Mario Pinto continued his unbeaten run on Saturday night at UFC Paris, stopping Ryan Spann by second-round TKO at the Accor Arena.
The Portuguese heavyweight faced the most experienced opponent of his UFC career in Spann, a former light heavyweight contender who had moved up to heavyweight.
Spann made the stronger start, landing heavy shots that briefly put Pinto on unsteady legs. Pinto remained composed, recovered quickly and began turning the momentum in his favour. He found success with his striking before taking the fight to the ground and unleashing heavy ground-and-pound.
The finish came just 55 seconds into the second round, with Pinto continuing his pressure until the referee stepped in to stop the contest.
The victory takes Pinto to 13-0 as a professional and
4-0 inside the UFC, extending a perfect record that has now seen him defeat Austen Lane, Jhonata Diniz, Felipe Franco and Ryan Spann inside the Octagon.
At just 28 years old, Pinto is rapidly establishing himself as one of the heavyweight division’s most promising undefeated fighters. More importantly, UFC Paris showed that he can overcome ad
versity against an experienced opponent and still find a way to finish.
After the fight, Pinto called for greater respect for the heavyweight division and made it clear that he believes he belongs among its rising contenders.
13-0. 4-0 in the UFC. Another finish.
Mario Pinto’s rise continues.