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The UFC once again provided great entertainment for the fans. Nights like this show how great the sport of MMA truly is. UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Vera was the promotion's 100th Fight Night hosted by ESPN, a height that nobody involved with the organization's infancy stages would've predicted.
The event went above and beyond in excitement with quick finishes, wild upsets, and matches that'll be replayed for years to come.
Here are the 5 best finishes from UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Vera:
#5. Joanderson Brito stops Andre Fili at UFC Fight Night
It would be fair to say few fans saw this bout going the way it did. Team Alpha Male's Andre Fili is one of the most feared strikers in the featherweight division. Though Brito is a well-rounded adversary, he wasn't expected to do what he did.
Just as the two were testing each other out in the early goings of the fight, the Brazilian had enough of the feeling-out process and wanted to dive in. A jab landed and caught the attention of Fili, but it was the following right hand that floored the American.
Though 'Touchy' was attempting to recover, it wasn't enough in the eyes of the referee, and the fight was stopped. Just 41 seconds into the first round, Brito became the second fighter in the organization to stop Fili with strikes.
#4. Shanna Young defeats Gina Mazany
Shanna Young entered her bout as a promising fighter who couldn't quite get her hand raised. Taking on the well-experienced Gina Mazany was quite the task the promotion gave her, but she passed with flying colors.
The fight was competitive early on, but it seemed that 'Danger' had a pace that would eventually drown Young as the contest progressed. However, the script was flipped, and Mazany seemed to struggle to keep up with that pace.
'The Shanimal' secured top position from a scramble in round two, and she made the most out of it. The 31-year-old gained back control and used it to dominate her opponent. As Young rained down fists, not allowing Mazany to recover a better position, the referee intervened, and the American walked away with her first win.
#3. Francisco Figueiredo defeats Daniel Lacerda
The kneebar submission has been getting the attention it deserves as of late. Francisco is the brother of UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Being 1-1 in the UFC, he was hoping to bounce back into the win column at the expense of Lacerda.
Mission accomplished. In a fast-paced scramble, 'Sniper's counterpart left a leg exposed and paid dearly for this. Figueiredo secured this leg and began to hyperextend it.
There was not much resistance from 'Miojo', as this is one of the sport's most painful submissions. A tap of surrender immediately followed a punch to the body. Not just an impressive win, but a quick one at that. The stoppage came at the 1:18 mark of the first round.
#2. Alexandr Romanov defeats Chase Sherman
The odds heavily favored Romanov to win this fight. He entered this bout as the biggest betting favorite in the organization's history at -2200.
Sherman entered this bout confident nonetheless. 'The Vanilla Gorilla' put in a valiant effort, but it just wasn't his night. The takedowns from the undefeated Romanov were inevitable. 'King Kong' showed that he's elite in the grappling department.
The fighter from Moldova gained mount position and began to manipulate his opponent's arms. The heavy blows masked a submission entry. As Romanov isolated his opponent's arm, the Americana submission stopped the action and earned him his brown belt. 'King Kong' now has 16 wins and 15 finishes and proved himself a threat in the heavyweight division.
#1. Grant Dawson defeats Jared Gordon
Grant Dawson has done it again. Formerly under the tutelage of James Krause at Glory MMA and Fitness, Dawson felt the need to change his environment before he could grow complacent. This was Dawson's first fight with an American Top Team corner.
'KGD' couldn't have made the new team any more proud. A hard-fought victory consisted of his typical grueling pace, but Gordon seemed more than prepared for it. Dawson was just a step ahead in the grappling exchanges.
With less than a minute left in the bout that Dawson was ahead in, he was able to put on a rear-naked choke with his "cranky five-year-old" grip. At 4:11 of the last round, 'KGD' became the first to submit Gordon in his professional fighting career. Another victory on the record, putting the rest of the lightweight division on notice.
