Alex Oliveira received an unexpected call from the UFC days before UFC Fight Night 62. Gilbert Burns needed a new opponent after Josh Thomson got hurt, so he took the fight. Many didn’t expect him to last more than a round against the undefeated grappler, and "Cowboy" dominated "Durinho" for two rounds before getting tapped.
Oliveira returned to the Octagon two months later, replacing Yan Cabral against former Elite XC lightweight champion K.J. Noons. Oliveira and Noons agreed to fight at 170 pounds since "Cowboy" wouldn’t be able to cut down to 155 pounds in days, and "Cowboy" submitted Noons in just three minutes.