UFC 153 Prelims: Rony ‘Jason’ Hammerfists Stop Sam Sicilia in Second

---

Team Nogueira’s Rony Mariano Bezerra stopped Sam Sicilia with a volley of second-round hammerfists at UFC 153 “Silva vs. Bonnar” on Saturday at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The end came 4:16 into round two, as Bezerra (12-3, 2-0 UFC) posted his seventh win in a row.

Bezerra nearly finished it in the first round, when he staggered the Washingtonian with a searing left hook. Sicilia somehow gathered himself after the blow, delivered a takedown and pelted the Brazilian with some nice ground-and-pound.

In the second, Bezerra cracked Sicilia (11-2, 1-1 UFC) with a beautiful knee strike from the clinch, took down “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 alum off a caught kick and closed the curtain with hammerfists.

ATT’s Tibau Outlasts Trinaldo

American Top Team’s Gleison Tibau weathered a harrowing encounter with a Francisco Trinaldo overhand left, bullied “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Season 1 alum with takedowns and rode a strong third round to a unanimous decision in an undercard bout at 155 pounds. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Tibau (26-8, 11-6 UFC).

Tibau controlled the first five and last five minutes of the fight. In between, Trinaldo (11-2, 1-1 UFC) put a major scare into his countryman. He delivered a wicked left hand in the second round, followed his wounded adversary to the canvas and fished for a rear-naked choke. Tibau powered out of the maneuver, regained his wits and went about his business.

Tibau put the finishing touches on another victory in the third round, where he struck for a takedown, moved to full mount and threatened to submit the former Jungle Fight champion with rear-naked and arm-triangle chokes. Trinaldo entered the cage on a five-fight winning streak.

Brandao Batters, Outpoints Gambino

Heavy power punches, well-timed takedowns and some vicious ground-and-pound carried “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 winner Diego Brandao to a one-sided unanimous decision over former Cage Fury Fighting Championships titleholder Joey Gambino in a preliminary featherweight tilt. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Brandao (15-8, 2-1 UFC).

Outside of an armbar attempt in the first round and a triangle choke in the third, Gambino (9-2, 0-2 UFC) was a non-factor. Brandao battered him on the feet and on the mat. Gambino somehow survived two encounters with the Brazilian’s overhand right, the first one landing with an audible smack inside the first minute of the second round.

A Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative, Brandao has won five of his past six bouts.

Moraes Choke Submits Forte

Three-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Sergio Moraes submitted Team Nogueira’s Renee Forte with a third-round rear-naked choke in an undercard duel at 170 pounds. Forte (7-2, 0-1 UFC) conceded defeat 3:10 into round three.

After a rather tepid first 10 minutes, Moraes (6-3, 0-2 UFC) made his move. The 30-year-old Alliance Jiu-Jitsu representative moved to his foe’s back during a scramble, locked in a body triangle with Forte in a standing position and went to work on the choke. After an extended struggle, he slipped his arm beneath the chin, forced Forte to collapse to the ground and coaxed the tapout.

Camozzi Outduels Brazilian Cane

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 alum Chris Camozzi stalked and struck his way to a unanimous decision over Luiz Cane in a preliminary middleweight matchup. All three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Camozzi (18-5, 5-2 UFC), who has quietly rattled off three consecutive wins.

Cane’s best chance at victory came and went roughly 90 seconds into round one, when he trapped the American on the ground, secured his hooks and threatened with a rear-naked choke. Camozzi kept calm and escaped to his feet, where his relentless aggression seemed to wear down the Brazilian. He kept stiff right jabs and left crosses in Cane’s face, consolidating them with kicks to the legs and body.

In his first appearance at 185 pounds, Cane (12-5, 4-5 UFC) looked lethargic and tentative, particularly on the feet. He picked up his pace in round three, as he tagged Camozzi with a series of straight left hands. However, the 25-year-old Californian weathered the blows and left it to the judges, who handed Cane his fourth defeat in five fights.

Marcello Snaps Madadi Streak

Pride Fighting Championships veteran Cristiano Marcello won for the seventh time in nine outings, as he captured a split verdict from Reza Madadi in a bloody undercard battle at 155 pounds. Two of the three cageside judges scored it for Marcello by 29-28 and 30-27 counts; a third cast a dissenting 29-28 ruling in favor of Madadi (12-3, 1-1 UFC).

The 34-year-old Marcello (13-4, 1-1 UFC) mixed knees, punches and kicks effectively, opening multiple facial cuts on his opponent. His left hook to the body was a particularly effective weapon. Still, Madadi had his moments. The Iranian-born Swede struck for multiple takedowns, avoided Marcello’s vaunted submission game and had “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 alum hurt on more than one occasion with right uppercuts and left hooks.

The defeat snapped Madadi’s seven-fight winning streak.