LONDON – Jafel Filho’s toughness was on full display before he got the finish.
Filho (15-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was dropped with numerous body shots by Barez (16-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC), but somehow survived. After making his way back up, Filho and Barez started exchanging bombs, with both men having success. But Filho decided to take the fight to the ground, which immediately paid dividends. He cinched in an arm-triangle choke to submit Barez at the 1:34 mark of Round 1 Saturday at The O2, in what was a wild fight while it lasted.
Check out the replay of Filho’s finish below (via Twitter):
Jafel Filho wastes no time with a first round submission to start #UFCLondon 👏 pic.twitter.com/NFYzLqXj5l
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 22, 2023
Filho scored his first octagon win after dropping his promotional debut to Muhammed Mokaev at UFC 286 in March. The Brazilian Contender Series graduate has now won six of his past seven.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 224.
