyeing his UFC debut in the rumored Nov. 4 card in Sao Paulo, vowed to put on a better showing in his next outing.
“Whoever was watching that, sorry – that’s not my best performance,” Machado said. “I like to go for the KO. I like to go for the finish, and next time and every time after that, that’s what I’m going to be doing. But you can also expect me to work for every second of that fight.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 57.
