UFC Fight Night 106 results: 'Shogun' Rua TKOs Gian Villante for first 3-fight streak in 10 years

FORTALEZA, Brazil – Mauricio Rua had to take his lumps against Gian Villante, but when it mattered most he was the one handing out the punishment rather than receiving it.

After rocking Villante (16-8 MMA, 5-5 UFC) with a head kick early in the third, Rua (25-10 MMA, 9-8 UFC) pressed forward with a blistering punch combination that dropped Villante up against the fence, bringing a halt to the bout at the 0:59 mark of Round 3.

The light heavyweight bout was the co-main event of today’s UFC Fight Night 106 event at Centro de Formacao Olimpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. It aired on FS1 following additional prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Rua and Villante took turns hurting each other in the first, with both landing damaging hooks but Rua likely getting the better of the exchanges despite a scare or two.

The action slowed in the second as both men got a little more cautious, but Rua continued chipping away against an increasingly defensive Villante, even as the swelling got worse around his own right eye.

Rua finally found the opening he needed to start the third, wobbling Villante with a head kick followed by hard right hands and a short left hook as Villante faded back against the fence.

Rua kept the pressure on without getting reckless, and after several well-placed shots he sent Villante toppling to the floor, which convinced referee Mario Yamasaki to step in and stop the fight in the first minute of the final round.

Rua has now won three straight, his longest winning streak in more than 10 years, when he was in PRIDE before coming to the UFC. Villante has now lost three of his last five.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 106 results include:

• Mauricio Rua def. Gian Villante via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 0:59
• Edson Barboza def. Beneil Dariush via knockout (knee) – Round 2, 3:35
• Ray Borg def. Jussier Formiga via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Bethe Correia vs. Marion Reneau declared majority draw (29-27 Reneau, 28-28, 28-28)
• Alex Oliveira def. Tim Means via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:38
• Kevin Lee def. Francisco Trinaldo via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:12
• Sergio Moraes def. Davi Ramos via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Joe Soto def. Rani Yahya via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
• Michel Prazeres def. Josh Burkman via submission (north-south choke) – Round 1, 1:42
• Jeremy Kennedy def. Rony Jason via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
• Paulo Borrachinha def. Garreth McLellan via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:17

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 106, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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