UFC 212 results: Brian Kelleher stuns Iuri Alcantara in UFC debut, gives epic post-fight interview

RIO DE JANEIRO – There were big punches and kicks coming at Brian Kelleher on hostile ground. But by the time he got done squeezing Iuri Alcantara’s neck, the crowd was silent.

A guillotine choke brought Kelleher (17-7 MMA, 1-0 UFC) a quick win over Alcantara (34-8 MMA, 9-3 UFC), starting his UFC career off with a bang.

The bantamweight bout was part of today’s UFC 212 preliminary card at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. It aired on FS1 following the UFC Fight Pass early prelims and prior to the pay-per-view main card.

The crowd was just getting into it when Alcantara suddenly tapped, lending a sour end to the hometown crowd. Kelleher was no less outspoken to the UFC brass outside the octagon, sending a message to UFC President Dana White and matchmaker Sean Shelby.

“Dana, that’s No. 13 in a row!,” Kelleher yelled into the mic. “I just took No. 13 out! I want a top-10 guy! I don’t want this slow pace! Feed me to the sharks! I’m ready!”

Kelleher got the tap at the 1:48 mark of the opening frame, extending his current win streak to seven. To put a cherry on things, he returned the abuse the fans showered on him after his victory, parroting the “you’re gonna die” chant in Portuguese and adding a “shhh.”

Friends he did not make in Brazil, but Kelleher’s performance was pretty impressive for a newcomer. The shots that Alcantara landed put him on his heels early, forcing him to deal with the Brazilian’s long limbs. A spinning backfist counter nearly landed, but he was forced to reset.

Finally, Kelleher got tired of being on the receiving end of offense and charged forward, landing a hook that prompted Alcantara to shoot. But in the easy takedown that followed, Alcantara exposed his neck, and Kelleher wrapped the head and squeezed while positioning his legs.

Kelleher finished off his post-fight interview with one final message for White and Shelby, calling for a bonus.

“Hey! Sean Shelby, Dana White! 50 Gs!,” he yelled. “Change my life! I came to Brazil and took out their hometown boy!”

Up-to-the-minute results include:

• Brian Kelleher def. Iuri Alcantara via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:48
• Viviane Pereira def. Jamie Moyle via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Luan Chagas def. Jim Wallhead vis submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:48
• Deiveson Alcantara def. Marco Beltran via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 5:00

For more on UFC 212, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Fernanda Prates contributed to this report on site in Rio de Janeiro.)