Jhonata Diniz’s Kickboxing Kept Hines’s Debut Rally in Check
Jhonata Diniz defeated Alvin Hines by unanimous decision at UFC 317 on June 28, 2025. Every judge scored the heavyweight contest 29–28 after Diniz used varied striking and takedown defense to prevail at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
A late combination changed the opening momentum
Hines began strongly, but Diniz found a sharp one-two late in the first round that visibly troubled the newcomer. The exchange helped establish the danger of following the Brazilian into open striking sequences.
Diniz continued mixing attacks rather than relying only on his hands. His kickboxing experience gave Hines several different threats to manage as the contest developed.
Defensive wrestling preserved the striking range
Hines pursued a takedown early in the second, but Diniz resisted. He then used movement and varied strikes to frustrate the attempts to close distance.
A clean left hand hurt Hines and prompted another unsuccessful entry. Despite fatigue and damage to his leg, Hines continued trying to answer and occasionally introduced less conventional attacks.
The distance win supplied a rebound
Both men slowed in the third, with a brief interruption for an eye poke. Diniz resumed attacking the leg and landed a late head kick, while Hines kept advancing through the final horn.
The unanimous verdict restored Diniz to winning form after a doctor’s-stoppage loss to Marcin Tybura at UFC 309. Hines’s first UFC appearance instead ended in defeat after seven professional victories, although he completed the full fifteen minutes.
Sources
- UFC: June 28 Las Vegas event and championship results
- Cageside Press: late first-round combination, takedown defense and closing exchanges
- UFC: previous Tybura result and kickboxing background
- MMA Junkie via Yahoo: Hines’s first professional defeat and seven preceding wins
