At the UFC Rio weigh-ins, Saimon Oliveira grabbed all the spotlight after missing the bantamweight limit by eight pounds. Weighing in at 144 lbs, the future of the bout suddenly looked uncertain. However, Guillermo Cruz from MMA Fighting revealed that the UFC would penalize him by 50% of his purse, with an additional condition. The fight against Luan Lacerda, who made weight, would proceed only if Oliveira weighed in at 155 lbs on fight day. Fortunately, the Brazilian managed to make the required weight, and thus the fight still stayed intact. 

Well, fans were eager to see how Saimon Oliveira would perform on fight night against his opponent. Many expected him to dominate the bout, carrying an extra 19 pounds into the Octagon. But contrary to popular belief, Lacerda proved to be a much tougher puzzle to solve. From the first round, Lacerda looked confident, using a grappling-heavy approach to control most positions and even locking in a rear-naked choke for a moment. Still in the second round, the action grew even more intense. 

Oliveira started turning things around. Judging the pace, he started moving forward and landing heavy strikes on the feet. And that pressure carried over to the ground, where Oliveira began landing powerful elbows from the top, where the weight difference started to show. However, in a clever move, Luan Lacerda found a solid armbar and secured the win in the night’s only Brazil vs. Brazil bout with a verbal submission.

Leading up to this bout, both fighters entered the Octagon winless in the UFC. Oliveira was riding a three-fight losing streak, while Lacerda was on a two-fight skid. But after the 32-year-old secured his first promotional win and handed his opponent a fourth straight loss, the Brazilian expressed full confidence that an improved version of himself would become an unstoppable force.  

Luan Lacerda promises to show evolution after UFC Rio victory against Saimon Oliveira 

In the UFC, fighters turning their rough patches around and going on to achieve greatness is always a real possibility. The UFC Rio headliner, Charles Oliveira, knows that better than anyone, as he became the lightweight champion after enduring a tough run in the featherweight division. Although Lacerda didn’t mention the Brazilian legend by name, he definitely showed the same kind of determination after earning his first UFC victory — especially following a two-year hiatus.

At the UFC Rio octagon interview, he said, “I spent two years away after my second fight in the UFC. You know, it’s the time of a lot of resilience and a lot of changes and that’s what’s gonna happen. For you to be in there you have to be different, you have to be always improving,  and always changing. And I wanna tell Dana and Sean Shelby, this is the new me. This the new guy, you’re gonna see, this is a changed Luan.”  

Looking back at the performance, the 32-year-old definitely showed noticeable improvements in his game. However, his ability to make a comeback from deep waters truly deserves the most praise. If he continues to perform like this against tougher opponents, Luan Lacerda will surely find himself climbing up the rankings.

That said, what do you think about the UFC Rio event so far? Has it met your expectations, or were you hoping for it to get even better? Let us know in the comments section below.