Thales Leites made quick work out of Drew McFedries.

The talented Brazilian extended his winning streak to five fights and continued his rapid ascent up the middleweight ladder, as he submitted McFedries with a first-round rear-naked choke at UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” on Saturday at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. The mismatch lasted all of 78 seconds.

Unwilling to trade with the heavy-handed McFedries, Leites (14-1) scored with an early takedown and went to work. The 27-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt quickly secured back control and cinched the choke 1:18 into round one. A fast-rising force at 185 pounds, he won by submission for the ninth time and could find himself in title contention soon.

McFedries (7-4), who replaced an injured Goran Reljic on short notice, has dropped two straight and three of his last four matches.

Other preliminary matches were far more competitive.

Spencer Fisher won for the third time in four fights, as he coaxed a tapout from Shannon Gugerty with a third-round triangle choke. Gugerty, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt who had never been submitted, met his end 3:56 into round three after he fought valiantly but unsuccessfully to escape the choke.

The submission brought a sudden and decisive halt to what was an even match for two rounds. Gugerty (11-3), who entered the cage on an eight-fight winning streak, survived an early knockdown and appeared to draw even in the match with a strong second round. The 26-year-old Californian threatened with a guillotine choke and scored with a combination as the horn sounded, but it was not enough to deter Fisher.

Based out of the revered Miletich Fighting Systems camp in Bettendorf, Iowa, Fisher (22-4) has rattled off back-to-back wins since his lopsided defeat to Frankie Edgar at UFC 78. He has won 13 of his past 16 bouts.

In an anticipated lightweight affair, Hermes Franca showcased superior striking in a unanimous decision victory against former mentor and current rival Marcus Aurelio. Scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27. Officials had to separate the two Brazilians before the bout began after Franca bumped Aurelio as he entered the cage and circled.

Their match was not without controversy, either. Struggling to stay competitive standing, Aurelio landed what replays showed was a clean knee to Franca’s head during a third-round scramble. However, referee Todd Frederickson stopped the action and afforded Franca time to recover from what he deemed was an illegal strike. With that, what little hope remained for Aurelio (16-7) was dashed.

Clearly the more complete fighter, Franca (19-7) dominated much of the bout standing. The 34-year-old former World Extreme Cagefighting champion snapped a two-fight losing streak in what had to have been one of the more satisfying victories of his career.

Meanwhile, Dan Miller edged Matt Horwich in a showdown between former International Fight League champions. Cage-side judges gave Miller a unanimous nod with matching 29-28 scores.

Unbeaten in his last nine fights, Miller (10-1) weathered a tough second-round offensive from Horwich, as the eccentric Team Quest middleweight secured back control and full mount in the closing stages. Horwich (22-11-1) had moved into position for a rear-naked choke when the horn sounded, giving Miller new life.

Miller surged in front in round three, re-establishing control with a solid takedown and ground strikes. He opened a cut under Horwich’s right eye and finished the match in top position, as he put an exclamation point on another victory and spoiled his game opponent’s Octagon debut.

Finally, Pete Sell snapped a three-fight losing streak in his welterweight debut, as he outpointed Josh Burkman en route to a unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 29-28 in favor of the Matt Serra protégé.

Sell (8-4), who had not won a match in more than two years, rebounded from a sluggish opening round that saw Burkman deliver a takedown, pass to half guard and score with elbows from top position. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who has become known for a kamikaze-like willingness to brawl, Sell took control of the fight over the final two rounds, as he frustrated Burkman (18-8) with punches to the head and body. The 26-year-old New York native scored with a takedown late in the third and had locked in a guillotine choke when the round ended.

Burkman’s once promising career seems to have hit a major roadblock. He has lost four of his past five fights -- three by decision -- and could be in for a change of scenery.