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Only one man could get their first octagon win in the battle of newcomers between Chris Padilla and James Llontop on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 55, and it was the former who got the job done.
Padilla (14-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC) showed off some slick ground skills when, during a scramble on the mat in the lightweight, he took the back of Llontop (14-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and locked in a rear-naked choke for the tap at the 4:33 mark of Round 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
“Taco” entered the event tied as the biggest betting underdog, but the fight didn’t look that way as he got the job done.
Check out the replay of Padilla’s handiwork below (via X):
Chris Padilla gets the submission win in his UFC debut 👏 #UFCVegas91
📺: ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/jj6B7mAm53
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 27, 2024
Padilla, 28, made his MMA debut in March 2014. It took him more than a decade to get to the big stage, and took his opportunity as a replacement on four days’ notice. With the performance against Llontop, who missed weight, he proved deserving of a spot on the roster.
“It feels surreal, but at the same time I know I belong here,” Padilla said in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “So I’m not surprised.”
The up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 55 results include:
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