Davey Grant spoiled Raphael Assuncao’s retirement sendoff earlier today (Sat., Mar. 11, 2023) at UFC Las Vegas live on ESPN+ from inside The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the English veteran stopped Assuncao with a rare reverse triangle in the third round.
Assuncao was entering his 19th and final UFC fight. The Brazilian veteran has fought some of the best bantamweights in the world throughout his career and was facing a tough test in Grant for his Octagon farewell. Unfortunately, it didn’t end the way Assuncao had imagined.
After two rounds of control for Assuncao it seemed as if Grant needed a finish in the third round. Grant was deducted one point for a fence grab which further fueled his pursuit for a stoppage. He eventually caught Assuncao with a spinning back fist. Assuncao tried to recover with a takedown attempt, but Grant took his back on the way down and locked in a rare reverse triangle. Assuncao was pinned down and the referee eventually realized he was out.
Check out the final moments above courtesy of UFC/ESPN.
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