Philipe Lins
Division: Heavyweight
Result: Andrei Arlovski def. Philipe Lins via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Record: (14-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: C+
He may have come up short on the scorecards on his UFC debut, but there were plenty of positives to take from [autotag]Philipe Lins[/autotag]’s first appearance in the octagon.
Lins moved up from light heavyweight to heavyweight and captured the PFL’s 2018 heavyweight tournament. But against former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, the Brazilian faced a savvy, experienced operator with a seemingly rejuvenated chin.
Lins connected with a host of big shots on Arlovski in an impressive opening round as he stood and traded on equal terms with “Pitbull” through the opening five minutes.
The second round saw Arlovski up his work rate and start to let his hands go a little more freely, but Lins still posed a threat on the counter as he walked down the octagon veteran and connected with more solid hooks. If there were any first-night nerves, they certainly didn’t show as Lins kept Arlovski honest throughout the entire fight, showing both composure and durability against his big-name opponent.
As the fight passed the midway point, Lins’s pace started to drop and Arlovski began to take over. But the Brazilian remained competitive and maintained his forward pressure throughout, though a nasty groin kick left Arlovski grimacing in pain as referee Herb Dean gave Lins a stern telling off.
The final round saw the pair trade almost strike for strike as they pushed for the victory, but it was Arlovski who just shaded the output. But overall, Lins looked like he belonged in there, even against a former champion like Arlovski. And, despite finding himself on the wrong end of a judges’ decision, he showed he certainly has the right stuff to be a solid operator in the UFC’s heavyweight division.