Michael Aswell made a powerful statement at UFC Rio, stopping Brazil’s Lucas Almeida in the very first round of their featherweight clash. Returning to 145 pounds after a short-notice lightweight debut, the Texan came out aggressive from the start, pressing forward behind sharp right hands. Almeida answered with some solid leg kicks but was quickly overwhelmed by Aswell’s pressure and precision.

Midway through the round, Aswell clipped Almeida with a right hand that sent the Brazilian crashing to the mat. Although Almeida managed to get back to his feet, he was clearly dazed and was dropped twice more in quick succession. ‘The Texas Kid’ swarmed him on the ground with a barrage of elbows, forcing the referee to step in and wave off the fight.

What was wrong with Lucas Almeida?

The victory marked the Houston, Texas native’s first UFC win, improving his record to 11–3, while silencing the home crowd in Rio de Janeiro. It was a breakout moment for ‘The Texas Kid,’ who showcased his finishing power and composure on enemy turf. However, after the fight, a clip of Friday’s weigh-in showed Almeida coming in with a swollen right hand. 

People had already speculated that his hand was broken. However, he was allowed to enter the fight in that condition, like many other fighters in the past who have done the same with injuries. ‘The Matchmaker’ wrote about the obvious injury on X, writing, “Shame on the Brazilian commission for this masquerade of a fight being sanctioned.”

Meanwhile, reporter Guilherme Cruz revealed, “Lucas Almeida doesn’t throw a single right hand for as long as the fight lasts, and gets knocked out in the first round.” This became the talking point for fans, as they shamed the Brazilian commission for letting the fight go on.

Brazilian commission questioned

One user questioned the integrity of the sport. The user wrote, “Bad look for the integrity of the sport and any argument about fighter safety. Clearly couldn’t reasonably defend himself from the start.” Clearly, the UFC is also to blame for not stopping the fight.

Another user highlighted Almeida’s performance. The user commented, “He didn’t throw his right hand one single time.” It was a shock that he entered the Octagon to begin with. 

Someone else criticized the Brazilian Commission. The user remarked, “What a f—ing joke Brazilian commission let that go ahead.” It’s currently unclear how this was allowed to go under the radar. 

The next user feared Almeida wouldn’t get medical coverage from the UFC. The user wrote, “So I assume the UFC won’t cover the medical bill because he didn’t throw it once & can’t claim it happened in the fight. What a wildly stupid decision. Got a broken hand AND a brutal KO loss at home.” This remains to be seen. 

Meanwhile, this user was concerned about only one thing. The user claimed, “My only regret is that I didn’t bet more.” It was an easy win for Aswell.

Having said that, Lucas Almeida never entered the fight to win. He was probably hoping the UFC would cover his medical bill for his injured hand. What did you think of the fight?