UFC Fight Night 38 results: Godofredo Pepey KOs Noad Lahat with vicious knee

NATAL, Brazil – “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” runner-up Godofredo Pepey played with fire by going fast and loose against octagon newcomer Noad Lahat.

But midway through the fight’s first round, Pepey’s aggressiveness paid off big. A surprise attack put Lahat to sleep and added a clip to the reality show winner’s highlight reel.

The featherweight bout opened up the preliminary card of today’s UFC Fight Night 38 event Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass ahead of additional prelims and a main card on FOX Sports 1.

The official time of the stoppage came at the 2:39 mark of the opening frame when Pepey leaped from several feet away with a switch knee and caught Lahat on the chin. The force of the strike crumpled him into the cage and brought an immediate wave-off from the referee.

Early in the bout, Pepey looked to do damage not with his knees, but his fists. Looping one-punch combinations came at Lahat, who showed surprising composure in his first UFC fight and returned fire with straight punches.

Lahat’s early efforts, however, were erased by the sudden attack.

“I’ve been working on this knee strike for a long time, but I wasn’t able to get it right in my past few fights because I was too nervous,” Pepey said. “I wasn’t in a good place mentally. Now I’m back. The lion is awake.”

Godofredo Pepey (10-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) sent the audience into a frenzy with the knockout, which snapped a two-fight skid and likely saved his job. Lahat (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered his first professional defeat after four years of success on the regional circuit.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 38 results include:

• Godofredo Pepey def. Noad Lahat via knockout (flying knee) – Round 1, 2:39

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 38, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

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