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Andre Muniz (17-4) improved to 11-1 in his past 12 appearances, using a grappling heavy attack to take home a clearcut decision win over Bruno Assis (8-3), though he didn’t score a UFC deal in the process.

The bout served as the featured contest of Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil 2, which took place earlier this month at The Ultimate Fighter Gym in Las Vegas and aired today in Brazil via tape delay. The card will later be archived on UFC Fight Pass.

While the two men embraced at the opening bell, there was little love lost in the opening exchanges. Both man landed clean at the start before Assis hit a beautiful toss to the floor. However Muniz was ready, threatening an armbar and forcing a scramble back to the feet. Once there, Muniz looked for a potential trip, but it was Assis who hit a smooth reversal, though he was unable to maintain top position.

The restart on the feet proved wild, and the ensuing scramble to the floor was equally unpredictable. Assis showed a fantastic ability to wind up on top in the transitions but struggled to keep his positioning. Muniz wound up on top once again, throwing punches from the position until the bell.

Muniz came out firing bombs in the second frame, and Assis eventually closed the distance and looked to work from close quarters. After some significant struggle, the fight did finally hit the canvas in a rather neutral position, and though Assis again showed his ability to wind up on top, he did’t stay there, with the action returning quickly again to the feet. Both fighters had moments in the frame, but neither truly put a stamp on the round.

The two men engaged quickly in the third. After a few strikes, the action moved to the clinch, and as it hit the floor, it was Muniz who finally landed on top. Assis did his best to scramble but had to settle into guard when he couldn’t work free. Muniz tried to stay busy on top, but referee Herb Dean brought the men back to their feet at the halfway mark of the round.

On the restart, Muniz pushed quickly inside and looked for the takedown. Assis tried his best to defend, then looked to grab a guillotine as he fell back, but both failed. Dean watched the two men on the floor and was quicker on the restart, though Muniz again just wanted to take the fight to the canvas. Assis tried unsuccessfully to grab the neck, and the fight finished there. The strategy was effective, if not necessarily incredibly impressive, and Muniz took home the decision win, 30-27 on all three cards.

Taila Santos

The evening’s co-feature took place in the women’s flyweight division, and the undefeated Taila Santos (15-0) delivered with an impressive decision win over a gritty Estefani Almeida (7-2), scoring a UFC deal with her effort.

Almeida preferred to use crisp boxing to start the night, while Santos answered with several sharp kicks to the leg in the opening minute. The pattern continued until Almeida looked to shoot inside for a takedown, which Santos swiftly defended before offering some hammerfists for the misstep. The two then continued to trade strikes on the feet for the remainder of entertaining opening round.

The quick pace continued in the second, with Almeida pressing the action but often running into a buzzsaw on the other side of the cage. Santos was quick and accurate with her punches, and she continued to chop the legs with her kicks, as well. Almeida was undeterred, often wiping blood away from her nose and then launching big overhand rights. But Almeida’s crisp returns were taking their toll, as she largely avoided the big blows and then came back with straight punches and slashing kicks.

Almeida came out aggressive in the third, refusing to back down, but Santos had plenty of gas left in the tank, moving well and continuing her striking clinic. Santos eventually elected to look for a different tactic, moving into the clinch and slipping around to the back, dragging the action to the floor. Santos went immediately to the rear-naked choke, but Almeida again refused to go away, battling the hands and trying to throw punches to her opponent’s face. Santos couldn’t ever get her arm under the chin and had to settle for finishing on her opponent’s back, cruising to a decision win, 30-27 on all three cards.

Johnny Walker

Light heavyweight Johnny Walker (14-3) proved himself an (easy) name to remember, looking dominant in a clearcut decision win over Henrique da Silva (14-5), who gave an incredibly gutsy effort.

Walker showed a willingness to take chances early, flashing out a high kick and launching into an impressive flying knee. But he was gritty in tight, as well, holding firm in a Thai clinch and delivering a few knees in very tight quarters. When they moved to space, Walker’s hands looked crisp, as well, though da Silva never back down from the challenge, doing his best to match the volume and power.

While the pace was moderate, the action was constant between the two, and everything was thrown with full power. Walker continued to find the mark with heavy hands, and he was never afraid to launch another flying knee. After being tagged with a pair of nasty punches, da Silva shot inside, only to find himself battling a guillotine choke that Walker locked in tight and took to the floor, moving to top position. However, the round ended before Walker could get the tap.

Walker continued the assault in the second, patiently picking his shots on the feet. While da Silva showed an impressive chin, he was no match for the striking. A da Silva takedown worked, but Walker was able to sweep quickly through and move back to the feet. A game da Silva was able to take top position again after a slip, but Walker was able to move through once again and work from the dominant position, eventually stepping over to mount. When da Silva rolled, Walker punched from back before actively hunting the choke. While it looked incredibly deep, da Silva refused to tap, battling through and actually spinning briefly to the top. However, the reprieve was brief, and Walker reversed once again before the bell.

The two exchanged pleasantries to open the third, and it was apparent both men were tired. It was da Silva who struck first, landing a big elbow inside, though Walker answered back with a few powerful blows that were clearly the stronger of the two. Still, da Silva refused to back down, landing a few big knees inside before Walker lifted him up, ran to the other side of the cage and slammed him to the canvas. Referee Herb Dean watched closely, as an exhausted Walker did just enough on top to keep the position. A desperation submission attempt from da Silva fell short as blood poured down his face, and Walker passed the legs and finished the fight with an exclamation point, cruising to the decision win, 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26. Despite not getting a finish, the dominant win earned Walker a UFC deal.

Marina Rodriguez

In strawweight action, Marina Rodriguez (10-0) kept her perfect career record intact and scored a UFC invite with a one-sided beatdown of Maria Oliveira (10-4).

Oliveira moved forward to start, but Rodriguez was happy to return fire as she retreated on the outside. Both women were throwing with power from the start, with Rodriguez adding in a few kicks and looking to work the clinch, as well. The action transitioned to the canvas after the opening flurries, with Rodriguez happily taking top position. Oliveira controlled the wrists well on her back, but Rodriguez was still able to drive several knees to the body before her opponent escaped to the feet.

Rodriguez continued the assault there, lacing in powerful punches and big knees that found the mark. Oliveira wilted in the face of the blows, trying to find room to reset and recover, but Rodriguez wasn’t allowing that opportunity. Oliveira eventually had enough and signaled to referee Chris Tognoni that she was done, halting the fight at the 3:03 mark of the first.

Marcio Alexandre

The night’s first fight saw middleweight Marcio Alexandre Jr. (16-3) battle through several early takedowns from his opponent before tapping out Leonardo Silva (12-3) in the opening round.

The men started quickly at the opening bell, throwing big kicks in the center of the cage before Silva closed the distance and wrapped the body, slamming his opponent to the canvas. Alexandre Jr. crawled quickly back to his feet, but Silva never let him have space to work, repeatedly slamming him to the canvas. Eventually, Alexandre Jr. seemed to accept his fate on the floor and turned to his own opportunities rather than escape. With a quick transition, Alexandre Jr. reached up and grabbed the neck, quickly cinching up a beautiful guillotine choke that Silva briefly tried to fight before being forced to tap at the 1:52 mark of the first frame.

Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil 2 results include:

• Andre Muniz def. via Bruno Assis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Taila Santos def. Estefani Almeida via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Johnny Walker def. Henrique da Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Marina Rodriguez def. Maria Oliveira via TKO (retirement) – Round 1, 3:03
• Marcio Alexandre def. Leonardo Silva via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:52

For more on Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil 2, check out the MMA Events section of the site.