At UFC Vegas 32, veteran featherweight Julio Arce made his debut at 135-pounds and he did it with a statement victory.
Julio Arce starts UFC bantamweight run with TKO win
In his matchup with Andre Ewell, fans were offered an interesting clash of styles in more traditional kickboxing versus the flashy and unpredictable style of “Mr. Highlight.” The first round was competitive as Arce, 31, tried to find the range against his longer limbed opponent. Both landed solid punches and kicks, and each fought with a measured approach while grappling on occasion.
STANDING TKO 😤@JArceTSMMA landed huge shots to earn the second-round finish at #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/TMXkOugcWh
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 24, 2021
The second round offered more of the same early until the New York native decided to work more to the body. In doing that, he was able to set up a nasty left hand to Ewell’s head that hurt the 33-year-old and put him on wobbly legs. With his opponent badly hurt, Arce tasted the blood in the water and pounced on Californian. Forcing the referee to jump in and stop the fight at 1:16 in the second round.
Back in the win column in a BIG WAY 🙌@JArceTSMMA wins big at #UFCVegas32.
[ LIVE on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Gg3KAcaaoH
— UFC (@ufc) July 24, 2021
With the technical knockout victory, Arce bounces back from a loss in his last Octagon outing in November of 2019. He now offers a talented and durable addition to the 135-pound division.
The defeat for Ewell is a second in a row for the first time in his career. It is also the third time he has been finished in the UFC.
