Antonio Carlos Junior submits Eddie Gordon in battle of 'Ultimate Fighter' winners
A drop down to middleweight was just the trick for former 'Ultimate Fighter Brazil' winner Antonio Carlos Junior as he out powered and eventually submitted Eddie Gordon in the third round of their battle in Florida.
Carlos-Junior originally fought at heavyweight on the reality show, but for his second fight since winning the series he dropped down another division and it appears 185 pounds will definitely remain his home.
It was clear from the opening of the fight that Carlos-Junior wanted to put Gordon on the mat where he would hold the biggest advantage.
The Brazilian better known as 'Cara de Sapato', which translates to 'Shoeface' in English, stayed in control by putting all of his weight down on Gordon while landing some short, nasty inside elbow strikes.
Carlos-Junior opted for a striking heavy second round, putting his jab into Gordon's face repeatedly while showcasing a massive size advantage over the New Yorker. Carlos-Junior capped off the round with another big takedown and pressing Gordon against the cage while punching away from inside the half guard.
The third round was more of the same as Carlos-Junior got Gordon to the ground, but unlike the first 10 minutes he was able to take the back and began working for a rear naked choke.
Carlos-Junior stayed patient until he finally locked his arm under Gordon's chin to get the tap out at 4:37 in the third round.
The win introduces Carlos-Junior as a threat at middleweight, especially now after relocating to Florida to begin working full time with American Top Team just recently.
As for Gordon, he drops to 0-3 in his last three fights with his only win in the Octagon coming as part of 'The Ultimate Fighter' 19 finale last year.
