Jacare disposes of Brunson in 1st round of rematch to cap UFC Charlotte

What many expected Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza to do on the mat, he did on the feet - again.

Over five years after he dispatched Derek Brunson by 41-second KO under the Strikeforce banner, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace treated him to a similar fate with a head kick and follow-up punches for a first-round knockout in their middleweight rematch to cap Saturday's UFC on FOX 27 in Charlotte.

Souza had left longtime camp X-Gym in a recent move to Orlando, and undergone pectoral surgery and an appendectomy over the nine months following his second-round TKO loss to Robert Whittaker, but looked every bit his lethal self on fight night and improved his UFC record to 8-2 with his seventh promotional stoppage.

As he's been wont to do, Brunson went headhunting from the opening bell and left his chin up with every flurry, leaving Souza the opening to land his counter right hook much like in their first meeting. The 38-year-old had uncorked a handful of low kicks early, and floored Brunson by sneaking one to the head just past the guard before ripping a few punches to the dome that prompted referee Dan Miragliotta to wave it all off 3:50 in.

Brunson - a native of Wilmington, N.C. - saw a two-fight streak of first-round KOs snapped with his third loss in the Octagon to come by way of strikes.