It’s not often a middleweight bursts onto the scene in Asia, but Leandro Ataides established himself as an immediate star by becoming the first fighter to ever stop Bryan Rafiq when the two fought at ONE FC: Warrior Spirit last month. The Brazilian went into the fight with a reputation as a grappler, he holds a black belt in BJJ and has won the world championships numerous time, but it was his striking that did the damage with the Pancrase veteran left face down on the canvas after a flurry of punches. It could have been much worse for Rafiq had Ataides not decided to abandon his onslaught without the referee’s intervention. The Brazilian says he realized immediately that the fight was effectively over and his opponent did not need to take any further punishment
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Leandro Ataides Hoping for a 2014 One FC Middleweight Match-up with Melvin Manhoef – MMA Weekly