Despite Defeat, Pinoy Fighter Mark Eddiva Makes Entire Country Proud with UFC Fight of the Night Honors

UFC Fight Night: Maldonado vs. Miocic

On May 31, 2014 (June 1 Manila time), the Ultimate Fighting Championship held two events that provided 22 total mixed martial arts bouts for fans all over the world. As the first event, UFC Fight Night: Munoz vs. Mousasi drew to a close in Berlin, Germany, UFC Fight Night: Maldonado vs. Miocic began. The  latter event, which also served as the finale of the third installment of the Brazil edition of The Ultimate Fighter series, was held in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

 

Souza vs. Ediva fight metrics.

In the event's preliminary card, Pinoy fighter Mark Eddiva squared off against the host country's own Edimilson "Kevin" Souza. The bout began with the two fighters making a flurry of exchanges, with the Brazilian landing the more solid shots. The second round opened up a little differently, as Eddiva began hitting leg kicks to the suddenly tentative Souza. The Team Lakay standout hit "Kevin" with a handful of kicks to the legs and liver area, and at one point caught the Brazilian's own attempt at a kick and countered with a straight right hand.

As the second round was winding down however, Eddiva got caught with a straight right to the cheek. This was immediately followed by an overhand right from Souza, which caught Eddiva on the back of the head as he turned away during the action. He wound up caught against the cage and taking shots from the Brazilian striker, but still refused to go down. A final shot to the body eventually caused Eddiva to temporarily drop his guard, which unfortunately the referee felt was enough to call for the end of the fight.

Despite the loss, the Pinoy fighter's impressive showing in the hard fought battle earned him and his opponent Fight of the Night honors, which is given to the most exciting fight on the card. While the defeat will still be part of Eddiva's record, his performance earned him a signifcant bonus from the UFC, and likely opens up the door for a future fight in the promotion because chances are it will once again be battle that is very exciting to watch.