Former PRIDE 205-pound contender “Brazilian Tiger” Ricardo Arona (14-5) and former WEC middleweight champion “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-1) both rang up three-round unanimous decisions at Bitetti Combat in Rio de Janeiro Saturday night.
Arona beat “Beastman” Marvin Eastman (16-10-1), who nearly missed the fight due to Brazilian visa miscommunications. The win was Arona’s first MMA fight since getting KO’d in round one versus “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (6-4) at PRIDE 34 in Tokyo in April 2007. Arona had turned to professional surfing during his hiatus from fighting, but is now devoted to MMA.
Filho, himself on course for a sort of comeback after a disappointing conclusion to his WEC stint last year, beat Alex Schoenauer (13-10) controversially. Filho’s hometown crowd booed the judges’ decision.
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