At the time of Diego Ferreira’s UFC 242 bout, the “real feel” temperature was 125 degrees. However, the Fortis MMA product was unfazed by the heat.
After he ate a handful of hard punches and kicks from Mairbek Taisumov (27-6 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in Round 1, Ferreira (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) rallied to put on a dominant striking display in the final two frames.
The lightweight bout opened up the UFC 242 main card at The Arena at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Pressure was a main focus for the Brazilian Ferreira, who stalked Taisumov for the large majority of the three rounds. While Taiusmov noticeably faded as the fight progressed, Ferreira’s cardio continued to carry him until the final bell.
In the third round, Ferreria landed hard and often. He out-struck Taisumov 78-21, according to UFC’s official fight stats. The Round 3 dominance earned two 10-8’s on the judges final scorecards and propelled Ferreira to a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-27, 29-27).
The victory marked the fifth straight for the 34-year-old lightweight – a streak that extends back to 2016.
For Taisumov, the loss is only his second since he signed with the UFC in late 2013. The defeat snapped a six-fight win streak for “Beckan,” who racked up five finishes in that stretch.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 242 results include:
- Diego Ferreira def. Mairbek Taisumov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
- Joanne Calderwood def. Andrea Lee via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
- Zubaira Tukhugov vs. Lerone Murphy declared split draw (29-28, 28-29, 28-28)
- Sarah Moras def. Liana Jojua via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 2:26
- Ottman Azaitar def. Teemu Packalen via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:33
- Belal Muhammad def. Takashi Sato via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:55
- Muslim Salikhov def. Nordine Taleb via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:26
- Omari Akhmedov def. Zak Cummings via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Don Madge def. Fares Ziam via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
