UFC Albany opens with wins for Burgos, Diakiese, Janes, Lima

Featherweight Bout: Shane Burgos def. Tiago Trator unanimous decision

Once Shane Burgos found his rhythm, it was curtains for Tiago Trator.

A 25-year-old featherweight fighting out of Monroe, N.Y., Burgos shrugged off a slow start to convincingly take the last two rounds of his bout with Trator en route to a unanimous decision win at UFC Fight Night 102 in Albany on Friday.

Though Burgos failed to record a knockout or submission for the first time in his career, he stays undefeated through eight professional fights and is now 1-0 inside the Octagon.

The big show opportunity only arose for Burgos after Trator's original opponent Zubaira Tukhugov was removed from the card with an injury. Burgos signed the contract to fight Trator on just 12 days notice.

Burgos was in trouble early as the tricky Trator took his back a minute into the fight. Even after being shaken off, Trator did a good job of mixing up his techniques to keep Burgos guessing as the opening round came to a close.

In Rounds 2 and 3, Burgos took over. He rocked Trator with a 1-2 combination to start the second, and nearly finished him later on with another flurry of punches.

Burgos' improved performance may have been due to a bizarre scene between rounds in which his corner apparently decided to give him a haircut on the spot.

As the bout went on, Trator's only defense from Burgos' strikes was to fall to his back and invite Burgos to grapple with him. The UFC newcomer declined, forcing Trator to meet him back on the feet where Burgos held a distinct advantage.

Trator has now alternated wins and losses in his four UFC appearances. The Brazilian's overall record drops to 20-6-2.

Lightweight Bout: Marc Diakiese def. Frankie Perez via unanimous decision

Marc Diakiese surprisingly rode his grappling, not his striking, to keep his record unblemished.

The 23-year-old outwrestled Frankie Perez in two of three rounds to remain unbeaten in 11 pro fights, improving his UFC record to 2-0. "Bonecrusher" won the first and last frames with a takedown-heavy game plan, spoiling Perez's return from his 16-month retirement from the sport.

Diakiese made the first round with his wrestling as opposed to the vaunted striking that earned him a victory in his promotional debut at UFC 204. Bonecrusher took Perez down and maintained top control for the majority of the frame, although the tables would turn in Round 2.

After his right hand began finding its home, Perez put Diakiese on his back and peppered him with elbows from top position, opening a nasty cut over Diakiese's left eye. The New Jersey native's near replica of his foe's first-round performance made them even on the scorecards going into the final five minutes.

The Brit again rode his wrestling to secure the deciding round, taking Perez down and winning the control game without inflicting (or taking) much damage. Arguably the more matured and technically proficient fighter of the two, Perez ultimately succumbed to Diakiese's edge in power and athleticism.

The New Jersey native's UFC record now stands at 1-2.

Middleweight Bout: Ryan Janes def. Keith Berish via unanimous decision

Ryan Janes' first UFC win was a long time coming.

The 35-year-old Canadian middleweight outpointed Keith Berish on Friday to make a successful Octagon debut. Making the win even sweeter for Janes is the fact that this was the third time he was scheduled to compete in the UFC after his previous two appearances fell through due to one opponent failing a drug test, and the other card he was booked on being canceled.

Janes is now 9-1 in his professional career, with wins in his past eight appearances.

Both fighters came out looking to engage in Round 1. Janes pressed forward and used volume striking to bother Berish, while Berish used a counter right hand to back Janes off. One punch cracked Janes across the chin, but the Newfoundlander managed to shrug it off without much noticeable damage.

Janes maintained his pace in Round 2 and Berish wasn't as successful with his counter strikes. Though he couldn't land one big shot, it looked like Janes did enough in the standup department to keep the fight close through two rounds.

In Round 3, Berish scored the first takedown of the bout, which Janes quickly recovered from. Back on the feet, the fighters engaged in some grinding clinch work until Berish again brought the action down to the mat. Rather than sealing the deal, the ground work only made the wait for the final score more suspenseful as Janes swept Berish to gain top position and end the round there.

With the decision loss, Berish falls to 0-1 in the UFC with one no-contest. The New York native hasn't fought since July 6, 2014, a span of almost 900 days. He was previously submitted by Robert Drysdale, but that result was overturned when Drysdale tested positive for elevated testosterone.

This is officially Berish's first professional loss in seven pro fights.

Strawweight Bout: Juliana Lima def. JJ Aldrich via unanimous decision

It wasn't the prettiest of tactics, but it earned Julianna Lima the W just the same.

"Ju Thai" wrestled her way to a unanimous decision over JJ Aldrich, whether putting the newcomer on her back or grinding her against the cage. The victory puts Lima back in the win column after falling to Carla Esparza at UFC 197.

Through three largely uneventful rounds, Lima dictated where the fight took place, beginning with a takedown midway through the first round. The Brazilian maintained top control for the ensuing few minutes to take the lead on the scorecards heading into Round 2.

The 34-year-old continued to bring Aldrich into her world in the middle frame, this time from the clinch, although the former "Ultimate Fighter" contestant returned fire from in close. Lima would replicate the formula in Round 3, sealing her sweep of all three scorecards by a tally of 30-27.

Despite walking Lima down in the time they remained upright, Aldrich landed little in the way of a telling blow. Fighting for the third time in three months and on just one week's notice in place of Tatiana Suarez - who eliminated her from the TUF 23 tournament - Aldrich never had a chance to find her rhythm on the feet, as Lima exploited her lack of grappling acumen at will.

Aldrich sees her three-fight win streak snapped with the loss. Her pro record now stands at 4-2.