UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren · Oct 26, 2019 · Heavyweight · Completed
Prev Fight UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren
Age 37
Height 6' 3"
Reach 78.0"
Weight 262 lbs.
Stance Orthodox
Age 38
Height 6' 2"
Reach 77.0"
Weight 250 lbs.
Stance Orthodox
Career Averages - Raphael Pessoa
2.16 SLpM
26.0% Str. Acc.
3.43 SApM
42.0% Str. Def.
0.0 TD Avg
0.0% TD Acc.
100.0% TD Def.
0.0 Sub. Avg
Career Averages - Jeff Hughes
3.95 SLpM
51.0% Str. Acc.
3.67 SApM
60.0% Str. Def.
0.71 TD Avg
50.0% TD Acc.
45.0% TD Def.
0.0 Sub. Avg
Raphael Pessoa - Fight History
LOSS vs Tanner Boser
TKO (punches) R2 2:36 · UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till · Jul 26, 2020
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Tanner Boser 0 43 of 60 71% 43 of 60 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:06
Raphael Pessoa 0 12 of 36 33% 13 of 37 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Tanner Boser 0 15 of 24 62% 15 of 24 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Raphael Pessoa 0 5 of 16 31% 5 of 16 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Tanner Boser 0 28 of 36 77% 28 of 36 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:06
Raphael Pessoa 0 7 of 20 35% 8 of 21 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Tanner Boser 43 of 60 71% 15 of 31 7 of 7 21 of 22 34 of 48 0 of 0 9 of 12
Raphael Pessoa 12 of 36 33% 6 of 28 2 of 2 4 of 6 12 of 35 0 of 1 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Tanner Boser 15 of 24 62% 3 of 11 1 of 1 11 of 12 15 of 24 0 of 0 0 of 0
Raphael Pessoa 5 of 16 31% 2 of 11 1 of 1 2 of 4 5 of 16 0 of 0 0 of 0
2 Tanner Boser 28 of 36 77% 12 of 20 6 of 6 10 of 10 19 of 24 0 of 0 9 of 12
Raphael Pessoa 7 of 20 35% 4 of 17 1 of 1 2 of 2 7 of 19 0 of 1 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Tanner Boser vs. Raphael Pessoa

Round 1
Leaping up to the heavyweight division, Boser (18-6-1, 2-1 UFC) tries to keep his momentum going against once-beaten Brazilian Pessoa (10-1, 1-1 UFC). Keeping tabs on this 499-pound rumble is referee Herb Dean, and with a tough of gloves the cage is sealed. The two big men keep a wide berth as they try to find an angle to get, and Pessoa swings and misses with a wheel kick. Boser stands back and chops at him with a single leg kick. Pessoa responds to a jab that comes short with his own low kick. Boser and his mighty mullet stalk the Brazilian down, but neither are committing to anything of note. Boser lets fly another leg kick, and Pessoa practically ignores it. The Canadian tries to jab his way in to wing a right hand, but nothing lands besides one of his leg kicks at the end. Pessoa attacks back, and he also misses with the lion’s share of his strikes. Boser winds up on a leg kick, and he darts out of the way when Pessoa charges after him before landing an inside leg kick. They jab one another at the same time, and Boser stings him with another heavy leg kick. Pessoa puts on the pressure but does not throw a single strike, disengaging before swinging leather. Boser swings and misses with a hellish overhand right, and Pessoa stays on the outside with a quick leg kick. Boser responds with one of his own, and sets up a right jab to a windmilling left hook. Boser evades a spinning back kick, and sneaks in another low kick. The output is tragically low in this first round, and Boser puts his version of a stamp on it with a slapping leg kick.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Boser
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Boser
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Boser

Round 2
A touch of gloves opens the second, and Boser whips a leg kick to start things off. Although practically the only strike of note that Boser has landed, there is some discoloration and swelling on the lead leg of the Brazilian. Boser throws another at the same spot, and Pessoa finally checks it. Boser backs away to land two, and Pessoa is ready with two looping hooks that make Boser’s hair flip back. Pessoa rushes in and tries to clinch, but Boser gets away and keeps battering the lead leg on the inside and outside. As he targets the leg again, Pessoa winds up with a booming right hand that just misses the mark, and Boser fires back at him but also comes up short. They partially connect at the end of jabs, and when Pessoa gives him a leg kick to think about,
Boser winds up with a blistering left hook that glances off the cheek. “Bebezao” stumbles back to the cage, and slumps over clutching his eye – there was no poke, it was a clean punch – so “The Bulldozer” buries him with a frightening salvo of hammerfists and looping punches. Dean stands around while Boser keeps swinging with reckless abandon, and finally steps in to save Pessoa, who is practically in the fetal position while turtled up trying to protect his head.
With that, we get our first finish of the evening, and Boser is the first man to stop the Brazilian with strikes.

The Official Result
Tanner Boser def. Raphael Pessoa R2 2:36 via TKO (Punches)
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jul 22, 2020 (4 days before fight)
Tanner Boser

Big Brady picks Boser, citing his speed and leg kicks. He thinks Boser is the better striker and will attack Pessoa's lead leg. He is concerned about the quick turnaround and jet lag but still expects Boser to win a decision. He notes Pessoa has never been finished by KO.

Boser by decision
"I bozo should win this fight I think he's a better overall fighter honestly"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Jul 23, 2020 (3 days before fight)
Tanner Boser

Daniel picks Boser, citing his speed, sharpness, and striking knowledge. He thinks Pessoa is wild and sloppy, leaving openings. He notes Boser's quick turnaround but believes if Boser doesn't back up, he should find a knockout. He thinks the line is a bit high but still favors Boser.

"i'm gonna go with bozer i think he's the better fighter uh minus 260 it's a little much but we'll see"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jul 23, 2020 (3 days before fight)
Raphael Pessoa

Pessoa moves well for a heavyweight, has solid Muay Thai, and good cardio. The line should be much closer; Pessoa offers value at plus money. He can check leg kicks and match Boser's output. Pessoa likely wins a decision or possibly a late finish.

Pessoa by decision
"at plus 210 is a little bit ridiculous for a guy that shows solid skills"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jul 19, 2020 (7 days before fight)
Tanner Boser

The MMA Guru is sold on Tanner Boser after his impressive KO of Felipe Lins, noting Boser's activity and improved shape. He acknowledges Pessoa has a good chin and doesn't get TKO'd, so he predicts a unanimous decision win for Boser. He sees no way Pessoa wins but admits Pessoa has a chance.

"I'll go with Tannabosa by unanimous decision."
WIN vs Jeff Hughes
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren · Oct 26, 2019
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Raphael Pessoa 1 39 of 138 28% 43 of 143 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:06
Jeff Hughes 0 34 of 77 44% 48 of 93 0 of 0 --- 0 1 1:16
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Raphael Pessoa 0 14 of 56 25% 14 of 56 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:02
Jeff Hughes 0 11 of 27 40% 11 of 27 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Raphael Pessoa 1 17 of 49 34% 21 of 54 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:04
Jeff Hughes 0 9 of 26 34% 23 of 42 0 of 0 --- 0 1 1:16
3 Raphael Pessoa 0 8 of 33 24% 8 of 33 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Jeff Hughes 0 14 of 24 58% 14 of 24 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Raphael Pessoa 39 of 138 28% 22 of 112 3 of 8 14 of 18 32 of 125 7 of 13 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 34 of 77 44% 10 of 46 6 of 9 18 of 22 28 of 68 3 of 4 3 of 5
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Raphael Pessoa 14 of 56 25% 7 of 44 0 of 3 7 of 9 12 of 50 2 of 6 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 11 of 27 40% 4 of 17 1 of 2 6 of 8 10 of 25 1 of 2 0 of 0
2 Raphael Pessoa 17 of 49 34% 12 of 43 2 of 2 3 of 4 12 of 42 5 of 7 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 9 of 26 34% 3 of 18 2 of 3 4 of 5 5 of 20 1 of 1 3 of 5
3 Raphael Pessoa 8 of 33 24% 3 of 25 1 of 3 4 of 5 8 of 33 0 of 0 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 14 of 24 58% 3 of 11 3 of 4 8 of 9 13 of 23 1 of 1 0 of 0
LOSS vs Ciryl Gane
Submission (arm-triangle choke) R1 4:12 · UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 · Aug 10, 2019
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Ciryl Gane 0 15 of 22 68% 20 of 28 0 of 1 0% 1 0 0:33
Raphael Pessoa 0 7 of 41 17% 9 of 43 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Ciryl Gane 0 15 of 22 68% 20 of 28 0 of 1 0% 1 0 0:33
Raphael Pessoa 0 7 of 41 17% 9 of 43 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Ciryl Gane 15 of 22 68% 7 of 13 4 of 5 4 of 4 14 of 19 1 of 1 0 of 2
Raphael Pessoa 7 of 41 17% 5 of 36 2 of 3 0 of 2 6 of 37 1 of 4 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Ciryl Gane 15 of 22 68% 7 of 13 4 of 5 4 of 4 14 of 19 1 of 1 0 of 2
Raphael Pessoa 7 of 41 17% 5 of 36 2 of 3 0 of 2 6 of 37 1 of 4 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Ciryl Gane vs. Raphael Pessoa

Round 1
Two undefeated heavyweights are both set to make their debut in the Octagon next, as Parisian Gane (3-0, 0-0 UFC) meets Brazil's Pessoa (9-0, 0-0 UFC). The third man in the cage is referee Eduardo Herdy. Pessoa starts the fight off with a low kick and big overhand right that misses. Gane lands a few kicks, and Pessoa tries to throw one of his own and Gane catches the kick and hurls Pessoa to the ground. Pessoa stands up and tries a takedown, and Gane backs away. Pessoa tries to spin with a big kick and Gane moves well out of the way. Gane pops Pessoa with a jab, and then comes up short with a two-punch combination. The two exchange jabs, and Pessoa blinks his eye and rubs it after one from Gane connects. Pessoa swings wildly with hooks, and luckily for Gane not a single one has landed yet. Gane throws an overhand right that partially lands, and then utilizes his jab to make Pessoa back off. Both men swing wide hooks and their arms slap together as they connect, and in the exchange Gane trips Pessoa down to the ground.
Gane scrambles to gain side control, quickly cinching up an arm-triangle choke, and Pessoa taps out immediately.
With the win, Gane ejects Pessoa out from the ranks of the unbeaten.

The Official Result
Ciryl Gane def. Raphael Pessoa R1 4:12 via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
Jeff Hughes - Fight History
LOSS vs Juan Espino
Submission (scarf hold choke) R1 3:48 · UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa · Sep 27, 2020
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Juan Espino 0 10 of 17 58% 21 of 29 5 of 7 71% 1 0 2:36
Jeff Hughes 0 0 of 1 0% 0 of 1 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Juan Espino 0 10 of 17 58% 21 of 29 5 of 7 71% 1 0 2:36
Jeff Hughes 0 0 of 1 0% 0 of 1 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Juan Espino 10 of 17 58% 9 of 14 1 of 1 0 of 2 2 of 7 0 of 0 8 of 10
Jeff Hughes 0 of 1 0% 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 1 0 of 1 0 of 0 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Juan Espino 10 of 17 58% 9 of 14 1 of 1 0 of 2 2 of 7 0 of 0 8 of 10
Jeff Hughes 0 of 1 0% 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 1 0 of 1 0 of 0 0 of 0
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Sep 23, 2020 (4 days before fight)
Juan Espino

Big Brady is confident in Espino, citing his strong wrestling and submission game. He thinks Espino will get the fight to the mat and finish quickly, as Hughes is low-volume and lacks power. He notes the submission prop is already priced in at +150 but considers Espino a fine parlay piece.

Espino by first-round submission (+150); parlay piece
"i'm gonna go with uh juan spino to get a first round submission here"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Sep 25, 2020 (2 days before fight)
Juan Espino

Daniel Levi slightly leans Juan Espino because his biggest skill (grappling) is better than any of Hughes' skills, but he is worried about Espino's cardio if the fight goes past the first round and the layoff. He notes Hughes has good wrestling and durability but struggles to pull the trigger. He would not lay the chalk in this spot.

dog or pass
"i'm gonna slightly lean with espino just because i think that you know his biggest skill is better than any of hugh's skills but i would not be laying chalk in a spot like this"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Hesitant picked Sep 26, 2020 (1 day before fight)
Juan Espino

The host picks Juan Espino but is hesitant due to the two-year layoff and unknowns about Jeff Hughes' submission defense. He expects Espino to win by second-round submission, but prefers the over 1.5 rounds because Hughes is durable and tough. He notes that Espino's -300 price is too high for a fighter with ring rust.

over 1.5 rounds (-150), Espino inside distance (-115), Espino by decision (+280)
"I like the over one and a half here i am going to go with espino... second round submission i think he wears on hughes and then eventually gets to finish late in the second round."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 20, 2020 (7 days before fight)
Juan Espino

The MMA Guru picks Juan Espino, noting he won The Ultimate Fighter and beat Maurice Green. He thinks Espino will ragdoll Jeff Hughes due to being naturally bigger and more athletic, and predicts a submission win by arm triangle choke in the first round. He mentions Espino has been inactive due to injuries but is now returning.

Win by submission (arm triangle choke) in round 1
"i'm definitely going to be going with juan espino taking down jeff hughes by just being naturally bigger and more athletic man getting a job done by arm triangle choke in the first round by submission"
LOSS vs Raphael Pessoa
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren · Oct 26, 2019
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Raphael Pessoa 1 39 of 138 28% 43 of 143 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:06
Jeff Hughes 0 34 of 77 44% 48 of 93 0 of 0 --- 0 1 1:16
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Raphael Pessoa 0 14 of 56 25% 14 of 56 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:02
Jeff Hughes 0 11 of 27 40% 11 of 27 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Raphael Pessoa 1 17 of 49 34% 21 of 54 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:04
Jeff Hughes 0 9 of 26 34% 23 of 42 0 of 0 --- 0 1 1:16
3 Raphael Pessoa 0 8 of 33 24% 8 of 33 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Jeff Hughes 0 14 of 24 58% 14 of 24 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Raphael Pessoa 39 of 138 28% 22 of 112 3 of 8 14 of 18 32 of 125 7 of 13 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 34 of 77 44% 10 of 46 6 of 9 18 of 22 28 of 68 3 of 4 3 of 5
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Raphael Pessoa 14 of 56 25% 7 of 44 0 of 3 7 of 9 12 of 50 2 of 6 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 11 of 27 40% 4 of 17 1 of 2 6 of 8 10 of 25 1 of 2 0 of 0
2 Raphael Pessoa 17 of 49 34% 12 of 43 2 of 2 3 of 4 12 of 42 5 of 7 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 9 of 26 34% 3 of 18 2 of 3 4 of 5 5 of 20 1 of 1 3 of 5
3 Raphael Pessoa 8 of 33 24% 3 of 25 1 of 3 4 of 5 8 of 33 0 of 0 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 14 of 24 58% 3 of 11 3 of 4 8 of 9 13 of 23 1 of 1 0 of 0
LOSS vs Todd Duffee
No Contest (accidental eye poke) R1 4:03 · UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje · Sep 14, 2019
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Todd Duffee 1 30 of 66 45% 38 of 74 1 of 3 33% 0 0 1:55
Jeff Hughes 0 16 of 29 55% 26 of 39 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:16
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Todd Duffee 1 30 of 66 45% 38 of 74 1 of 3 33% 0 0 1:55
Jeff Hughes 0 16 of 29 55% 26 of 39 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:16
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Todd Duffee 30 of 66 45% 25 of 60 5 of 6 0 of 0 19 of 51 9 of 12 2 of 3
Jeff Hughes 16 of 29 55% 12 of 24 0 of 0 4 of 5 14 of 23 2 of 6 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Todd Duffee 30 of 66 45% 25 of 60 5 of 6 0 of 0 19 of 51 9 of 12 2 of 3
Jeff Hughes 16 of 29 55% 12 of 24 0 of 0 4 of 5 14 of 23 2 of 6 0 of 0
LOSS vs Maurice Greene
Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. dos Santos · Mar 09, 2019
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Maurice Greene 0 70 of 161 43% 72 of 163 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:19
Jeff Hughes 0 66 of 143 46% 67 of 144 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:45
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Maurice Greene 0 26 of 68 38% 27 of 69 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:19
Jeff Hughes 0 22 of 47 46% 22 of 47 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:18
2 Maurice Greene 0 26 of 51 50% 27 of 52 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Jeff Hughes 0 23 of 50 46% 24 of 51 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:27
3 Maurice Greene 0 18 of 42 42% 18 of 42 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Jeff Hughes 0 21 of 46 45% 21 of 46 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Maurice Greene 70 of 161 43% 42 of 114 10 of 20 18 of 27 58 of 145 12 of 16 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 66 of 143 46% 42 of 107 11 of 15 13 of 21 62 of 139 4 of 4 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Maurice Greene 26 of 68 38% 18 of 49 6 of 12 2 of 7 16 of 55 10 of 13 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 22 of 47 46% 10 of 31 5 of 6 7 of 10 20 of 45 2 of 2 0 of 0
2 Maurice Greene 26 of 51 50% 14 of 36 2 of 4 10 of 11 24 of 49 2 of 2 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 23 of 50 46% 15 of 39 6 of 7 2 of 4 21 of 48 2 of 2 0 of 0
3 Maurice Greene 18 of 42 42% 10 of 29 2 of 4 6 of 9 18 of 41 0 of 1 0 of 0
Jeff Hughes 21 of 46 45% 17 of 37 0 of 2 4 of 7 21 of 46 0 of 0 0 of 0