UFC Vegas 118 Prelims: Alessandro Costa shines on finish-heavy undercard

Alessandro Costa made a strong impression on short notice at UFC Fight Night 278 (UFC Vegas 118), stopping Matt Schnell with punches at 2:32 of Round 1 in their 130-pound catchweight prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Costa (16-5, 4-3 UFC), who stepped in as a late replacement, waited for his opening before striking. He stunned Schnell (17-11, 7-9 UFC) with a clean left hook that dropped him, then sprawled on a desperation takedown attempt and pinned his opponent beneath him. Costa followed with rapid-fire hammerfists until the referee stepped in.

Marcus McGhee (11-2, 5-1 UFC) outstriked and outmaneuvered John Yannis (10-5, 1-2 UFC) across three rounds, earning a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in a bantamweight contest. Yannis, a late replacement for Jakub Wiklacz, made McGhee work for every inch, but the 36-year-old's superior output and technique prevailed. McGhee, who has won seven of his past eight bouts, fought effectively from both orthodox and southpaw stances with consistent jabs, kicks at all levels, and counters.

Edgar Chairez (14-6, 4-2 UFC), a former Combate Global champion, finished Bruno "Bulldog" Silva (15-9-2, 5-6 UFC) with a rear-naked choke at 4:13 of Round 1 in a flyweight bout. Chairez used his length to trouble Silva, dropping him twice before taking his back and cinching the submission. The 30-year-old Chairez has now won three consecutive fights.

Chelsea Chandler (7-4, 3-3 UFC) bounced back from consecutive losses by submitting Priscila Cachoeira (13-9, 5-9 UFC) via armbar at 3:42 of Round 1 in a women's bantamweight clash. Chandler dropped Cachoeira with a left hook and right hand, secured top position, and forced the tap in her first submission victory in nearly six years.

Joanderson Brito (19-5-1, 7-3 UFC), a Chute Boxe product, submitted Jordan Leavitt (13-4, 6-4 UFC) with a ninja choke at 4:19 of Round 1 in a featherweight encounter. Brito defended against repeated takedown attempts before capitalizing when Leavitt charged forward with an ill-advised double-leg. Brito, 31, now has 16 finishes among his 18 professional wins.

Ketlen Souza (17-6, 4-3 UFC), a former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder, finished Ariane Carnelossi (15-5, 3-4 UFC) with an overhand right and head kick at 1:34 of Round 1 in a women's strawweight rematch. The victory marked Souza's sixth first-round stoppage of her career.

Jeisla Chaves (8-0, 1-0 UFC) eked out a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) over Yuneisy Duben (6-2, 0-2 UFC) in a three-round women's flyweight bout.