LAS VEGAS – Andre Lima beat Daniel Barez with a third-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 254 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Lima, who stayed unbeaten and picked up a $50,000 performance bonus for what was the first submission win of his career.
Andre Lima def. Daniel Barez
Result: Andre Lima def. Daniel Barez via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 3:05
Updated records: Lima (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC), Barez (17-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Key stats: Lima was a 6-1 favorite and outstruck Barez 161-34 on his way to the submission win. Lima landed 73 percent of his total strikes.
Lima on the fight’s key moment
“It was my goal to get in there and get the knockout or a submission. I was able to put the strategy in place, and I was very happy to get the first submission win in my career. My coaches were telling me to break him down, and I thought I was going to be able to knock him out.”
A DOMINANT performance from Andre Lima tonight 👏
He gets the submission victory in round three! #UFCVegas104 pic.twitter.com/YH4ktJInY7
— UFC (@ufc) March 15, 2025
Lima on his jiu-jitsu black belt
“I’ve always worn the black belt, but sometimes I’ve already put a shirt on so you don’t see it. (So I didn’t get my black belt after the win.)”
Lima on what he wants next
“(I’d like to be back) next month. I love Miami. My dream is to fight there. I’ll be ready (to step in for the flyweight title). Just tell Dana I’ll be ready. That’s the message that I wanted to show everybody – that I’m here and I’m ready to go. My dream is to wake up Tuesday and be in the top 15. I wanted to tell people when I got that contract on Dana White’s Contenders Series – that was not in vain.”
“I want this to be an example to people – if you work hard for your dreams, you can get your dreams”
Andre Lima shares his motivation for himself and fans after he secured a submission win at #UFCVegas104.
Results, Interviews & More ➡️: https://t.co/Q3SV4cHKFl
— UFC News (@UFCNews) March 15, 2025
To hear more from Lima, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 254.
