Vinicius Oliveira

Mario Bautista vs. Vinicius Oliveira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Bautista (-185); Oliveira (+155)

Round 1
All eyes are on this bantamweight main attraction, with the UFC’s No. 9 Bautista (16-3, 10-3 UFC) putting his superior number on the line against the surging 11th-ranked Oliveira (23-3, 4-0 UFC). Whether a top-10 fighter is cemented or elevated, referee Herb Dean is on top of everything. He brings them together to the center of the cage, where the fighters calmly touch gloves.
Oliveira starts off with a front kick up the middle, only to be met with a body kick flying back. Oliveira chops at the front leg, working the calf a few times and dropping his hands to motion to someone outside the cage. Bautista swings and misses, allowing Oliveira to grab hold of him and clinch. Oh no. Here we go again. Oliveira presses heavily on the MMA Lab representative, thwarting Bautista’s initial escape attempts. Bautista manages to free himself from the grasp, but Oliveira is quick to re-engage with an attempt. They fall to the floor during a grappling exchange, and Oliveira is quicker on his feet and isolates Bautista’s right leg for a single. Bautista keeps his balance and slaps Oliveira upside the head a few times, and they spin around one another as Bautista follows through to drag the fight down and establish top control.
Oliveira hits his back and hunts for a leglock, and Bautista defends by twisting all the way around and climbing into half guard. The action slows to a crawl as Bautista smothers on top, with Oliveira locking him down with his arms hooked around his foe’s. When Bautista tries to posture up, Oliveira kicks him off. Bautista just misses with a leaping right hand, and he has an axe kick blocked. Bautista tries to move himself back into the guard, and Oliveira’s upkicks keep him honest. Bautista manages to score with a few punches to the body, but otherwise he stays out of harm until the buzzer.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Bautista
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Bautista

Round 2
Bautista starts the round aggressively, taking the fight to the ground early. Oliveira climbs back up thanks in part to snagging his fingers in the fence, and he is admonished for it and hurled back down to the mat by the American. A mat return soon follows when Oliveira scoots upright. Bautista cannot keep him down, and when he backs off to find an angle back in, he walks into a left hand but still scores a right. Oliveira appears lackadaisical and sloppy, his hands by his waist as he prepares to defend another takedown shot. Oliveira lunges behind an inaccurate right, and Bautista corners him against the cage and goes to take him down.
Oliveira manages to get him down instead by catching a kick, only for Bautista to reverse him and wind up in the position the ended the previous round. The Brazilian’s upkicks are less hostile than before, so Bautista is able to get into his guard and transition fairly quickly to half guard. Oliveira still slowly manages to frame off the chest, recovering back to the full guard and closing it. Bautista opens it up with a few elbows, slashing them down and pushing through to half guard, the side and eventually a crucifix. Bautista jams down a number of elbows and thumping punches, and he switches things up with a sudden, unexpected kimura.
He cranks that submission in order to brilliantly take the back of his adversary, and he slips both hooks in and wraps up a rear-naked choke in the blink of an eye. The fight went from zero to 60 in a hurry, and Oliveira is in big, big trouble. After barely a second or two, Oliveira realizes his goose is cooked and frantically taps out before he goes out.
Just like that, Bautista has notched his first stoppage since 2023 and rebounds from a loss to Umar Nurmagomedov in a huge way. The victor lauds coach John Crouch for his grappling and jitz training to be able to pull off that thrilling grappling sequence that is best shown in slow-motion. The MMA Lab rep calls for a rematch with Cory Sandhagen when on the microphone, and that is one worth watching that could easily headline a Fight Night card. If that transpires, sign us up. Also, Sherdog will be in the building at UFC Houston in two weeks, so be sure to tune into our extra live coverage throughout the week. We will be there for it, and we hope you are too.

The Official Result
Mario Bautista def. Vinicius Oliveira R2 4:46 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Vinicius Oliveira vs. Kyler Phillips
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Oliveira (-175), Phillips (+145)

Round 1
Wrapping up the unpaid portion of the event, two speedy bantamweights collide. While they are both ranked in the UFC’s top 15 at 135 pounds, the losing party may fall off on Monday or Tuesday. Phillips (12-3, 6-2 UFC) needs to get back in the win column, but to do so he has to outhustle heavy-handed Brazilian “LokDog” Oliveira (22-3, 3-0 UFC). The two will be joined in the Octagon by referee Chris Hill, and they opt against touching gloves while he watches on.
Oliveira says hello with a head kick rather than bumping gloves, and this fires up Phillips. Phillips strikes back with his own high kick and flurry of punches, hurting the Brazilian and keeping his defenses ready to stop the incoming takedown. Phillips hurts “LokDog” with another right hand, springing round side to side and pecking his foe with sharp jab and a body shot. Oliveira whiffs on a big left hook, and Phillips fires off a wheel kick that is too high and misses the target. Phillips’ right hands stagger Oliveira twice, and Oliveira has to shake it off but has his hands low. Oliveira walks Phillips down, absorbing single targeted strikes while not connecting on much power. “LokDog” gets off a front kick, and he takes a right hand on the temple. When Phillips misses on a punch, Oliveira tries to chase him down, but “The Matrix” is elusive as ever.
Oliveira drives a front kick that sounds like it ricocheted off the cup, but Phillips does not express concern and shoots in for a takedown. Oliveira staves it off and absorbs a few kicks to the midsection. Phillips is on his bouncing bike, avoiding the worst of the Brazilian’s right hands while not letting the kicks reach him either. Phillips goes toto the body and head, and Oliveira lines up a kick to the ribs. Phillips slips punches, lands his own and drives a knee to the chin that stuns Oliveira for a second. Oliveira shrugs and goes back to chasing Phillips with his hands low. Oliveira tosses out kicks from both legs, and he lowers himself down to hurl bungalows. Phillips takes the power cleanly and tries to keep him at bay with kicks, but Oliveira is starting to time and catch them. Oliveira kicks low, and Phillips jumps over it and springs away from a spinning back kick. Phillips scores a knee and falls over, and he gets back up and finds Oliveira chasing him with attacks. Phillips defends with his back to the wall as the round concludes.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Phillips
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Phillips

Round 2
Phillips starts off the round with is own head kick to mirror what Oliveira did in the previous round, and he gets away from the wild kicks of his opponent that are feet away from his intended target. The elusive Phillips stays light on his heels, only for Oliveira to wind up a right hand that sends him flying. “The Matrix” gets back up, takes another huge right hand and then turns away and gets kicked in the face. Oliveira continues to bombard Phillips with attacks, bowling him over and finding himself lording over Phillips with standing-to-ground punches. Oliveira lowers himself in the guard, and he positions himself flat on his adversary. Oliveira briefly flirts with an arm-triangle choke until sitting up to adjust his position, and Phillips kicks him off in the chest and stands back up. Oliveira tries to hold him down or wrap up a sub, but Phillips is free and out of danger.
Oliveira tries to bring back the danger, clubbing Phillips with looping punches including a left hand that stings Phillips again. Phillips works his way back to his feet, and Oliveira stands in front of him, hands down, taking deep breaths. The Brazilian explodes back into his offense, tagging Phillips with punches that “The Matrix” would have evaded previously. He ducks a spinning wheel kick and tags Phillips with three punches down the forward bow. Oliveira kicks low and swings high, and when Phillips hits him back, he does not budge. “LokDog” tries to catch the kick, chest heaving, and he fights off a takedown and trips Philips up to put him on his back. Oliveira is pushed off when landing some ground strikes, but he hurls himself back into top position. The round ends with Oliveira riding out this position.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
Oliveira motions to the crowd to pump them up, and bows at his opponent. They resume with five minutes left to battle it out, and Oliveira starts by walking Phillips down. Phillips remains on his bike, kicking and probing with single strikes while trying to avoid the booming blows aimed at his face. Oliveira dodges a wheel kick and plods forward, slamming his shin on Phillips’ calf and drawing a short limp from him. Phillips keeps moving while Oliveira is going after him, with his head kick blocked before Oliveira gets to him and belts him in the face with three punches. “LokDog” hammers the front leg again, takes a body shot and misses on his counters. They both let go with big right hands, and Oliveira’s calf kick does further damage. Oliveira misses on a few punches and a high kick, while Phillips is jabbing aplenty. Phillips scores a body kick, and Oliveira punches him in the chest back. Once more, the Brazilian attacks the front leg, and movement from Phillips is starting to dwindle.
As Phillips tries to push his way forward, Oliveira drills him with a close-range spinning back kick to the chest. Oliveira races forward behind looping hooks, and his spinning wheel kick misses the mark. Phillips kicks him in the face, and Oliveira still keeps his hands down and shrugs off anything that catches him. Oliveira tries to connect with three big punches, and he ducks down and shoulder-checks his adversary. Phillips tries to back him off with hooks, and Oliveira ducks, moves and kicks him. The Brazilian dodges, weaves, connects and shoots for a takedown. Phillips shuts the latter down but eats a hard kick on the way out. Oliveira nods when he gets elbowed in the face, because he has a plan: punch Phillips in the face. The plan succeeds. Again and again. Phillips keeps backpedaling but is featuring his jab more than usual, and he mixes in a few side kicks to not let “LokDog” get to him. Oliveira bull-rushes him with punches, tackles Phillips to the mat and is bounced back to his feet. He proceeds to chase Phillips around the cage until time expires.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Kyler Phillips via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira

Round 1
They move the line forward in the 135-pound weight class, as Nurmagomedov (18-3, 7-2 UFC) and Oliveira (21-3, 2-0 UFC) meet in a pivotal bantamweight attraction. Hatley officiates. Oliveira steps forward, eats a leg kick and uncorks a left hook. Nurmagomedov stays light on his feet and sends a kick glancing off the Brazilian’s forehead. A spinning back kick to the body sends Oliveira to the canvas. He gets to his feet, only to absorb a stout low kick. Nurmagomedov threatens a guillotine in a scramble, then separates. Another powerful low leg kick from the Russian. Oliveira ducks a spinning backfist. Nurmagomedov briefly secures a takedown, but Oliveira gets back to his feet and drives forward in the clinch. Midway through the round. Oliveira scores with knees to the legs. Inadvertent eye poke from the Brazilian results in a pause. Hatley restarts it. Slapping head kick lands from Nurmagomedov. Chopping overhand right from Nurmagomedov misses and an accidental head butt knocks Oliveira off-balance. He gets back to his feet, eats a flying knee and manages to score a takedown. Oliveira navigates the guard and scores with ground-and-pound. Nurmagomedov gets back to his feet. The round ends in the clinch.

Sherdog Scores
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nurmegomedov
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nurmagomedov

Round 2
Oliveira steps forward, and they trade body kicks. Nurmagomedov throw a kick high, only to get blocked. Leg kick from the Russian, who ducks in, shoot on the hips and hunts a takedown. Oliveira denies his efforts. A clinch battle ensues. Knee up the middle on the break from Nurmagomedov. Oliveira presses the issue behind punches and executes a takedown. Nurmagomedov gets back to his feet without much issues and gets his kicks in gear in the center of the cage. Right hand over the top from the Russian draws a thumbs up from Oliveira. Nurmagomedov complains about an eye poke, leaves his guard down and eats a few punches for his troubles. He circles behind Oliveira, resets and secures a brief takedown. Output an issue for Nurmagomedov, who appears to be tiring. Oliveira moves forward behind punches from both hands and lands a glancing uppercut, then misses on a wild spinning backfist. Weary punches from both men to end the frame.

Sherdog Scores
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
Anyone’s fight with five minutes to go. Oliveira presses forward behind a body kick and punches. Nurmagomedov slips throwing a kick. Oliveira dives in top position and works in full guard. He scores with short punches. Nurmagomedov scrambles from underneath. Oliveira draws a warning for grabbing the cage and another for strikes to the back of the head. He powers into half guard and briefly achieves full mount. Nurmagomedov escapes and snatches a single-leg. Oliveira sprawls and circles, then locks in a brabo choke. He bails and throws elbows instead. Ninety seconds left. Oliveira connects with a knee to the body on the kneeling Nurmagomedov. The momentum has certainly shifted. Nurmagomedov gets back to his feet but looks gassed. His movements are woefully labored. Oliveira doubles up on right hooks and connects with a side kick to the body. Nurmagomedov scores with a spinning backfist, but his opponent appears unmoved. Oliveira sprawls on a takedown attempt from the Russian and wheels behind him with 30 seconds remaining. Nurmagomedov clings to a single-leg but has neither the energy nor wherewithal to do anything with it.

Sherdog Scores
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)
Scottie Smith scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-27 Oliveira)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (29-28 Oliveira)

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Said Nurmagomedov—Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Ricky Simon vs. Vinicius Oliveira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Simon (-218), Oliveira (+180)

Round 1
At long last, UFC 303 is upon us, but not how many would have hoped. In the weeks prior to the event, the final three bouts on the lineup transformed dramatically. Before we get to those, there will be 10 other matchups pleasing fight fans throughout the billing, with some fascinating stylistic clashes and others that promise immediate violence. We start off in the bantamweight division, where perennial contender Simon (20-5, 8-4 UFC) looks to get back in the win column after a rare skid. He faces high-flying Brazilian Oliveira (20-3, 1-0 UFC), who has seen 19 of his 23 pro outings end by knockout, win or lose. Referee Mark Smith is on call for the first fight of the night, geared up for what could be something wild. There is no fist bump to get things going, perhaps in part to the fiery weigh-ins the night before. The two feint and fake at one another in the opening 20 seconds, and Oliveira lunges for a few strikes but misses the mark. Oliveira prods out a front kick to the midsection and skirts away, his hands low as he aims a low calf kick. Simon reaches him with two punches up top, and Oliveira slips away from the rest. The Brazilian misses the mark with a jumping front kick, but his leg kick that follows does connect. Simon rushes him to get off a few punches before evading the counter. Oliveira uses his front kick as a jab, and he follows one with a rifling one-two down the middle. Oliveira switches stances regularly, keeping Simon guessing and flicking out a sharp left and a heavy right. Simon keeps his guard up to defend the worst of the blows, and he slams a low kick on the rear shin before crashing the pocket to sling “Lok Dog” to the canvas. Oliveira jumps right back up and stabs out a right hand that gets Simon’s attention, and Simon tags him with a counter that makes Oliveira drop his hands and march forward like a Terminator. Oliveira lets Simon have it with a number of unanswered leg kicks, and he whiffs on a head kick. Simon gets off a right hand, and Oliveira jabs him back. Oliveira walks through jabs, taking one on the nose and shrugging his shoulders before loosing a head kick that pounds into the guard. Oliveira gets off another head kick that nails the guard, and Simon dips down and lands a body shot that skips off the cup. Oliveira signals to Smith that he is fine, and he gets back to a stalking mode where his hands are low and he is swinging hard. Simon rushes at him to tie him up, but Oliveira wants nothing to do with it. Simon times a right hand as Oliveira ducks, and Oliveira shakes it off and tosses out two kicks. Simon snaps the head back as a gob of saliva launches from the mouth of “Lok Dog,” and they trade hands until the horn sounds.
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Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 2
Oliveira marches out of his corner, shouting something at Simon to get started. Oliveira’s hands low, he engages in a brief slugfest, and a left hand from Simon smashes into his ear and breaks open the cauliflower, resulting in a trickle of blood streaming down his neck. Oliveira laughs off anything Simon throws at him and lobs back hooks, and the two end up in the clinch until “Lok Dog” wants to push off and swing hands. Simon shoots through the hips with a solid double-leg takedown entry, and he lands on top comfortably. Oliveira keeps moving, and he scrambles back to his feet without issue. Simon ducks a punch and lifts Oliveira off the ground to slam him down to a knee, and when Oliveira tries to recover, Simon looks to take his back standing. Simon lets loose with a sharp elbow from a close proximity, and Oliveira pushes off and takes a deep breath. The punches from the Brazilian are labored less than two minutes into the second round, although his leg kicks do keep landing. Oliveira is frustrated about a warning to close his fingers, and he snaps out a jab that draws a frown from the Washington native. Simon looks for his own jab, all while trying to meander around the unorthodox looping punches from “Lok Dog.” Oliveira goes all power, and Simon blocks the strikes and drives him back with a few straight punches and a body shot. Simon attempts a takedown, and Oliveira stonewalls him and pursues a spinning wheel kick that Simon evades. Oliveira chains several strikes together including a few leg kicks, and he stumbles and returns to his feet to keep attacking. A few punches from Oliveira get through to shake up Simon, who escapes out the side and whips a head kick at the Brazilian’s melon. Oliveira takes it without issue and swings back with bad intentions, and he defends a takedown shot and uses rangy strikes to get to Simon. As Oliveira lazily tosses out calf kicks, Simon checks a few, and Oliveira staggers back, compromised from the defense. Simon rushes at him, letting his hands go. The two trade leather until the bell rings, and Simon barks at his opponent. Oliveira does not know what to do when hearing this, and he punches Simon in the face well after the round ended. Smith drags him to the corner while shouting at him, and cooler heads prevail to get to the third round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
Physicians come in to assess the damage of Oliveira’s leg, and he is cleared to continue. Oliveira rushes out of his corner once more, but this time, Simon meets him in the middle to trade with him. Simon ducks the punch and lets go with a kick, and he engages in a back-and-forth session of strikes with him coming out slightly better. Simon pushes Oliveira back, and he checks a kick as Oliveira shakes his head uncomfortably. Simon leads off with punches, and Oliveira pushes off and a finger jabs into Simon’s eye. Oliveira shakes his finger as if to say it was from a punch, and Smith does not call anything. Simon fails on one takedown attempt, and his second is much deeper but he is spun around on the fence. Oliveira breaks free and jabs out with a front kick, circling to the left and switching stances regularly. Oliveira sticks out several jabs in an effort to launch a big right hand to follow, and he jabs the body and starts showboating and raising his hands to signal for Simon to fight him. Oliveira blocks a head kick and gives him one back, and he motions to Simon that his was much more effective. Oliveira walks Simon down, backing off only to block the offense his way, and he loops a left hand over the top. When Oliveira lets go with two punches, Simon shoots in for a double, and “Lok Dog” shuts it down and strings a number of punches and a kick together. Simon cannot reach his man, and Oliveira tags him back and raises his arms in the air to celebrate. Oliveira lands a few shots and looks over to his corner in a Max Holloway-esque display, and he decides to change things up and take Simon down. Oliveira backs off to stand back up, and he uses several unusual strikes including a kick behind his other leg to mess with Simon. Oliveira lands a head kick right at the bell, and the two stop fighting and hug it out to squash any beef that may have developed between them.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-27 Oliveira)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-27 Oliveira)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira (30-27 Oliveira)

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Ricky Simon via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Vinicius Oliveira vs. Bernardo Sopai
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: N/A

Round 1
It’s back-to-back 135-pound contests of Zahabi-Basharat and now Oliveira (19-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Sopai (11-2, 0-0 UFC), with this pairing between UFC debutants. Both fighters do not like to involve the judges often, with “Lok Dog” posting a finish rate of 89%, and Albania’s Sopai countering with 91%. While the final bell might not play a factor, referee Keith Peterson almost certainly will before it is all said and done. Ahead of the action, there is a no-nonsense fist bump to commence this short-notice contest. Oliveira introduces himself with a rangy body kick, and he stalks forward with a sweeping leg kick. Sopai replies with a high kick that whizzes past his foe’s head, and Oliveira kicks him on the calf two more times. Oliveira aims a side kick to the knee, and keeps is guard up to defend from another head kick. The two crash together, and their excitement causes them to flail madly and miss wide on both sides. Oliveira goes to chase after his opponent, and Sopai chops him down with an inside low kick. Oliveira winds up with a power punch, and Sopai gets him back with another kick. Oliveira spins his man around with a leg kick, and Sopai tries and fails to wing a right hand when he spins about. Oliveira chips away with his calf kicks, keeping a safe range from the lunging Sopai. Oliveira spins for a wheel kick, and Sopai intercepts him and tackles him to the canvas. Sopai jumps to side control, and Oliveira counters with a heel hook attempt. Sopai lowers himself down to thwart the submission setup, and he settles down inside of the Brazilian’s guard. Oliveira throws up an armbar to threaten from his back, and Sopai backs off and lets them stand back up. Sopai chases after the Brazilian and lays into him with a huge right hand, and Oliveira responds with a head kick and a hard right hand to follow. Sopai winds up on power punches, blocks a head kick and scoots back to dodge a leg kick. Oliveira aims a kick that slaps into the guard, and Sopai chops his lead leg with a kick before charging to land a takedown. Sopai lands in full mount, but Oliveira bucks him back to the guard. Oliveira hacks with elbows from his back and kicks Sopai off of him, but Sopai lowers himself and smacks Oliveira in the face several times until the horn stops the round.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Sopai
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Sopai

Round 2
The bantamweights clap hands to re-engage, and Oliveira starts off with a leg kick. Sopai aggressively hunts for a takedown, and when Oliveira counters with a trip, Sopai is able to bowl his man over and set him down. Oliveira turns to his side and then gives up his back, and Sopai wraps a hook around the waist and starts slamming the Brazilian in the side of the head with right hands. Sopai clobbers his fading opponent with punches and occasional elbows, and Peterson looks closely at the undefended strikes adding up. Oliveira keeps turning, and he gets flattened out briefly as Sopai hammers him with ground-and-pound. Sopai allows Oliveira to turn all the way around and follows him every step of the way, claiming Oliveira’s back once more and slamming down fierce right hands. Sopai sits up and rides Oliveira’s back like a professional bull rider, and he beats on Oliveira with several more right hands. Oliveira stands up with Sopai still on his back, and Sopai threatens with a rear-naked choke when he sees the opening. Oliveira grabs hold of one arm and slings Sopai over, and he chucks Sopai on his back. Oliveira unleashes a fury of power strikes, hurting Sopai and stepping into a partial mount until Sopai muscles his way back to his feet. Oliveira wrenches him away from the wall and climbs into top position with about a minute to go, and he drives down standing-to-ground punches and elbows that do some serious damage. Oliveira flattens himself down to grab hold of an arm-triangle choke, and he drives down punches and elbows until Sopai kicks him off. Sopai stands back up and walks into a head kick, and Oliveira races after him throwing hands. Sopai retaliates with a big punch, and he gets blasted with a head kick as he turns away before the round ends. When the round does conclude, Sopai puts his hands on his waist, and he appears totally exhausted.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Oliveira

Round 3
The fighters touch ‘em up to start the last round, and Oliveira walks Sopai down. When Sopai misses with a punch, Oliveira flails with several punches and a leg kick that does connect. Oliveira’s wild offense largely misses, and Sopai appears to still be catching his wind, as he only offers an occasional single strike. Oliveira charges forward with a right hand, and Sopai’s legs are barely beneath him as he partially absorbs a high kick. Oliveira drills him with two right hooks in rapid succession, and Sopai takes a sharp exhale in response. Oliveira meanders forward, no concern for his physical well-being, and he throws everything he has into every one of his strikes. Sopai allows most of them to soar past him, but the ones that do connect hurt him. Oliveira lands a few leg kicks as well, and he turns away to his corner and then lances Sopai with a few straight punches. Sopai is sucking wind as he tries to give something back, but Oliveira’s offense forces him to backpedal constantly. Oliveira winds up with a fierce right hand, and Sopai staggers back to the wall. Oliveira follows it with a leg kick, and he dings Sopai with another right. Oliveira loads up on power right hands and sweeping leg kicks, and Sopai is displaying his toughness but is getting knocked around the cage. Oliviera lands yet another big right hand, and Sopai bounces off the cage wall and offers back a single jab. Oliveira shoots down for a takedown, and when that fails, he swings inaccurately. Sopai reaches him with a swiping left hook, and Oliveira chops at his leg and belts him with a left hand that sends Sopai staggering back. Sopai turns away, his hands down, and the Brazilian sees his opening.
Oliveira sprints at his opponent, leaping in the air with and colliding in Sopai’s chin with about as clean of a flying knee as anyone will ever see. Sopai collapses lifelessly to the mat like a puppet whose strings have been cut, and Oliveira strides off, knowing there is nothing more he needs to do today but sign the check for his post-fight bonus.
Chalk this up as an immediate “Knockout of the Year” frontrunner, with the brutal flying knee to conclude the thrilling battle. Thankfully, Sopai eventually regains his senses, but he needs to be carried out of the Octagon from all the damage he sustained after nearly 15 minutes of ridiculous action and violence.

The Official Result
Vinicius Oliveira def. Bernardo Sopai R3 4:41 via KO (Flying Knee)