Marco Rizzo stole the spotlight in the Windy City, conquering one of the sport’s rankest bulls to clinch his first career premier series win—and jump to No. 2 in the world. Miss a moment of the action this weekend? Here’s what happened around the PBR.

On the Unleash The Beast… 

Friday night at United Center ended with fans on their feet as Julio Cesar Marques, Cleber Henrique Marques, and Joao Lucas Campos finished Round 1 locked in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard, each turning in matching 86.30-point rides.

Julio Cesar Marques initially separated himself from the field, conquering Lap Dancer to become the first cowboy to break the 86-point mark. Cleber Henrique Marques followed with a strong ride aboard Hector, continuing an impressive start to his debut UTB season. Campos capped the trio with an 86.30-point effort of his own, building off momentum from a breakout PBR Teams campaign.

Just behind them, Eduardo Aparecido notched 85.9 points on Red Hot, while Maverick Smith and Heitor Santos Ferreira rounded out the Top 5 with matching 85.5-point rides, setting up a wide-open Championship Saturday.

From there, Marco Rizzo took over the weekend. The young standout went a perfect 3-for-3 at Modo Casino PBR Chicago, punctuating his performance with a massive 90.25-point ride on two-time World Champion bull Man Hater in the Championship Round to claim his first career premier series victory. Click HERE to read about Marco’s monster ride and how it shook up the world standings.

Rizzo opened the event with 85.3 points in Round 1 and followed with 83.95 points aboard Sweet Action in Round 2. Sitting second entering the short-round draft, he made the bold call to select Man Hater after Eduardo Aparecido opted for American Made. The gamble paid off. Rizzo’s score held as the event’s high mark, and Aparecido’s 88.3-point ride came up just 0.3 points short.

Leandro Zampollo, Rizzo’s teammate on the New York Mavericks, also went 3-for-3 to finish third, briefly holding the lead before Rizzo’s defining ride. Paulo Eduardo Rossetto and Kaiden Loud rounded out the Top 5.

On the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour…

In Tucson, Mason Taylor delivered a flawless weekend at BeatBox PBR Tucson, going 3-for-3 to secure his first Velocity Tour win of the 2026 season. Taylor covered Feeling Dangerous, Kingsman, and Powerstroke to earn 126 Velocity Global points and climb to No. 14 in the standings.

Strong 2-for-3 efforts from Manoelito de Souza Junior and Ayslan Jeferson followed, while Arizona natives Brady Turgeon and Hunter Kelly energized the home crowd and rounded out the Top 5.

Beyond the scores…

Marco Rizzo isn’t the only Unleash The Beast 20-year-old making big waves early in the 2026 season. Clay Guiton begins his first year as a Monster Energy rider. Guiton reflects on growing up in bull riding, watching legends like J.B. Mauney don the green and black chaps, and what wearing those colors now means for his journey and the season ahead. Read it HERE.

 Through the lens with BullStockMedia

Check out the best photos from Chicago.

Looking ahead

What’s up next on the docket?

The 2026 season charges into the new year with a packed slate coast to coast.

The Unleash The Beast tour returns Jan. 2–3 for PBR Boston inside TD Garden. As the title race heats up, both nights stream live on Paramount+ at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Meanwhile, the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour doubles up with two events across the country.

PBR Bangor takes over the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine, Jan. 2–4 (Friday–Sunday), giving riders three rounds to climb the Velocity Global standings.

Out west, PBR Portland returns to the Moda Center Jan. 2–3, continuing the Velocity Tour's early-season swing and offering up more chances for riders to earn their shot at the premier series.

Catch the Velocity Tour event action on the PBR App and RidePass.

Every ride matters as the race for UTB berths and World Finals qualification begins to take shape.

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media