Surprised, Dana White admits mistake regarding Brazilian fighter signed by the UFC.

Dana White greets Guilherme Uriel at the Contender Series. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC

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Guilherme Uriel finally managed to become a UFC fighter. In his second appearance on the Contender Series program, which took place last Tuesday (25), in Las Vegas (USA), the Brazilian finished his compatriot Mario Piazzon in 50 seconds and was awarded a contract with the company by Dana White. In fact, the executive made a surprising revelation about the athlete, the newest member of the heavyweight division (up to 120,2 kg).

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In the post-Contender press conference, the UFC president openly expressed his surprise at the way Uriel won and admitted he was wrong about him. Right at the start of the fight, Piazzon attempted a takedown and pushed his opponent against the cage. Calmly, 'Urso' defended, set up a guillotine choke, and even from a difficult position, submitted his compatriot. Not satisfied, Dana even presented a statistic highlighting the difference in skill level between the two athletes.

“That was a strange fight. It was very fast. I was surprised. I was saying, 'Why does he keep trying that choke? He's not going to finish. What is he doing?' I was wrong. You managed to finish and it was over quickly. And one of the things I want to highlight is that your record is seven wins and two losses,” he said.

“But when you look at the combined record of the fighters you lost to, it was 9-0. You only fought real guys. Your opponent, whose record was 12-1, one of his opponents had a record of 15-39. Yours was 9-0. Welcome to the UFC,” he concluded.

Watch Uriel's finishing move in Piazzon

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Guilherme Uriel takes home the submission win via the gilly!

[ #DWCS | LIVE on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/hdIOcUw2iH

— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 26, 2026

Guilherme Uriel submitted Mario Piazzon in the Contender Series. Photo: Getty Images/Al Powers/Zuffa LLC

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Guilherme Uriel's history in MMA

Guilherme Uriel, 29 years old, began his MMA career in 2022 and was signed by the UFC in 2026. In the sport, the Brazilian built a record of eight wins, all by stoppage (four by knockout and four by submission), and two losses.

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