UFC Fight Night 29 results, photos: Raphael Assuncao gets past T.J. Dillashaw

BARUERI, Brazil – Team Alpha Male will have to get started on another streak.

In a closely contested split decision, Raphael Assuncao upset T.J. Dillashaw, taking a pair of 29-28 scores in an early candidate for “Fight of the Night.” It was the first loss for the Sacramento-based Alpha Male team in the UFC since head coach Duane Ludwig took the reins.

The bantamweight bout opened up the main card of today’s UFC Fight Night 29 event at Jose Correa Arena in Barueri, Sao Paulo, Brazil. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on the same channel.

Assuncao kicked low early, but Dillashaw answered with a right hand. Moments later, Assuncao landed with a right hand behind Dillashaw’s ear. Both fighters stayed quick on their feet with plenty at stake. Dillashaw switched stances, then shot in and got the fight to the ground – the first time Assuncao had been taken down in his UFC career. But the Brazilian was able to pop his way back up quickly. A high kick from Dillashaw was just off the mark, but Assuncao returned fire with a solid combo.

A head kick landed for Dillashaw, but Assuncao caught his leg and nearly took him off his feet. Assuncao tried for a takedown, but Dillashaw sprawled his way out of it and quickly moved around and took Assuncao’s back standing. He went after a rear-naked choke and nearly had it. He had to adjust it twice, and each time Assuncao was able to keep the choke just above his neck. Assuncao got back to his feet with 40 seconds left in the round, but did so with a mouse under his left eye.

Assuncao landed with a short left early in the second, then tried to work inside leg kicks. He caught a Dillashaw kick, and again nearly took the American off his feet. But Dillashaw stayed stalking. He ate a left hand in the process. When Dillashaw kicked again, Assuncao again too advantage by landing a right hand. When Dillashaw shot moments later, Assuncao locked up a guillotine choke that Dillashaw had to work his way out of to get back to the feet. With a minute left, Dillashaw took the fight to the ground and briefly controlled things. The two swung with flurries at the end of the frame in the closely contested fight.

A leaping kick from Dillashaw had him off balance and briefly on his back. Dillashaw pushed the pace for the first two minutes, then stuffed a takedown attempt. With a cut over his right eye, and blood coming from his nose, as well, Dillashaw looked worse for the wear. But he still continued to push the action in a round that saw much less volume from each fighter. Dillashaw landed a right hand, then briefly had the fight on the ground. Back on the feet, he stuffed Assuncao’s takedown attempt, but there was considerably less action in the final frame.

When the cards were read, Assuncao had a split decision victory.

“After the back defense, I started to pick up,” Assucao said. “I started landing strikes and jabs. It was a close fight, but I think I got the better of him in the striking department. I wasn’t exactly surprised with his game, because I knew how dynamic he was, especially with the high kicks and the attack to the back. In terms of what’s next, I don’t know. The situation in my division is still a bit undefined. I’m not one to call out another fighter.”

“I didn’t lose that fight,” Dillashaw said. “I had the takedowns, I had the cctagon control, I had most of the significant strikes, I had all the damage. He’s a good fighter and it was a close fight, but I won. That’s what you get for leaving it to the judges.”

Assuncao (21-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC), ranked No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA bantamweight rankings, won for the fifth straight time, all in the UFC’s bantamweight division. Dillashaw (8-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), ranked No. 12, had a four-fight winning streak snapped.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 29 results include:

• Raphael Assuncao def. T.J. Dillashaw via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Igor Araujo def. Ildemar Alcantara via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Yan Cabral def. David Mitchell via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Chris Cariaso def. Iliarde Santos via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:31
• Alan Patrick def. Garett Whiteley via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:54

For more on UFC Fight Night 29, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

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