Joanderson Brito, who’s known for exploiting the slightest opening, has taken another step forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division. He showed this when he disposed of opponent Jonathan Pearce with a second-round ninja choke in their featured UFC Fight Night 232 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. With 16 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw, Brito managed to pull off the choke 3:54 into round two.
Following a competitive first round, Pearce had originally seized the reins with a takedown and held top control as he leveraged ground-and-pound in the middle stanza. However, Brito managed to build a base, returned to his feet, and locked in the choke as he moved to escape. His hold was so powerful and true that Pearce had no option but to concede. Meanwhile, Twin Wolves MMA’s Jose Johnson subdued fellow contender, Chad Anheliger, with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their bantamweight battle. Anheliger ended up surrendering 4:49 in round three in what was his first appearance in over a year.
Johnson utilized a six-inch height and seven-inch reach advantage in all phases of their contest, outdoing Anheliger in the scrambles and shrugged off a few brushes with adversity. Anheliger executed a takedown in the first minute of the third round, only to be met by a stream of elbows and short punches from a resourceful Johnson. After escaping an ill-advised guillotine choke, Johnson then swept into top position, and secured the fight-ending choke. Earning his fourth victory in his last five outings, the 28-year-old Johnson has been on a roll.
In other bouts, Christian Leroy Duncan of the Range Martial Arts Academy took down Denis Tiuliulin in the second round of their middleweight altercation, using a series of picos and follow-up punches. A last-minute substitute, Tiuliulin checked out 4:24 into round two. Duncan successfully wore down the Russian in the clinch in the first round before executing an array of offensive weapons in the second round. Backing him down to the fence, Duncan took him down with standing elbows from both sides and a stream of punches, marking Tiuliulin’s third consecutive loss.