10 Things I Like at UFC Vegas 36
From an ultra-compelling main event and a highly anticipated debut to an emerging heavyweight contender and a couple of personal faves, Saturday's stop at the UFC APEX has plenty to appreciate
This is my kind of card.
That won’t be a surprising statement to anyone that has been reading me regularly over the years, but I say it every time because cards like this are often maligned for not boasting enough names, not carrying enough “meaningful” fights, or simply not having enough vibes, all of which are usually “depends on how you look at it” arguments at best.
Does this fight have a ton of established superstars? No, however it is flush with emerging talents, including three of the best prospects in the UFC at the moment.
Does it have a bunch of fights that are going to immediately impact the title picture in various divisions? No, although a couple of this weekend’s matchup feature competitors who are likely one fight away from being one fight away, and a couple more that could be entering divisional conversations fairly soon.
Does this event have a ton of buzz? Not really, however it’s an early start time, which is always fun, and it has the feel of one of those “… and all of a sudden it turned into an awesome fight card” kind of shows filled with great performances, memorable finishes, and plenty to talk about on Sunday morning and beyond.
So sit back, put your feet up, and read on to find out why I’m excited about this weekend’s event and the 10 things I like the most.
Derek Brunson’s Biggest Moment Yet
Derek Brunson has had a longer winning streak than the four-fight run of success he carries into Saturday. He’s fought more accomplished and more promising opponents than the man he squares off with this weekend, and yet his main event assignment against Darren Till feels like his biggest moment yet.
Brunson has quietly built a 13-5 record inside the Octagon, which should be 14-4 because he beat Anderson Silva at UFC 208, and even though he’s had a five-fight winning streak and has currently won four straight heading into his clash with Till, he’s never really been viewed as a legitimate title threat in the middleweight division.
He’s always been the gatekeeper, the guy you have to beat to prove you’re a legitimate contender, and early in his career, there were a couple instances where younger, more talented fighters did just that. Both eventually went on to claim championship gold, while the other two men to get the better of him inside the UFC cage were also perennial contenders, Yoel Romero and Jacare Souza.
But over his last couple of fights, Brunson has stopped being the guy the youngsters topple to prove their bona fides and become the resurgent veteran putting together a quality late career run, adding victories over Edmen Shahbazyan and Kevin Holland to triumphs over Elias Theodorou and Ian Heinisch to push his winning streak to four. He’s wrestled well, been more aggressive in spots, and found a way to navigate treacherous spots and grind out rounds when the gas tank was running low, two things that often failed him in the past.
Things come together for everyone at different times and rare as it may be for everything to fall into alignment nine years and 18 fights into his UFC career, Brunson can cement his standing as a Top 5 middleweight with a win on Saturday night and finally shed the “good, but not quite good enough” label he’s been forced to lug around for far too long.
Do or Die for Darren Till, Title Contender
I wrote a full piece on this yesterday, but had to mention it here because it really is one of the most interesting elements of this fight card to me, as this could very well be a referendum on where Darren Till stands and what kind of future he could have inside the Octagon.
For me, it comes down to this: six years into his UFC career, Till has six victories, and his most impressive, convincing effort came nearly four years ago. He’s talked about like he’s a real problem in the middleweight division and someone right on the cusp of title contention, but nothing he’s shown in the last few years is strong enough to carry the weight of those expectations.
Nothing other than a dominant effort against Brunson on Saturday will change that for me, and I’m genuinely curious to see if Till feels the same way and is capable of delivering the kind of performance he needs. Squeaking one out on the scorecards won’t change any of this, even if it does move him closer to contention, and while he’s still relatively young, I’m not sure Till will ever evolve into much more than he is right now.
This version can be a Top 10 fixture for the next several years, but if he wants to really blossom into a serious title contender, he needs to show out on Saturday and take another step forward in his development as a fighter.
The Next Heavyweight Threat
Tom Aspinall is only three fights into his UFC career, but it already seems clear that the British heavyweight is on a path that will eventually lead to title contention.
A Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt who has developed into a nasty striker, the 28-year-old from the Greater Manchester area and training out of Liverpool’s Team Kaobon has won six straight overall and 10 of 12 in his career, having not yet gone the distance in any of his first dozen fights. In fact, he’s yet to see the third round, which would be of greater concern if he his upside wasn’t so abundant and apparent.
That’s the kind of thing you worry about with a fighter that has been housing scrubs and patting himself on the back the entire time, but in speaking to Aspinall this week, he’s the exact opposite — someone that has faced solid competition, most recently collecting in second-round submission win over Andrei Arlovski, and who speaks about his shortcomings and fears more than his successes and goals. Additionally, he’s not in a hurry to get into the thick of the chase, which is exactly the right approach to take when you’re still early in your career and figuring things out, though his performances are going to take that decision out of his hands rather soon.
Heavyweight is in an interesting place at the moment, with a champion and interim titleholder entrenched atop the division, a host of established, talented contenders behind them, and then a mix of lingering veterans and inconsistent hopefuls in the next tier down, which is why forecasting Aspinall’s climb feels so straightforward. He has all the tools, couple with youth, intelligence, and poise, and if he continues to dispatch opponents without the assistance of the judges, he will be positioned inside the Top 10 and taking on some of those more established names as early as next year.
And from there, it’s two wins to title contention, max.
A lot can go wrong between now and then, and it only takes one clean shot to derail what looks like a runaway train in the heavyweight ranks, but if I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Aspinall challenging for gold in the next three years at the absolute most and feel quite confident that I was going to cash that ticket.
Battle of Indisposible Welterweights
Nobody is tuning into this event specifically to see David Zawada battle Alex Morono, and I say that with the utmost respect for the tenured, consistently entertaining welterweights.
But it’s true.
This is one of those fights that passes by without too many people saying much about it, even though Morono is coming off his short-notice, first-round mauling of Donald Cerrone earlier this year, and he’s serving as a replacement again here, subbing in for Sergey Khandozhko. The thing is, these are the kinds of fighters every division needs in order to thrive — durable, skilled, tough outs that will take on whatever challenge is put in front of them with full focus and energy, showing up every time out with designs on leaving everything inside the Octagon and taking whatever result may come.
Zawada is 1-3 in the UFC and someone whose record shouldn’t matter, because he’s pushed everyone he’s shared the cage with thus far and I’d rather see him in there than someone with a shinier record, but less heart and grit and resolve and savvy. Morono has been more of a tease, stringing together good efforts only to stumble in key moments, climbing to the fringes of the Top 15 and then taking a couple steps back before rekindling talk of his upside with efforts like the one he turned in opposite Cerrone earlier this year.
Everyone gets bent out of shape when competitors like these two fight out their contracts and aren’t re-signed or catch a couple losses and get released, but pay them little mind when they’re heading into battle, and the first part of that two-piece needs to change.
Fighters like Zawada and Moreno are invaluable and deserve attention now, not just after they’ve turned in strong efforts in the cage or departed the UFC roster.
If you’re going to act like you care deeply about them then, do them the kindness of caring about them now as well.
Fighter I Can’t Quit: Khalil Rountree Jr.
No matter what happens inside the Octagon, I will always be in the corner of Khalil Rountree Jr., the former TUF finalist and UFC light heavyweight who returns to action this weekend against Modestas Bukauskas.
I’ve spoken to Rountree before three of his fights — first ahead of his virtuoso performance against Eryk Anders at UFC 236, and then again before his last fight and this one — and each time, we’ve gone 25-30 minutes, with fighting being the entry point to larger, deeper conversations about life, happiness, drive, and many other things.
He’s someone I will always root for on a personal level, but he’s also someone with a great deal of talent that always feels like he’s one breakthrough moment away from putting everything together and going on a blistering run of success.
Think about that performance against Anders or his stunning knockout win over Gohkan Saki at UFC 226 and you see the foundation for a dangerous fighter. Each of those efforts were followed by setbacks, which is really the story of his career through 14 starts, but it’s also only been 14 starts. Sure, he’s a little older than most fighters that usually get the “still figuring things out” benefit at 31, but he’s also only 31 and has spent all but four of those fights competing inside the Octagon, learning on the fly and figuring things out on the biggest stage in the sport against world class competition.
This profiles as a coin-flip fight and one where Rountree Jr. could very well dial up another one of those performances that make everyone believe his future is bright once again.
If it does, terrific — I’ll be pumped for my guy — but if it doesn’t, it won’t change a thing for me; we’ll still catch up again soon and have plenty to talk about because I am always going to ride with thoughtful, honest, genuine dudes like “The War Horse,” no matter where he’s at and what he’s doing.
Welcome to the UFC, Paddy Pimblett
Saturday night, “The Baddy” finally touches down inside the Octagon, as Liverpool standout Paddy Pimblett makes his promotional debut opposite Luigi Vendramini in the opening bout of the main card.
Pimblett is the biggest star to come out of England in some time and the next in a line of British hopefuls arriving with serious championship aspirations and unwavering confidence. There is a puckishness about Pimblett that makes him almost impossible to dislike and from a talent standpoint, he’s largely thrived to this point in his career, heading into this weekend’s event with a 16-3 record that includes a Cage Warriors featherweight title reign, a dozen finishes, and a victory over UFC vet Julian Erosa, who also happens to be competing on Saturday.
There is a ton of hype and expectation surrounding Pimblett and living up to that advanced billing and the lofty comparisons that have been thrown out there is always tricky, especially for a 26-year-old kid just setting foot in the Octagon for the first time, but the Scouser who loves fast food seems uniquely qualified to not only deal with those pressures, but thrive right out of the gate.
Vendramini is a solid initial test and things have gotten a little testy between the two in the preamble to this weekend’s affair, which makes it even more of a must-watch contest to kick off the main card.
Intriguing Clash at Flyweight
Molly McCann and Ji Yeon Kim have matching 3-3 records inside the Octagon, and clash on Saturday night to see which one will move one fight to the good in the win column while taking a small step forward in the flyweight division.
Similar to the Zawada-Morono clash, this is one that won’t draw a ton of attention from the casual set and doesn't carry any immediate divisional significance, but remains an intriguing matchup to me as the 125-pound weight class continues to take shape during the reign of Valentina Shevchenko. Neither McCann nor Kim have been able to string together enough consecutive quality performances to make a real run at the Top 10 — though McCann did win three straight before losing her last two — but they’re both in that growing pack stationed just outside the rankings where a couple of quality efforts could have them facing someone with a number next to their name pretty soon.
Both have lost to quality competition during their respective UFC runs and shown flashes of upside, so it will be interesting to see if one or both have progressed since their most recent outings and give any indications that a surge in performance and an advancement to another level is in the offing on Saturday.
When Will Jack Shore Get His Due?
(pulls out drum, places it firmly, securely on the table)
JACK! SHORE! DESERVES! YOUR! ATTENTION!
I’m going to try to keep this short and sweet because if I don’t, I’m going to get all fired up and write a thousand words in tail end of this post about the Welsh bantamweight, so here goes.
I am genuinely gobsmacked that more people don’t talk about Jack Shore as one of the best prospects in the sport and a potential handful in the bantamweight division, for a number of reasons:
1) Bantamweight is the most complete and entertaining division the sport right now (suck it, Jed Meshew!)
2) Shore is 26 years old and 3-0 in the UFC with a pair of finishes
3) He’s also 14-0 overall as a professional after going 12-0 as an amateur, and he’s only gone to the cards twice
4) HE’S AN UNDEFEATED 26-YEAR-OLD THAT HAS FOUGHT SOLID COMPETITION THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER
5) His ceiling is still undefined, which means he just might be better than a whole bunch of the ‘35s people are real excited to talk about all the time
Shore takes on TUF 29 semifinalist Liudvik Sholinian on Saturday in a fight that won’t help his case for greater recognition because he’s expected to win and will likely get docked some if he doesn’t shine, much like what happened after he edged out Hunter Azure earlier this year, but I’m telling you, “Tank” is the type of gifted all-around talent that is going to be a fixture in the Top 15 in the not too distant future and you’re going to be kicking yourself for not knowing more about him or climbing on the bandwagon earlier as soon as he beats your favourite emerging bantamweight early next year.
French-Canadians Look to Build Momentum
Charles Jourdain and Marc-Andre Barriault rose through the regional ranks together, each man attaining “Double Champ” status in Montreal’s TKO promotion; Jourdain at featherweight and lightweight, Barriault at middleweight and light heavyweight.
They each made their UFC debuts in May 2019, Barriault first, and Jourdain 14 days later, both of them landing on the wrong side of the results. They’ve continued to persevere over the last two years, struggling to find consistency in the Octagon while turning in solid, entertaining efforts every time out.
Saturday night, for the second time in six UFC appearances, the French-Canadians will compete on the same card, Barriault facing Dalcha Lungiambula at middleweight right before Jourdain squares off with Julian Erosa in a featherweight contest, and this time, each is looking to build off a successful effort last time out.
After going winless in his first five outings, Barriault finally registered a victory in March, rallying to finish Abu Azaitar in the third round at UFC 260, securing his first win in two-and-a-half years. Though Jourdain earned a win in his sophomore appearance in the Octagon, defeating Dooho Choi on the night he and Barriault first shared a card together in the UFC, he went 0-1-1 in two 2020 starts before turning in a patient, impressive performance against Marcelo Rojo two weeks prior to “Power Bar” beating Azaitar, finishing the durable Argentine in the third.
Each has a tough assignment this weekend, but if they can navigate their way through their respective tests on Saturday night, the former TKO standouts will head into the final stretch of 2021 riding a wave of momentum and moving forward in their respective divisions.
Bantamweight Banger to Start It Off
I’m a simple man with simple tastes and one of the things I enjoy tremendously is a potential firefight to start the night and we’ve got one this weekend as Jonathan Martinez returns to square off with the aforementioned Marcelo Rojo in bantamweight action.
Martinez entered the year on a nice little run, having officially won two straight and four of his last five, with everyone almost universally agreeing that he got hosed by the judges in his bout with Andre Ewell and that he should have been on a five-fight run of success. None of that really matters now, however, as the 27-year-old landed on the wrong end of a Davey Grant punch a couple minutes into the second round of their clash in March, knocking Martinez out cold and halting his momentum.
Rojo made his debut in March, filling in on short notice, up a division against Jourdain, going toe-to-toe with the 25-year-old featherweight hopeful for two rounds before fading and getting finished in the third. Now back down in his more natural weight class, the 33-year-old brings an in-your-face style and readiness to trade blows into every encounter, and this Saturday’s opener with Martinez should be no different.
Opening the show is like kicking off a quality mixtape — you want to set the tone, get things moving in the right direction — and this should be the type of battle that makes you really interested to see what else this weekend’s compilation of fights has to offer.