UFC Fight Night 232 Prelims: Joanderson Brito Ninja Choke Stuns Jonathan Pearce

Joanderson Brito can exploit the slightest opening.

The Chute Boxe rep took another step forward in the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight division, as he disposed of Jonathan Pearce with a ninja choke in the second round of their featured UFC Fight Night 232 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Brito (16-3-1, 4-1 UFC) drew the curtain 3:54 into Round 2.

After a competitive first round, Pearce (14-5, 5-2 UFC) appeared to seize the reins with a takedown, ground-and-pound and top control in the middle stanza. Brito eventually built a base, returned to his feet and caught the choke as he moved to escape. His squeeze was powerful and true, and Pearce had no choice but to tap.

Meanwhile, Twin Wolves MMA product Jose Johnson subdued fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alum Chad Anheliger with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their bantamweight battle. In his first appearance in more than a year, Anheliger (12-7, 1-2 UFC) raised the white flag of surrender 4:49 into Round 3.

Johnson (16-8, 1-1 UFC) leaned on six-inch height and seven-inch reach advantages in all phases, flexed his superiority in the scrambles and shrugged off a few brushes with adversity. Anheliger executed a takedown inside the first minute of the third round, only to be met by a stream of elbows and short punches from a resourceful adversary with a hyperactive bottom game. Johnson eventually swept into top position after shedding an ill-advised guillotine choke, progressed to the back and cinched the fight-ending choke.

The 28-year-old Johnson has rattled off four victories in five outings.

Related » UFC Fight Night 232 Round-by-Round Scoring

Further down the undercard, Range Martial Arts Academy standout Christian Leroy Duncan cut down Denis Tiuliulin with elbows and follow-up punches in the second round of their middleweight altercation. A short-notice substitution for Cesar Almeida, Tiuliulin (10-9, 1-4 UFC) checked out 4:24 into Round 2.

Duncan (9-1, 2-1 UFC) wore down the Russian in the clinch in the first round, then unleashed his full complement of offensive weaponry in the second. He tore into Tiuliulin with a series of dirty boxing uppercuts late in the period, backed him to the fence and decked him with a pair of standing elbows from both sides. From there, Duncan let fly with punches until the job was done.

Tiuliulin has lost three fights in a row.

Elsewhere, ex-Olympus Fighting Championships titleholder Michael Parkin kept his perfect professional record intact with a plodding unanimous decision over Caio Machado in a three-round heavyweight scrap. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Parkin (8-0, 2-0 UFC).

Machado (8-2-1, 0-1 UFC) conceded multiple takedowns in the first two rounds, ostensibly digging a hole from which he could not escape. Parkin did his best work in the middle stanza, where he advanced to a mounted crucifix and piled up points with ground-and-pound. Machado, 29, answered in Round 3, as he connected with thudding body shots, a partially blocked head kick and a few jumping knees. None of it was enough to produce the finish he needed.

The loss snapped a seven-fight winning streak for Machado.

Finally, “Road to UFC” finalist Jeka Saragih put away Lucas Alexander with punches in the first round of their featherweight confrontation. Overweight for the match by two pounds, the favored Alexander (8-4, 1-2 UFC) succumbed to blows 91 seconds into Round 1.

Saragih (14-3, 1-1 UFC) ate a few leg kicks and sharp one-twos from the Brazilian but managed to trip him to the floor. As Alexander rose to his feet, his Indonesian counterpart slammed home a brutal right hook that sat him down at the base of the fence. More punches followed on the dazed and defenseless Alexander, prompting referee Herb Dean to intervene on his behalf.

The 28-year-old Saragih has won six of his past seven bouts.

In other action, Ailin Perez (9-2, 2-1 UFC) called upon takedowns, positional advances and steady ground-and-pound in capturing a unanimous decision from Lucie Pudilova (14-9, 3-7 UFC) in a three-round women’s bantamweight tilt, earning 29-27, 29-28 and 29-28 scores from the cageside judiciary; a botched stoppage from referee Mike Beltran resulted in a no contest between Trey Ogden (17-6, 2-2 UFC) and Nikolas Motta (13-6, 1-3 UFC)—the latter was down on the scorecards and trapped in an arm-triangle choke—3:11 into the third round of their lightweight affair; and former Shoot Brazil champion Rafael Estevam (12-0, 1-0 UFC) missed weight by two pounds but outgrappled Charles Johnson (13-6, 2-4 UFC) to a unanimous decision in a three-round flyweight pairing, drawing 29-28 marks from all three judges.