The tension in Rio was palpable as Vicente Luque and Joel Alvarez stepped into the Octagon. Early in the opening round, a strong strike from Alvarez, misinterpreted as an eye poke, plunged the fight into complete disarray. The referee paused the action, summoned a doctor, and granted Luque extra time to recover, leaving fans in disbelief.

Even though replays confirmed the strike as clean, the scene felt surreal, as if the rules had temporarily bent. Alvarez, making his UFC welterweight debut, appeared faster and more dynamic than usual, while Luque, seasoned and consistent, survived the storm with accurate counters.

The controversial opening round concluded with ‘El Fenomeno’ landing a flying knee and a flurry, suggesting that the fight was far from over. As the fight progressed, Joel Alvarez pressed the action, dominated positions, and threatened submissions, yet the referee’s cautious handling frustrated viewers.

Social media was instantly filled with fury as soon as the round ended. Many people pointed to bias, accusing the referee of favoring Luque. “Vicente Luque recovered well after getting stunned early in the round and a bit of help from the regional referee,” one fan wrote. Another added, “What an homer decision from Osiris Maia. Found all the time he could for Luque to recover from a legal blow.”

And some didn’t hold back: “It was a TKO for Joel Álvarez, and the regional referee and the athletic commission did everything wrong.” The outcry was immediate, loud, and unrelenting, a chorus of disbelief echoing far beyond the arena.

Several others joined in, raising their voices against the fight being robbed. After all, this fight should have been stopped for a TKO due to a legal punch in Round 1 or due to unanswered blows in Round 2. “That was a legal punch; this should be a TKO win for Joel Alvarez #UFCRio,” a fan tweeted. Another user said, “Nobody seems to know the rules, but that should be a TKO.”

A third fan wrote, “Um, did the ref just screw Joel Alvarez over? Stopping the fight for a legal strike is WILD.” In real time, Alvarez supporters felt robbed: “Joel Alvarez won by first-round TKO, and it got taken away from him,” and “At least take a point from Vicente Luque, wtf?! Joel Alvarez is getting robbed.”

Ultimately, UFC Rio did manage to bring some intense drama, controversy, and a storyline that will be debated for weeks. Joel Alvarez proved his talent and power, which will surely leave a sour taste. The Octagon in Rio became the site of one of the most heated officiating controversies in recent memory, and ‘El Fenomeno’ fans are already demanding redemption in his next fight. But what if Luque had won the fight? Well, that surely would’ve had the fans up in arms, and ‘The Silent Assassin’ beating the underdog tag he had walking in.

Vicente Luque Fails to Surprise as the Underdog

Vicente Luque came to UFC Rio determined to overturn his underdog status, ready to show that fighting at home may give him an advantage over short-notice replacement Joel Alvarez. But Alvarez quickly seized control, applying precision striking and powerful top pressure to keep Luque off guard. Despite his expertise and the home crowd’s support, ‘The Silent Assassin’ struggled to respond well once Alvarez dictated the pace.

Vicente Luque had hoped the underdog tag would motivate him, saying before the bout, “Anything that you put against me is gonna be motivation, an extra fire to go out there and do what I do.” Instead, Joel Alvarez’s timing, aggression, and defensive wrestling dampened the fire, leaving Luque with few chances to launch a comeback. Even when Luque tried takedowns, ‘El Fenomeno’ maintained control, pounding him with hammer fists and threatening submissions.

In the end, Luque’s attempt to turn the narrative on its head fell short. The anticipated upset never materialized, thus his reputation remained intact, but his momentum stalled. UFC Rio proved that being an underdog isn’t enough; Alvarez answered every challenge Luque threw at him, showing that the Brazilian star will need more than hometown energy to reclaim dominance in future fights.