BARUERI, Brazil – Renato Carneiro showed early on that he had the quicker hands and the sharper striking in his matchup against Tom Niinimaki . So when he clubbed Niinimaki (21-8-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) to the floor midway through the second, the only surprise was that Carneiro (9-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) finished with a rear-naked choke instead of a torrent of punches, forcing the tap at 3:30 of Round 2 and bringing an end to a very impressive UFC debut. The featherweight bout was part of today’s UFC Fight Night 58 preliminary card at Jose Correa Arena in Barueri, Sao Paulo, Brazil. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following earlier prelims on UFC Fight Pass. Carneiro’s striking skills were on display early in this one. Stinging counters and sneaky hooks keep Niinimaki back on his heels and increasingly defensive as the fight wore on, with Carneiro stringing together combinations that left Niinimaki looking lost and confused heading into the second frame.
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UFC Fight Night 58 results: Renato Carneiro drops, then chokes out Tom Niinimaki – MMA Junkie