Watch: Warlley Alves crumples Mounir Lazzez with devastating body shots at UFC Fight Island 8

In the second-last bout of the UFC Fight Island 8 main card, Warlley Alves returned to the win column by defeating Mounir Lazzez in a welterweight bout. Warlley Alves has had a bumpy road in the UFC so far, winning eight and losing four of his fights in the promotion - including a win against No. 1 contender Colby Covington.

The co-main event of Fight Island 8 had the crowd cheering and supporting Lazzez from his walk-in to the octagon and throughout the fight. This bout was 30-years-old Warlley Alves' first fight since 2019.

Round 1: At home, Lazzez got surprised by an explosive beginning by Warlley Alves. The Brazilian veteran connected a low kick and dragged Lazzez against the fence, trying to get him to the ground. Warlley Alves produced an impressive swing punch before tackling Lazzez down.

Lazzez did not let Warlley Alvez get into a comfortable position and rapidly got back on his feet. But if Lazzez had stayed down, things could have gone better for him. As soon as they got back to standing positions, Warlley Alves punished Lazzez with a series of body kicks that probably broke his ribs. Referee Herb Dean soon stepped in to stop the bout.

Result: Warlley Alves defeated Mounir Lazzez by TKO in the first round.

And he's BACK! 🇧🇷 @WarlleyAlvesMMA gets it done QUICK at #UFCFightIsland8. [ #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/AI1JmYvwAG

— UFC (@ufc) January 20, 2021

What's next for Warlley Alves?

If defeated, this could have been Warlley Alves' last UFC fight. The promotion is aiming to unload some of its roster, a process that started in 2020. Now that Warlley Alves returned to the winning track, he will probably have to give more reasons to the UFC that he is a name worth keeping.

After an encouraging start with a win over now-No. 1 welterweight contender Colby Covington, Warlley Alves hopes to return to that phase of his career and get himself another win against a high-grade opponent.

During his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier, Warlley Alves made an unusual call-out to "weed user" Nate Diaz.

Your co-main is on deck! 🗣🇧🇷 @WarlleyAlvesMMA and @Mounir_Lazzez 🇹🇳 are headed for the Octagon now. [ #UFCFightIsland8 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/dDcHGyztX5

— UFC (@ufc) January 20, 2021