It was immediately clear - if it wasn't before - what the strategies were going to be.

The first shot was a charging uppercut, but didn't do much damage. Marquardt had a charging jab of his own, but also to not much avail. However, a stuffed shot from Palhares is reversed in scramble with the Brazilian on top. In a leg lock attempt where Palhares fell back from guard, Marquardt immediately slipped out. From there the Greg Jackson product laned a massive punch on top. Marquardt continued to punch until referee Herb Dean stopped the fight.

In the replay, however, it seemed that Palhares indicated Marquardt was illegally greased, which aided his easy escape from the leg lock. According to commentator Joe Rogan, the commission, referee and ringside physician all checked Marquardt for greasing and none found evidence.

The fight was stopped at 3:28 of round 1.