Yancy Medeiros silences Brazilian crowd with second-round TKO over Erick Silva
Yancy Medeiros faced loud opposition from the Brazilian crowd but he silenced everyone with a stunning second-round finish over Erick Silva to kick off the UFC 212 pay-per-view on Saturday night.
Medeiros had his work cut out for him because Silva is known for his massive knockout power and the ability to end the fight at any time with just one strike.
As the fight got underway, Medeiros was on the attack looking to overwhelm Silva early but the Brazilian did a good job avoiding the barrages. Medeiros made an adjustment by then attacking the body, which is one strike that Silva has been hit with consistently throughout his UFC career.
While it was a strong start for Medeiros, Silva was undeterred and he came firing back with a series of blistering leg kicks that started to absolutely batter the Hawaiian from the outside.
Towards the end of the round, Silva connected with a knee that glanced on Medeiro's head after a scramble but he seemed to bounce right back before the horn sounded.
As the second round got underway, Silva continued to utilize those leg kicks while absolutely battering Medeiros' thigh, which started to show signs of the wear and tear from those damaging strikes.
Just when it looked like Silva was taking control, Medeiros lured him into an exchange that brought about the end of the fight.
https://twitter.com/ufc/status/871191557541576705
With Silva charging forward, Medieros countered with an overhand right that just missed but then followed it up with a left hand that landed flush, sending his opponent crashing to the mat.
Medeiros followed him to the floor with a few more strikes as Silva tried to recover, but the referee stepped into stop the fight before he had the opportunity to fight back. Silva protested the stoppage and even Medeiros believed he could have gone further in the fight.
"I believe the ref could have let him go a little bit more but it's not my call," Medeiros said.
Either way, Medeiros gets a statement win in Brazil over a dangerous power puncher like Silva as he adjusts to life in the welterweight division. Medeiros also set the stage for his teammate Max Holloway, who will face a similarly raucous crowd when he fights Jose Aldo in the main event at UFC 212.
