UFC on FOX 27 results: Jacare Souza finishes Derek Brunson in first round

When Ronaldo Souza and Derek Brunson first met, in Strikeforce back in 2012, Souza didn’t need a minute to finish his opponent.

They rematched Saturday night in the main event of UFC on FOX 27. And while Brunson got out of the opening minute unscathed this time, he didn’t get out of the opening round.

The 38-year-old “Jacare” announced to the world Saturday night he’s still a force to be reckoned with. The former Strikeforce middleweight champ and eight-time World Jiu-Jitsu Championships gold medalist used a pinpoint head kick to set up the finish, knocking out his opponent at the 3:50 mark of the opening round in Charlotte.

“I feel great, I worked hard to get back here again,” Souza said.

Brunson managed to sprawl a takedown attempt early in the round. But he also appeared to be a little too loose standing in front of a killer like Souza, and it didn’t take long for Souza to make him pay.

Souza’s big right foot found a home through Brunson’s attempted hand check. Souza swarmed, landed a brutal left uppercut, a right to the ear, and was teeing off with left hooks when referee Dan Miragliotta waved things off.

Souza, who recently moved from Brazil to Orlando, improved to 25-5-1, his third victory in his past four fights. Brunson (18-6) had a two-fight win streak snapped and is now 2-3 in his past five.