The three stars of the TUF Brazil 3 Finale in Sao Paulo

Although MMA fans were on the back-end of a grueling UFC doubleheader by the time the TUF Brazil 3 Finale commenced, a few fighters were still able to capture viewers’ attention and deliver memorable performances.

There were no shortages of finishes and breakthrough performances during Saturday’s FOX Sports 1-televised event Sao Paulo.

With that in mind, here are the three stars from the TUF Brazil 3 Finale.

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Third Star: Marcos Rogerio de Lima

De Lima (12-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) might not be knocking on the door of a heavyweight title shot in the immediate future, but if nothing else, he has a 20-second knockout win in his octagon debut to remember forever.

In one of the first preliminary bouts of the night, de Lima scored the second-fastest knockout ever by a debuting UFC heavyweight with a stoppage of Richardson Moreira.

It was a crushing finish and one that will provide the 28-year-old with another opportunity to display his talents on the world’s biggest stage.

Second Star: Warlley Alves

At the rate the UFC cranks out seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter,” it’s hard to get excited about the show’s winners. Alves (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), though, is an exception.

The 23-year-old displayed some skills that indicate a bright future as he cruised to an easy third-round submission victory to win the middleweight tournament and earn a six-figure UFC contract. With his fifth submission in seven pro wins, he submitted Marcio Alexandre Jr. in his official UFC debut.

With age on his side and a solid support system around him, Alves is one to look out for in the future.

First Star: Stipe Miocic

While his pre-fight warmup probably took a larger physical toll than the fight itself, Miocic (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) walked away from the TUF Brazil 3 Finale as the biggest winner of the evening.

After losing former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos as an opponent with late notice, Miocic was in a no-win situation against a fighter moving up from light heavyweight in Fabio Maldonado.

Even a slight hint of adversity would have been a huge blow to Miocic’s standing as a heavyweight contender. However, he avoided any of that, and instead, he bulldozed his Brazilian counterpart in just 25 seconds.

The risk of suffering an embarrassing loss to Maldonado and falling out of title contention was a real possibility. Instead, Miocic rose to the occasion and reminded everyone why he’s a force to be reckoned with at heavyweight.

For complete coverage of the TUF Brazil 3 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.