Featherweight finisher Joanderson Brito was getting a little frustrated with his opponent’s complaints to the ref, but found a way to silence everything in the second round.
In the final preliminary bout of UFC Fight Night 232, Brito (16-3-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) took on Jonathan Pearce (14-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC). It was a close fight with a steady back-and-forth flow. Pearce vocalized a few complaints to the referee during the action though, which prompted Brito to loudly mock him during grappling exchanges against the cage. While on top, Pearce challenged Brito to “get up and do something.”
Challenge accepted.
Brito worked his way back to his feet, and slapped on a sneaky ninja choke against the fence, and Pearce couldn’t escape. The tap came at 3:43 of Round 2, recording Brito’s fourth consecutive finish. When the referee stopped the fight, Brito popped up off the canvas, took off his fight shorts, and threw his mouthpiece in celebration.
Check out the finish and celebration below (via X):
Closing out the #UFCVegas82 prelims with a BANG 🤯
Joanderson Brito gets the submission victory in round 2! pic.twitter.com/GQDz18vgCs
— UFC (@ufc) November 18, 2023
With the win, Brito extended his current winning streak to four. Each fight during his run ended before the third round; he finished Andre Fili, Lucas Alexander and Westin Wilson in the first round, and now Pearce in Round 2. Brito dropped a unanimous decision in his debut after an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, but has since looked like a real future contender.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 232 results include:
- Joanderson Brito def. Jonathan Pearce via submission (ninja choke) – Round 2, 3:54
- Jose Johnson def. Chad Anheliger via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:49
- Christian Duncan def. Denis Tiuliulin via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:24
- Jeka Saragih def. Lucas Alexander via KO (punches) – Round 1, 1:31
- Ailin Perez def. Lucie Pudilova via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Trey Ogden vs. Nikolas Motta ends in a no contest (referee error) – Round 3, 3:11
- Rafael Estevam def. Charles Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.
