Prior to UFC 163 , middleweight jiu-jitsu ace Thales Leites hadn’t fought inside the Octagon since losing to Alessio Sakara at UFC 101 in 2009. That split-decision loss came just months after Leites battled middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 97. For many, the release came as a surprise, as Leites was touted as one of the more highly praised ground players in MMA at the time. On Saturday night at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Leites found himself once again fighting inside the Octagon, having toiled in various promotions for the past four years. During his time away from the UFC , the Nova Unaio product managed a 6-1 record, scoring wins over UFC vets Matt Horwich and Jeremy Horn, earning his way back into the world’s premier fighting organization. English brawler Tom “Kong” Watson was the fighter given the job of welcoming Leites back to the cage. And as far as Watson was concerned, it certainly wouldn’t be a friendly welcome. Round one saw the Rio native, Leites, open up with the aggression you would expect from a man who probably spent the last 50 or so months wondering if he would ever be fighting for divisional relevancy again.
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UFC 163 Results: Back Home in the UFC, Thales Leites Dominates Tom Watson – MMA Weekly