UFC Fight Night Chile Had Some Highlight Reel Finishes… But Gabriel Benitez’s Slam-KO Finish Stole the Show…
It only lasted for 39 seconds but it was an absolutely phenomenal fight while it lasted. Gabriel Benitez fought Humberto Bandenay in a featherweight bout on the prelims of UFC Fight Night 129, in Santiago, Chile. It was the promotion’s first ever visit to the South American country.
Benitez is a Mexican fighter, probably most famous for appearing and flunking on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America back in 2014. Since then he’s amassed a record of 5-2 and is unbeaten in his last couple of fights.
His opponent, Bandenay is a Peruvian fighter who nobody has ever really heard of. That doesn’t matter because the pair poured violence into their single round, to open up the event. In the end, Benitez managed to achieve the 10th ever slam-KO finish in MMA history. Because what’s more entertaining than seeing someone smashed off the ground?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivrvYN8iBBw
Brutal
Why do fans love MMA? Because it is violent. Plain and simple. There are few moves in MMA that demonstrate this quite as much as a slam-KO finish. It’s such a raw and brutal act. Remember Conor McGregor’s pal, Charlie Ward getting put to sleep with one? Beautiful.
Bandenay and Benitez came out throwing hard punches. The Peruvian was dropped in the first 15 seconds and it looked like Benitez was going to put him out of his misery, before Bandenay got the hook in.
He tried to go for the submission and looked to have it locked in, but Benitez wasn’t having it. He smashed his opponent into the ground and finished him off with ground and pound. It was all over before anyone knew what had really happened. The crowd loved it and were on their feet. Primal.
Well, Gabriel Benitez's night just opened up 😅. pic.twitter.com/rpAx3E5E5V
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) May 20, 2018
Light Card
As you’d expect from a fight night card in South America, the UFC wasn’t pouring its elite talent into the event. The headline fight was high-level though, with Kamaru Usman taking on Damian Maia. The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ won by a dominant – if uninspiring decision – which he later blamed on breaking both of his hands during the fight.
In the co-main event, Tatiana Suarez managed to de-escalate another hype train by submitting Alexa Grasso in the first round. She managed to sink in a rear naked choke which Grasso had no answer for. It was quite the statement for Suarez.
Full Results:
For full results from a night filled with sweat, blood, and action, see below:
Main Card
Welterweight: Kamaru Usman def. Damian Maia (unanimous decision).
Women’s strawweight: Tatiana Suarez def. Alexa Grasso (R.1 Rear naked choke).
Light heavyweight: Dominick Reyes def. Jared Cannonier (R.1 KO).
Bantamweight: Guido Canetti def. Diego Rivas (Unanimous decision).
Women’s flyweight: Andrea Lee def. Veronica Macedo (Unanimous decision).
Welterweight: Vicente Luque def. Chad Laprise (R.1 KO).
Preliminary Card: Fox Sports 2
Welterweight: Michael Prazeres def. Zak Cummings (Split decision).
Flyweight: Alexandre Pantoja def. Brandon Moreno (Unanimous decision).
Women’s strawweight: Poliana Botelho def. Syuri Kondo (R.1 TKO).
Featherweight: Gabriel Benitez def. Humberto Bandenay (R.1 KO).
Preliminary Card: Fight Pass
Featherweight: Enrique Barzola def. Brandon Davis (Unanimous decision).
Bantamweight: Frankie Saenz def. Henry Briones (Unanimous decision).
Lightweight: Claudio Puelles def. Felipe Silva (R.3 Submission).
