“The Black Mamba” struck fast.
Brazilian Heavyweight Gabriel Lorenco more than likely punched his ticket to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) when he smoked Charlie Cleveland in the first round tonight (Tues., Sept. 1, 2026) during Week 4 of Season 10 of Contender Series inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It did not take long.
The two Heavyweights came out ultra-aggressive, winging wild combinations as each man attempted to take the other’s head off. After a chaotic opening minute, the action
briefly slowed as both fighters tried to catch their breath and find their range.
That pause worked out much better for Lorenco.
“The Black Mamba” clipped Cleveland with a looping right hand before following up with an ugly but effective combination that sent him crashing to the canvas.
Cleveland somehow recovered and immediately shot for a desperation takedown. However, Lorenco stuffed the attempt and drilled him with a nasty elbow to the temple, putting him down for a second time.
Lorenco followed Cleveland to the canvas and unloaded several brutal hammerfists before the referee finally jumped in to stop the fight at 2:02 of the opening round — although it was a late stoppage.
Check out the violent finish below:
Lorenco improved his professional record to 8-1 and extended his winning streak to eight. The 26-year-old owns an 88 percent finishing rate, with six knockouts and one submission among his eight victories.
For what it’s worth, Lorenco began his professional career at Middleweight before eventually moving up to Light Heavyweight. After competing once at 205 pounds, he jumped to Heavyweight, where he has now fought six consecutive times.
Lorenco weighed in at only 229.5 pounds for his Contender Series appearance, making him one of the smaller Heavyweights hoping to join the UFC roster.
Because of that, there is a legitimate possibility that “The Black Mamba” eventually returns to Light Heavyweight, where his speed and knockout power could make him an extremely dangerous addition to the division.
Then again, after watching him destroy Cleveland in just 122 seconds, UFC may be perfectly happy to let him continue hunting Heavyweights.
As for Cleveland, “The Reaper” had his four-fight winning streak snapped and will return to the regional scene hoping to earn another opportunity on Contender Series.
For more Contender Series news and notes, be sure to hit up our comprehensive archive right here.
