Brazil's Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Felipe Arantes (L) fights with his Canada's Antonio Carvalho during the UFC Rio, a professional mixed martial arts competition in Rio de Janeiro January 14, 2012. REUTERS/Ricardo MoraesReuters
Canadians Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout and Antonio (Pato) Carvalho each lost in unanimous decisions at Saturday's UFC 142 event.
Stout's contest with Thiago Tavaeres served as the featured preliminary bout of the night, while Carvalho kicked off the evening at HSBC Arena with a fight against Felipe Arantes.
In lightweight action, Stout was unable to stop several opening-round takedowns and spent the first five minutes looking to get back to his feet. While he absorbed little damage, the London, Ont., native also dropped the opening frame by spending too much time on bottom.
The second round was much closer and perhaps the lone controversial frame of the contest. It was Stout who flurried frequently and found success punching to his opponent's body. But Tavares also answered back with powerful overhand rights, as well as more takedown attempts.
While Stout successfully defended each attempt, it was Tavares who controlled the pace of the round, which he narrowly took on all three judges' cards.
Stout's best round was the third, in which he finally figured out how to avoid Tavares' right hand while continuing to pummel the body. Stout landed several power shots in the closing minutes, but it was simply too little, too late, and Tavares was awarded a unanimous-decision win, 29-28 on all three judges' cards.
With the loss, Team Tompkins' two highest-profile fighters are now 0-2 since the August 2011 passing of their longtime mentor, Shawn Tompkins.
"This was my first fight without Shawn," Stout said after the fight. "It was definitely an adjustment not having him in my corner. I hope Shawn would be proud.
"I thought I took rounds two and three, but I just struggled to find my rhythm. My head wasn't in it in the first round. I had a slow start and I have no one to blame but myself for that."
Carvalho meanwhile controlled the opening round of his featherweight matchup, landing an early kick to his opponent's body that sent Arantes to the floor. The Ajax, Ont., native took top position for much of the first round, scoring points while controlling the action and seeking submission opportunities.
However, Arantes eventually scrambled back to his feet, and the course of the bout completely changed.
With a pro-Arantes crowd cheering at fever-pitch levels, the 23-year-old "Sertanejo" picked Carvalho apart on the feet, chopping to the legs with slapping kicks and landing jabs up the middle over the course of the final two and a half rounds.
Carvalho pushed until the final bell, but his counter-based gameplan allowed Arantes to be first to the punch and earn a clearcut unanimous-decision win, 29-28 on all three judges' cards.
"I expected the crowd to be against me, but I'm not sure it played a big factor," Carvalho said following the loss. "They were definitely loud. In the end, Felipe listened to his corner very well.
"I wish I would have had more efficient shots (for takedowns) because they worked in the first round. I went for a few too many submissions and tired myself out."
The loss snapped a three-fight win streak for Carvalho.
He was actually scheduled to compete at this past August's UFC 134 event, which also took place in Rio de Janeiro. A training injury forced Carvalho to withdraw, and his UFC debut was pushed back to Saturday's event.