Kyler Phillips vs Raulian Paiva — Fight recap

Raulian Paiva defeated Kyler Phillips via majority decision after three rounds on July 24, 2021, in a closely contested bantamweight bout. Phillips landed the cleaner striking volume with 74 significant strikes at 56 percent accuracy compared to Paiva's 51 at 43 percent, and scored a knockdown in the fight.

However, Phillips struggled with takedown efficiency, converting only 4 of 9 attempts for 44 percent, while controlling just 3:02 of mat time. Paiva's wrestling proved more selective and effective at 2 of 6 attempts, and he accumulated slightly more cage control at 3:32, allowing him to edge out the decision on the scorecards.

The striking disparity suggested Phillips dictated much of the action, yet Paiva's defensive wrestling and positional control in key moments swayed the judges' verdict in his favor, keeping him competitive in the 135-pound division.