The first submission finish under the UFC banner in 2025 was nothing short of beautiful, and it came courtesy of Felipe Bunes at UFC Fight Night 249.
With his back on the mat early in the flyweight bout at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Bunes (14-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) quickly transitioned into an armbar attack on Jose Johnson (16-10 MMA, 1-3 UFC), who valiantly attempted to escape, but was forced to tap out at the 2:04 mark of Round 1.
Check out the replay of the slick finish from Bunes below (via X):
WHAT A SCRAMBLE! 😱@BunesFelipinho takes home the first round submission!
[ #UFCVegas101 main card is up next on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/mq2wb3ec6n
— UFC (@ufc) January 11, 2025
Felipe Bunes with the Kamehameha celly after his submission victory at #UFCVegas101 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dWI7adCurE
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 11, 2025
After falling short in his octagon debut in January 2024, Bunes returned after a nearly full-year layoff and got the win. He was emotional afterward, but collected himself to make a callout of a former title challenger at 125 pounds.
“Believe in your dreams,” Bunes said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “Hey Tim Elliott, I would love to fight you.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 249 results include:
- Felipe Bunes def. Jose Johnson via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:04
- Marco Tulio def. Ihor Potieria via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:04
- Thiago Moises def. Trey Ogden via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:13
- Ernesta Kareckaite def. Nicolle Caliari via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Bruno Lopes def. Magomed Gadzhiyasulov via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Fatima Kline def. Viktoriia Dudakova via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 4:27
- Nurullo Aliev def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.
