UFC Fight Night 131 Results: Marlon Moraes Beats Jimmie Rivera via Knockout

Marlon Moraes could not have sent a more clear message to the rest of the bantamweight division at UFC Fight Night 131. He stunned Jimmie Rivera with a first-round finish in the main event from the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York. 

Rivera came into the bout with a 20-fight win streak and just one split-decision loss to his name. That changed pretty quickly as Moraes feinted a jab and hit Rivera with a head kick that sent him crumbling to the mat. 

From there, the Brazilian wasted no time in following up with strikes to draw the referee stoppage:

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com captured what it was like to watch the lightning-quick fight:

After the fight, Moraes didn't shy away from asking for a title shot.

Moraes may have disappointed in his UFC debut. He lost a split decision to Raphael Assuncao after dominating World Series of Fighting, but he's since racked up two first finishes in back-to-back fights. This main event served as his official induction as an elite bantamweight contender. 

The excitement of the main event capped an otherwise hit-or-miss night of fights, but plenty of young talent showcased skills that could set up future runs of their own. Here's a look at all the results and a closer look at the main event. 

Fight Night 131 Results

Main card 

• Jimmie Rivera vs. Marlon Moraes
• Gregor Gillespie def. Vinc Pichel via submission (arm-triangle choke) (R2, 4:06)
• Walt Harris def. Daniel Spitz via second-round TKO (4:59)
• Ben Saunders def. Jake Ellenberger via first-round TKO (1:56)
• Julio Arce def. Daniel Teymur via submission (RNC) (3rd, 2:55)
• Sam Alvey def. Gian Villante via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Undercard

• Sijara Eubanks def. Lauren Murphy via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
• David Teymur def. Nik Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
• Belal Muhammad def. Chance Recountre via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
• Desmond Green def. Gleison Tibau via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-27)
• Nathaniel Wood def. Johnny Eduardo via submission (D’arce choke) (2nd, 2:18)
• Jose Torres def. Jarred Brooks via second-round TKO (2:55)

Gregor Gillespie vs. Vinc Pichel

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The New York crowd was treated to a dominant performance from home state fighter Gregor Gillespie. The undefeated 31-year-old ran his undefeated record up to 12-0 with a second-round submission win over Vinc Pichel in the co-main event. 

Gillespie showcased his smothering wrestling abilities with a dominant grappling performance that watched him control nearly the entire fight from top position. 

As Michael Carroll of Fightmetric noted, Gillespie's win streak is starting to pile up with some of the top guys in the division: 

Still, it's important to note that none of those wins have come against ranked opponents. The wrestler needs to be challenged with some ranked opponents soon to find out whether he actually has the goods to make some noise in the division or if he's just better than the lowest level of UFC competition. 

The lightweight division is one of the toughest to break into, but Gillespie has proven that he deserves that shot. 

Walt Harris vs. Daniel Spitz

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Walt Harris had a rough end to a busy 2017, but his first appearance in 2018 turned out to be a step in the right direction. The Big Ticket ended Daniel Spitz's night with a second-round TKO win to snap a two-fight skid. 

Harris was clearly the better striker through the majority of two rounds but didn't seem interested in stopping the fight. 

That changed as the second round was coming to a close. Spitz threw out a leg kick, which drew a left-hand counter from Harris that started the end for Spitz. 

The 27-year-old was making his third appearance in the Octagon. After losing to Harris, it's hard to be optimistic about his future. 

Harris continues to be a vexing fighter to watch. All 11 of his wins have come by way of knockout or TKO, but he's 11-7, which has prevented him from being anything more than a mid-tier fighter in a division where it's hard to stand out.

Jake Ellenberger vs. Ben Saunders

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It's been nearly a decade since Ben Saunders won a UFC fight via knockout. Back when he did that, he knocked out Marcus Davis via knees. He turned back the clock against Jake Ellenberger, ending the fight via brutal clinch knees:

 The 35-year-old brought a two-fight losing streak into the cage, so it was important for him to get back into the win column to continue fighting under the UFC banner. 

The same could be said for the Juggernaut, who picked up his eighth loss in his last 10 fights. There was once a time when the 33-year-old was among the top welterweights in the world, but that time has clearly passed. 

Saunders is long past his prime as well, but there's still some finishing power in the clinch of the 6'2" welterweight. 

Julio Arce vs. Daniel Teymur

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Julio Arce is an exciting prospect because of his boxing skills, but he's not a bad submission artist either. The 28-year-old ran his UFC record up to 2-0 with a rear-naked choke win over Daniel Teymur in the second round. 

Arce built his lead in the first round by getting the better of the striking exchanges. His extensive boxing background was evident in crisp combinations. 

So when Teymur shot for a takedown in the second round, Arce's grappling was put to the test, and he passed with flying colors. He wasted little time in taking Teymur's back off the sprawl and then sink in the choke to force the tap.

Fox Sports UFC passed along the finish:

Like Arce, Teymur only had one fight in the Octagon leading up to this bout. There's still plenty more for Arce to prove before any real hype gets started, but he certainly has a skill set that makes him worth keeping an eye on. 

Gian Villante vs. Sam Alvey

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Here's what needs to be known about this fight: Gian Villante and Sam Alvey did, in fact, engage in a fight that was sanctioned by the New York State Athletic Commission. Two of the three judges felt that Sam Alvey won the fight.

That's about it. 

Alvey and Villante engaged in a (kind of) back-and-forth bout throughout three rounds in which Villante chased Alvey with single punches and kicks. Occasionally, Alvey would counter with a two-punch combination that would land. 

The UFC provided the highlight for one of the few times there was action in the bout:

The only real takeaway from this fight was that it was Alvey's second appearance at light heavyweight and his second win in as many attempts. In a division that always needs more talent, that means something.