In his return to the UFC, Matheus Nicolau got back in the win column but not without some controversy along the way.
The Brazilian went to war with Manel Kape for three rounds at UFC Vegas 21 but it appeared he absorbed more damage overall, especially in the second and third rounds respectively. Still, Nicolau’s willingness to trade shots with Kape and upping his volume in the third round seemed to do enough to sway the decision to his favor.
Two judges scored the fight 29-28 for Nicolau with the third official giving it 29-28 for Kape.