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UFC 175 results, photos: Luke Zachrich outworks Guilherme Vasconcelos

LAS VEGAS – After a quick loss in his pro octagon debut, “The Ultimate Fighter 7” veteran Luke Zachrich dominated “TUF: Brazil 3” vet Guilherme Vasconcelos (3-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with sharp striking skills.

Zachrich swept Vasconcelos on two of three judges scorecards and picked up a unanimous decision to earn his first UFC win.

The middleweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 175 event at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass ahead of additional prelims on FOX Sports 1 and a main card on pay-per-view.

Zachrich took an early lead in the first frame by staying active with his fists and cutting angles on Vasconcelos, who pressed forward, but was slow to engage and frequently missed on the counter.

Vasconcelos continued to advance in the second and took a stiff right cross. Takedown attempts followed, but Zachrich continued to control exchanges and rack up offense with a persistent jab. Emboldened by his success, he settled in to the pocket and looked for fight-ending punches.

Zachrich refused to give Vasconcelos the openings he would need to even the score, at one point kicking the Brazilian’s legs out from under him. As the final frame wound down, both fighters swung for the fences, but a finish wasn’t meant to be.

After first-round setback against Caio Magalhaes at this April’s UFC on FOX 11, Zachrich, who fell short in the opening round of “TUF 7,” is back in the winner’s circle. Vasconcelos, who was eliminated in the opening round of “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil: 3, suffers his second pro loss in five outings.

“A lot of people don’t remember but my first taste of the UFC was on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ Season 7,” Zachrich said. “After the season, only a couple of the competitors were brought back to fight on the finale. Unfortunately, I wasn’t one of the lucky ones. It’s been a constant struggle since then and there have been a lot of ups and downs, highs and lows. My goal has always remained the same, however. I wanted to make it back to the UFC, to the pinnacle of mixed martial arts. I’ve done it, and I’ve gotten my first win here. The emotions are so hard to hold back and I’ll tear up again if I continue to think about it. I’m very happy and ready for whatever is next.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC 175 results include:

For complete coverage of UFC 175, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(John Morgan, Matt Erickson and Mike Bohn contributed to this report on-site in Las Vegas.)

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