Fighting out of Uruguay, Luiz Eduardo Garagorri, 30, was one of the winners at “UFC Fight Night 156.” It was the Brazilian-Uruguayan mixed martial artist’s first victory in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Featuring 13 professional MMA bouts, “UFC Fight Night 156” took place at the Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay. In the 11th bout of the evening, Garagorri competed in the featherweight division against Humberto Bandenay, 24, of Lima, Peru.
Osiris Maia served as the referee. After three five-minute rounds, the featherweight bout was left in the hand of the three judges, who all scored it 30-27.
In the end, Maia raised the hand of Garagorri, who was declared the winner via unanimous decision. While the Brazilian-Uruguayan was elated by his hometown victory, he apologized to his countrymen in the crowd.
“I wish I had fought better,” Garagorri said in his post-fight interview. “I apologize but what counts in the end is the win. The fans can always expect from me a fighter who moves forwards and seeks the win and the performance bonus.”
Winning at “UFC Fight Night 156” improved the professional MMA record of Garagorri to 13 wins and 0 loss. On the other hand, Bandenay now has 14 wins, 7 losses, 0 draw and 1 No Contest.
Including Peru and Uruguay, 11 countries were represented at “UFC Fight Night 156.” The others were Brazil, France, Mexico, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Venezuela and the United States.
Garagorri solely represented Uruguay. Bandenay was one of the three representatives of Peru.
Born in Brazil on May 28, 1989 to a Brazilian father and an Uruguayan mother, Garagorri lives in Santana do Livramento, Rio de Grande do Sul, a Brazilian city located along the border with the city of Rivera, Uruguay. He holds a dual citizenship as a Brazilian and a Uruguayan.
“UFC Fight Night 156” marked Garagorri’s debut in the UFC, making him the first ever Uruguayan fighter to sign with the promotion. He has been competing professionally since 2015.
Before doing MMA full-time, Garagorri worked as a lawyer at his mother’s firm. He now owns two MMA gyms.
Here is Garagorri speaking about his “UFC Fight Night 156” victory:
CONAN Daily 