Oliveira taps out Lee in UFC Brasilia headliner
Charles Oliveira submitted Kevin Lee in the third round of the UFC Brasilia main event Saturday night.
The finish came 28 seconds into the third frame.
"Do Bronx" locked in the guillotine choke when Lee tried for a takedown. He forced his opponent to tap, securing the biggest victory of his 38-fight career.
Oliveira is known for his elite grappling and submission ability, but he showed off his improved striking early in the contest. In the second round, the veteran landed several combinations that appeared to daze Lee and get him running.
Lee, who trains at TriStar in Montreal, made the lightweight bout close before Oliveira's submission. "The Motown Phenom" got on top of his opponent in the latter half of the second round and controlled him for the rest of the frame, but Lee failed to register much offense.
After the fight, Oliveira said he'll closely watch the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Tony Ferguson lightweight title clash, which is currently scheduled for UFC 249 on April 18.
With the victory, Oliveira has won seven straight fights and is due for another big tilt in the division. He was ranked No. 13 coming in, while Lee sat at No. 8. The Brazilian used to compete at featherweight and is 8-1 since moving up to 155 pounds.
Lee, a former UFC interim lightweight title challenger, dropped to 1-3 over his past four contests. The 27-year-old missed weight prior to UFC Brasilia.
UFC Brasilia proceeded as planned at Ginasio Nilson Nelson in Brazil despite the coronavirus outbreak, but fans weren't allowed to attend the event.