UFC on FUEL TV 10 results: Thiago Silva KO drops Rafael Cavalcante in first

FORTALEZA, BRAZIL – Thiago Silva said he had a score to settle with Rafael Cavalcante, and he certainly fought like it on Saturday night.

In the final minute of a blistering first round, Silva backed Cavalcante up against the fence with a punch combo that put the former Strikeforce champ on the defensive, then dropped him to the mat with a right uppercut that spelled doomed for Cavalcante at 4:29 of the first round.

The light heavyweight bout was part of today’s UFC on FUEL TV 10 event at Paulo Sarasate Arena in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. It aired on FUEL TV following prelims on Facebook.

Both Cavalcante and Silva began the bout as if they expected it to end soon – and violently. Most of the first round was marked by one skull-rattling exchange after another, though it was Silva who came on strong as time wound down in the opening frame. That’s when Cavalcante began to fade, and Silva went on the attack in search of the finish.

After the bout, Silva gave some indication that maybe all his talk about a feud with Cavalcante was as much for the fans’ benefit as it was for his own.

“I think all the provocations and things that I said are very important,” Silva said via an interpreter. “That’s what the crowd likes, and as soon I do this I’m going to be giving the best I can.”

Silva (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) notches his first official win since 2009 with the victory, though his last two octagon victories were changed to no-contests after Silva failed post-fight drug tests. Cavalcante (11-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who currently is an Honorable Mention in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA light heavyweight rankings, loses his octagon debut, and suffers his third career defeat due to knockout in the process.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on FUEL TV 10 results include:

• Thiago Silva def. Rafael Cavalcante via KO (punches) – Round 1, 4:29
• Erick Silva def. Jason High via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:11
• Daniel Sarafian def. Eddie Mendez via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 2:20
• Rony Jason def. Mike Wilkinson via technical submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 1:24
• Raphael Assucano def. Vaughan Lee via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 1:51
• Felipe Arantes def. Godofredo Castro via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:32
• Ildemar Alcantara def. Leandro Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Rodrigo Damm def. Mizuto Hirota via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Caio Magalhaes def. Karlos Vemola via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:49
• Antonio Braga Neto def. Anthony Smith via submission (kneebar) – Round 1, 1:52

For complete coverage of UFC on FUEL TV 10, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(Pictured: Thiago Silva)

John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Brazil.