Louis Smolka broke down in tears immediately after submitting Su Mudaerji on Saturday in his return to the UFC.
“Da Last Samurai” tapped out Mudaerji with an armbar midway through the second round of the first fight at UFC Beijing. The fight marked Smolka’s return to the big leagues; the former UFC flyweight contender moved up to bantamweight on two weeks’ notice.
After four losses in a row, the UFC parted ways with Smolka at the end of 2017. The Hawaiian returned to the regional circuit, where he picked up three straight wins, punching his ticket back to the UFC.