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#2 Andre Muniz vs. Antonio Arroyo (Middleweight)
The Middleweight opener was followed up by another fight between two similar talents from the stacked 185 lbs division. The former contender series standouts were both making their respective UFC debuts. Andre Muniz was on a 4-fight winning streak while fellow Brazilian counterpart Antonio Arroyo hadn't lost in his last five fights.
Round 1: Arroyo began with a wide stance and bounced around smoothly to begin the fight.
The takedown came soon enough and before anyone knew it, Muniz had grabbed Arroyo's right arm for a possible Kimura.
Arroyo worked hard and finally got his arm out of Muniz's tight grip.
Muniz, however, was a relentless grappler and he gave an example of the same by attacking Arroyo's legs and getting him down again into full guard.
The referee called for a timeout after Muniz potentially fouled Arroyo by hitting him with a knee while the latter was grounded. However, replays showed otherwise as Arroyo's knees were actually in the air when he got hit in the face.
The fight resumed without any punishment being handed out to Muniz, who continued pressing forward. Muniz attempted a few kicks with Arroyo retreating to avoid taking any damage. The round ended with Arroyo connecting with a few big strikes as Muniz covered up. 10-9 Muniz
Round 2: Arroyo looked sharper in the second round as he connected with a high kick. Muniz was also having some success with his striking as he tagged Arroyo with a few combinations before taking the fight to the mat.
He got hold of Arroyo's back and locked in a neck crank. Arroyo worked Muniz's hands and created some room to breathe. Muniz continued to work for a submission but Arroyo slipped out and got up on his feet with a minute left to go.
Muniz stayed on his back and invited Arroyo into his guard.
10-9 Muniz
Round 3: Muniz changed levels and scored a takedown early in the final round. He got into full guard and landed elbows and punches from the top. Arroyo tried to use the cage to get back up but Muniz used his frame and power to keep his opponent down.
Muniz put in the work on the ground as he landed punches and he looked to pass mount. Arroyo turned around and got up, however, Muniz wasn't letting go of the back. Arroyo finally got out but Muniz stayed down yet again.
The fans booed as Arroyo looked for a way in as his opponent was content with laying down on his back. He waited for Arroyo to fall into his guard but that wasn't happening.
Muniz attempted a few up kicks from the ground. Arroyo landed a few rights from the standing position. The crowd cheered as the referee forced Muniz to stand up. The fight ended with both men staring each other down without doing anything. As expected, Sao Paulo fans weren't impressed.
Result: Andre Muniz def. Antonio Arroyo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Apart from a solid first round, this was a major letdown. While Muniz almost submitted Arroyo, his cautious game plan hurt the quality of the fight.
A win is a win though and Muniz would take it on his UFC debut.
