UFC hopeful MAteusz Rebecki didn’t even need hooks to get the tap at Dana White’s Contender Series.
At DWCS 52, Rebecki (16-1) submitted Rodrigo Lidio (12-3) via rear-naked choke at 3:05 of Round 1. The light bout served as one of five on the card Tuesday at the UFC Apex.
Relentless with his takedowns from the opening bell, Rebecki made it clear early that he wanted to drag the fight to the canvas. Lidio rose back to his feet after the first successful takedown by Rebecki, but he couldn’t repeat it.
Upon the second takedown, Rebecki immediately maneuvered to get to side control. Lidio turned into the Rebecki as he shifted. Rebecki grabbed hold of the rear-naked choke and then Lidio tried to shift back to his original position. This left Rebecki with a tight grip of the rear-naked choke, but without hooks. Essentially chest-to-chest with Lidio, Rebecki squeezed until he got the tap. The unusual submission got visual and audible approval from UFC president Dana White who expressed his delight with the finish.
Submission number ✌️ of the night@RebeckiMateusz gets the first round finish #DWCS! pic.twitter.com/YtY5vnnAR6
— UFC (@ufc) August 31, 2022
Rebecki, 29, is one of the most experienced fighters featured on the entire DWCS, Season 6. He extends his winning streak to 13 with the victory. Fourteen of his 16 pro wins have come inside the distance.
The up-to-the-minute DWCS 52 results include:
- Mateusz Rebecki def. Rodrigo Lidio via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:05
- Viktoriya Dudakova def. Maria Silva via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Blake Bilder def. Alex Morgan via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:15
