Silva’s Body Attacks Turned Back Puelles’s Wrestling
Joaquim Silva defeated Claudio Puelles by split decision on September 13, 2025, at Noche UFC in San Antonio. Two judges scored the lightweight contest 29–28 for Silva, while the third returned the same total for Puelles.
Puelles’s early takedowns created a difficult start
Puelles quickly brought Silva down and worked from top position. Silva tried to disrupt his posture and create escapes, but the Peruvian stayed attached and completed another takedown before the opening round ended.
The early success gave Puelles a clear route into the contest. His wrestling forced Silva to spend substantial time defending rather than establishing the standing attacks he wanted.
Front kicks to the body changed the exchanges
Silva found more offense after working upright in the second. Combinations and repeated front kicks to the body began troubling Puelles, who could no longer rely on uninterrupted positional control.
A guillotine attempt at the end of the round added another threat. Puelles survived, but Silva had created meaningful attacks beyond the initial defensive grappling.
A late burst secured the narrow verdict
Puelles again pursued takedowns in the third and landed effective strikes of his own. Silva eventually separated and attacked the body, hurting his opponent before running out of time to finish.
The judges divided over the result, with two favoring Silva’s overall work. His comeback supplied the winning verdict after an early round dominated by Puelles’s wrestling, illustrating how damaging attacks could change the scoring picture even when control had initially belonged to the opponent.
Sources
- Cageside Press: early takedowns and body attacks
- MMA Decisions: split official verdict
- UFC: September 13 date and scores
