When Rush-Henrietta graduate Desmond Green approached the octagon at UFC Fight Night Saturday at Blue Cross Arena at the Community War Memorial, he was blown away by the standing ovation he received.

His fight began a little after 7 p.m. and by that time, most of the lower bowl was filled, not including the hundreds of floor seats. The roar of the crowd was so overwhelming Green felt like he was in the middle of a brawl.

"The roar I got from that crowd, I had no clue it was going to be that big. I knew there was going to be a roar, but I could literally feel the vibrations throughout my body," Green said. "It was crazy, once I stepped into the ring my heart started beating fast like I was actually already in the fight."

Matched against Canandian lightweight Charles Jourdain, Green was determined not to let his hero's welcome go to waste. He knew Jourdain's weakness was his wrestling and early in the final round it was clear the fight was going to come down to a decision.

His elbow ached, but Green leaned on the skills he developed at Rush-Henrietta to produce two clutch takedowns of Jourdain late in the round.

He won by unanimous decision, but with 10 seconds remaining in the fight Green knew he had won, dashing away from Jourdain until the final bell sounded.

"I hurt my elbow a lot, when I first hurt midway through the round I thought it was broken, so I was just like 'Just get through the round, I don't care if my arm falls off just get through this round," Green said. "It looked like I was running away, but I was just so happy I was like 'Just get away from me guy, I won! Just get away from me.' This is one of the top three moments in my life."

Before Saturday night Green would've told you his favorite moment was his 2007 state championship with the Royal Comets, but after he secured the victory he embraced his mother, who cheered him on all night.

That moment plus all the love and support he received from the local crowd was enough to put his UFC win over the top.

"When I went over to hug my mom, she just hugged me and said 'I love you, you make me proud.' I almost started crying," Green said. "She just quit her job and I moved her down to Florida with me. She's on cloud nine, I'm on cloud nine.

"Up until tonight that '07 state win was the best moment of my life, but tonight it definitely topped it. This is probably the highest high I've ever been on."

Dos Anjos wins main event

The main event between two top-10 welterweight fighters Kevin Lee and Rafael Dos Anjos didn't disappoint. The two grappled and wrestled continuously for four rounds before Dos Anjos, the No. 3 fighter in the world, won the match by submission.

It was Dos Anjos' 10th win by submission in his MMA career and despite the repeated attempts from Lee to get him on the ground, he was able to weather the storm and lock his opponent in an arm triangle to secure the victory.

"I knew he would come out strong in the first rounds. I just used my experience and Jason Parillo told me a little adjustment to make in the fourth. I stuck him with my jab and didn’t load my punches as much. I was able to work my takedowns and I needed that victory," Dos Anjos said.

Rochester shows up, shows out

Any questions about how Rochester would receive mixed martial arts was answered quickly. Doors opened to fans at 4 p.m. and by the first preliminary match at 5 p.m. most of the floor seats had been filled and the lower bowl was approaching 50 percent capacity.

More than 8,000 fans packed into the arena and the gate finished at $643,850.50. Whether the fighter hailed from the United States or overseas, the enthusiasm remained at a consistent level all night. It didn't hurt that the first five preliminary fights ended in knockouts or submissions starting with Julio Arce and Julian Erosa.

Acre delivered a powerful head kick to Erosa's jaw in the third round and immediately dropped him to the floor.

"It’s unreal, my first KO in the UFC. I’ve learned to be patient. Sometimes I rush in and get caught. Trying to find my range with a tall guy like that was difficult," Arce said. "I really wanted to cement myself with this performance, because I’m a former bantamweight moving up. I wanted to let them know I’m someone to keep an eye on."

Fan favorite emerges

Brazilian fighter Michel Pereira had arguably the most memorable fight of the entire night. During his entrance to the octagon he was overcome with emotions as he cried entering the ring.

Once there he began break dancing displaying an acrobatic array of moves before facing English fighter Danny Roberts. His fighting style matched his entrance as he attempted flying knees, jumped off the cage to attempt blows and stutter stepped while evading Roberts.

Less than two minutes into the first round he connected with a flying knee that sent Roberts staggering. He followed it with a powerful right cross to drop his opponent and afterwards he celebrated by dancing in the middle of the cameras. If has a few more performances like that Pereira could become a household name in MMA and his showing in Rochester would be the catalyst.

He was acknowledged after the event as being one of the top performers.

SJOHNSON1@GANNETT.COM