Light Heavyweight Bout: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def. Patrick Cummins via 1st-round TKO
There's plenty of punch left in 39-year-old Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
Facing what would be the first three-fight losing streak of his career, a throwback performance against Patrick Cummins put "Minotouro" back on track at UFC 198 on Saturday. Every punch of Nogueira's seemed to connect in a one-sided first round that ended with Cummins being put out on his feet against the cage:
#UFC198 #UFCBrasilNoCombate BOOMMM BOOMMM @Minotouromma VENCEU Cummins https://t.co/KeIfYByMki
— Vicio MMA (@VicioMMA) May 14, 2016
It was the third knockout win for Nogueira in the UFC and his fifth win overall with the organization. Afterward, he got a warm embrace from his twin brother, the legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, much to the delight of the crowd at the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil.
Nog Hug #UFC198 pic.twitter.com/8XWazyD6CI
— Mike Dyce (@mikedyce) May 14, 2016
Welterweight Bout: Sergio Moraes vs. Luan Chagas ends in majority draw
After coming out to the song "Happy," Sergio Moraes' mood must have been dampened slightly by a majority draw against short-notice replacement Luan Chagas.
Chagas showed a lot of potential in his first UFC fight, knocking down Moraes with a head kick and managing to stay out of danger when the action spilled to the mat. A takedown in the third round put Moraes in control to close out the fight, but he hadn't done enough to convince the judges that he was the winner.
One judge scored the fight 29-28 for Chagas, the other 29-28 for Moraes, and the third an even 28-28.
Octagon jitters weren't a factor for Chagas in the early going. He threw kicks without any fear of being taken down by Moraes - risky considering Moraes' vaunted jiu-jitsu. It paid off when Chagas connected with a beautiful head kick that immediately caused Moraes' face to swell:
OOHHHHHHHH!!! What a head kick by Chagas!! #UFC198 https://t.co/JZ7D4wmyZB
— #UFC198 (@ufc) May 14, 2016
Chagas decided to not risk following Moraes down to the mat, which allowed him to recover. The kick may have awoken Moraes, however, as he came out more aggressively in the second to put Chagas on the back foot.
Moraes became more comfortable in the second as his opponent's fatigue built. Seeing an opening, he pulled guard to try and finish with a guillotine choke, but Chagas survived:
WOW! @SerginhoMMA had that TIGHT but Chagas gets out! What a fun fight!! #UFC198 https://t.co/UgaVOgS9yP
— #UFC198 (@ufc) May 14, 2016
However, neither man was able to muster up enough offense to definitively put his opponent away.
The draw snaps a pair of winning streaks for Moraes and Chagas. Moraes is now undefeated in his last five, while Chagas has not lost in 10 contests dating back to April 2013.
Featherweight Bout: Renato Moicano def. Zubaira Tukhugov via split decision
Renato Moicano pulled away in the third round of the UFC 198 preliminary opener to eke out a split decision against Zubaira Tukhugov.
The 26-year-old Moicano kept his record perfect in a contest where he appeared to become stronger as the fight progressed. There were strong moments for both fighters and they battled back and forth to the end of the third round:
These two are going AT IT!! What a close fight. Who do you guys have winning? #UFC198 https://t.co/ukwxtat9T6
— #UFC198 (@ufc) May 14, 2016
After 15 minutes of action, Moicano won over two of the three judges to take the victory.
The first round provided an example of how closely matched the fighters were. Tukhugov seemed to have the edge on the feet, but when he took the action to the mat he had to deal with the active guard of Moicano.
Moicano's active legs tripped up Tukhugov as he tried to pass into a better position and Moicano immediately pounced on his back:
Great scramble to end the first round between @MoicanoRenato and @ZubairaTukhugov at #UFC198! https://t.co/xmPCq6CvlQ
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) May 14, 2016
That was the closest either man came to a finish, leaving the judges the task of picking a winner.
Moicano improves to 10-0-1 in his career. He gets a long-awaited second UFC win after submitting Tom Niinimaki at UFC Fight Night 58 in December 2014.
For a second straight fight, Tukhugov faced a split decision, though he ended up with the short end of the stick this time. It's his first loss in the UFC after a 3-0 start.









