In a battle of big men and promotional newcomers, former Cage Rage champion and M-1 veteran Rob Broughton picked up his fifth consecutive victory with a third-round submission win over Brazilian heavyweight Vinicius Queiroz.

Queiroz took control in the first with a dominant ground game, and though Broughton briefly wobbled him, it wasn’t enough to win the round. But the British fighter and Wolfslair member likely tied up the fight in the second with an effective jab and busy bottom game when Queiroz did little after scoring easy trip takedowns.

In the third and deciding frame, Broughton used his heavy hands to set up submission attempts from dominant top position. And once Queiroz was forced to cover up from the kneeling position, Broughton secured a fight-ending rear-naked choke at the 1:43 mark.

Broughton (15-5-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who won an eight-man single-night ZT Fight Night tournament earlier this year, now is 7-1 since his late-2008 loss to former UFC champ Ricco Rodriguez. Queiroz (5-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) snaps a four-fight win streak.

Meanwhile, perhaps it’s time for Paul Sass to adopt the official nickname of “Pythagorean.”

Making his UFC debut in an all-too-familiar fashion, the British fighter used a triangle choke to submit yet another opponent, this time fellow lightweight Mark Holst. He’s now posted eight such submission wins in 11 pro fights.

The bout proved a fast-paced affair, but Sass made no secret of his desire to end the fight via triangle choke. Holst successfully snuffed out the first few attempts, but late in the first round after after his Canadian opponent was dragged to the mat, Sass went high with his guard and eventually found the opening for the submission. Although he secured both an armbar and a triangle, he ultimately focused on just the choke to force the tap-out. The end came at the 4:45 mark of the round.

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