About Last Night at UFC Vegas 23...
Weaving through the takeaways, talking points, and everything else from Saturday morning's fight card the the UFC Apex
Vettori Handles His Business
Marvin Vettori went from being the underdog facing someone ranked ahead of him to being the betting favorite and facing a lower-ranked threat, as Darren Till suffered a broken collarbone and was replaced by Kevin Holland just 10 days before Saturday’s event.
Despite the change in opponents and stakes, Vettori’s focus didn’t waver and he handled his business without issue, using his wrestling to ground Holland repeatedly and beating him up from top position whenever he put him on the canvas. He closed up Holland’s left eye with a sharp elbow early in the fight, chased an arm-triangle choke in the third, and just thoroughly out-worked the late replacement en route to a fifth consecutive victory.
Holland looked sharp initially, striking from range and keeping his talking to a minimum, but one Vettori started to close the distance and land with strikes of his own, Holland’s attitude and energy shifted. From there, Vettori controlled things, minimizing his risks by keeping things on the canvas, smothering and smashing Holland for long stretches.
This was the kind of workmanlike effort many expected from Vettori and one that keeps him moving forward in the competitive middleweight ranks. While it doesn’t elevate his profile the way a similar effort against Till would have, it cements his standing as a legitimate contender and should put the 27-year-old Italian in a position to face one of few tenured names ahead of him in the rankings next time out.
After racking up five wins in seven months in 2020, Holland has now dropped two straight, largely due to his shaky takedown defence. Early in the fifth, he clipped Vettori and had him hurt, but as Vettori closed the distance looking to wrestle, Holland had no answer, landing on his back, watching the opening he created for himself slip away. It’s honestly somewhat maddening to watch because there are clear indications of talent from Holland, but fundamental, technical issues that will continue to plague him going forward until they’re addressed.
Almighty and Ascending
Arnold Allen continued his unbeaten run in the UFC on Saturday, registering a unanimous decision win over Sodiq Yusuff in the co-main event to push his record to 8-0 inside the Octagon.
The 27-year-old Brit stung the surging Yusuff in each of the first two rounds, putting him on roller skates with a clean left hand in the first and a high kick in the second. While the Contender Series grad recovered well and controlled the action in the third, Allen was clearly the better man over the first 10 minutes and rightfully took home the victory.
Well-rounded and brandishing bigger power than most assume, Allen has been a dark horse in the featherweight division for the last couple years, limited only any inactivity that has been no fault of his own. He’s faced a mix of established veterans and fellow upstarts over his UFC career and had his hand raised each time, and a victory in this clash of prospects should catapult him into an even bigger opportunity next time out.
There is no one thing that sticks out about Allen’s game — he’s simply strong as an ox, poised as can be, and able to compete in every facet, all of which makes him one to pay close attention to going forward in the 145-pound weight class.
Two Fights, Two Finishes in 2021
Julian Marquez didn’t fight at all in 2019 or 2020, as a gnarly injury kept the Contender Series graduate sidelined from July 6, 2018 to February 13 of this year. That night, he snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat late in the fight, submitting Maki Pitolo, and Saturday, he made it 2-for-2 in 2021 with a second-round submission win over Sam Alvey.
The burly middleweight spent the first five minutes walking down Alvey, slinging his hands and stinging the veteran before catching a heavy shot in return late in the frame. It was more of the same to start the second, and when Marquez got Alvey hurt and scrambling on his knees, he snatched up a violent no-hook rear-naked choke and put the veteran to sleep.
Scoring two finishes in the first four months of the year is an outstanding way to return to the fray for Marquez, and should earn “The Cuban Missile Crisis” a step up in competition next time out. He’s always been an exciting fighter and has proven that again this year, so now it’s time to see how far Marquez can take this.
There are opportunities aplenty in the middleweight division at the moment, so it will be interesting to see if he can parlay these finishes into a marquee assignment and a move into the rankings in the second half of the year.
Mackenzie Dern is a Contender
Multiple-time Brazilian jiu jitsu world champion Mackenzie Dern has stamped herself as a contender in the 115-pound weight class after collecting her fourth straight victory on Saturday by submitting Top 10 stalwart Nina Nunes, submitting her late in the opening round.
The 28-year-old controlled throughout, landing heavy shots on the feet to start the fight before closing the distance, tripping Nunes to the canvas, and getting to work on the ground. She laid traps that allowed her to advance positions on the ground, eventually arriving in mount, where she patiently attacked an armbar, extending and forcing Nunes to tap with just 11 seconds remaining in the round.
Dern was always forecasted to be an impact addition to the MMA ranks when she transitioned from the jiu jitsu world, but early on, her focus wasn’t there and she admitted as much during her media session earlier in the week. Since returning from giving birth to her daughter, Dern has been more committed, and after losing to Amanda Rivas in her first fight back, she’s rattled off four consecutive wins, showing improved hands while attacking with her legitimately world-class jiu jitsu whenever the fight hits the canvas.
There are still a couple more seasoned, more experienced competitors ahead of her in the divisional hierarchy, all of whom would give her trouble at this point, but this victory shows Dern is a contender, and she should maintain that position for quite some time. As she keeps improving, keeps developing, she’s going to become even more of a problem for the remainder of the division, include the elites.
Clinic Work from Daniel Rodriguez
Daniel Rodriguez continues to be one of the better stories of the last couple years, as the California-based veteran collected his fourth UFC win in five starts to open Saturday’s main card, piecing up Mike Perry from start to finish to earn a clear sweep of the scorecards.
The 34-year-old competed on Season 3 of the Contender Series, registering a unanimous decision win over Rico Farrington, but he failed to secure a contract. Last year, he got the short-notice call to the Octagon, and he hasn’t looked back since, securing a submission finish over Tim Means in his debut and picking up the biggest win of his career on ABC this weekend.
Rodriguez was clean and technical from start to finish, popping Perry’s head back with the jab right out of the gate and busting him up over the course of 15 minutes. It was a smooth, patient, poised effort from the veteran welterweight, and the kind of effort that should earn him another step up in competition next time out.
On the flip side, Perry continues to stumble. He’s lost consecutive fights, four of his last five, and is 3-7 over his last 10, making you wonder how long the enigmatic and polarizing fighter from Orlando, Florida will continue to receive opportunities to compete inside the Octagon. He started working with the team at MMA Masters ahead of this fight, so perhaps actually having coaches and corners will bring about a return to form going forward, but until he puts forth a strong performance against an established foe, the days of Perry being a main card fighter and an intriguing figure in the 170-pound weight class appear to be over.
Preliminary Card Notes
Contender Series grad Joe Solecki scored the biggest win of his professional career in Saturday’s final preliminary card clash, grinding out a unanimous decision victory over divisional mainstay Jim Miller.
The 27-year-old, who entered on a five-fight winning streak with victories in each of his first two UFC appearances, controlled the grappling exchanges over the final 10 minutes, putting Miller on his back and maintaining top position throughout, doing methodical work to avoid getting stood up while neutralizing the 37-year-old veteran’s opportunities. It was a patient, poised effort from the talented upstart and the kind of victory that should earn him another step up in competition next time out.
Miller made the walk to the Octagon for the 37th time on Saturday, and it was nice to see the UFC acknowledge that during the introductions. He’s a consummate professional and a tremendous litmus test for any of the newer names looking to make headway in the division, and even though the results have been inconsistent of late, I hope we get to see him make the walk a couple more times before he calls it a career.
Former KSW two-weight champion Mateusz Gamrot registered the first victory of his UFC career, stopping Scott Holtzman less than 90 seconds into the second round.
After landing on the wrong side of a split decision result in his debut, Gamrot spent this training camp working at American Top Team and looked far more comfortable in the cage, shooting ultra-low takedowns and mixing in his striking with much more confidence and fluidity through the first round. As Holtzman loaded up on his punches, Gamrot picked his spots and stayed mobile, working from range and changing levels.
Early in the second, with Holtzman coming forward, Gamrot uncorked a crisp 1-2 that landed flush, the right hand putting “Hot Sauce” on the deck, where quick follow-ups finished the deal. This was a statement from the 30-year-old Polish lightweight and the kind of performance that registers him as a dark horse climbing the ranks in the ultra-competitive 155-pound weight class.
John Makdessi and Ignacio Bahamondes spent 15 minutes beating the holy hell out of each other midway through Saturday’s prelims, with the Canadian veteran getting the better of the exchanges and securing the split decision win.
Despite giving up a ton of height and reach, Makdessi successfully managed to close the distance and fight at his range, staggering the Contender Series graduate in the first and continuing to piece him up over the final 10 minutes. While one official somehow saw the fight for Bahamondes, no one else in their right mind did, as “The Bull” clearly landed the better shots and more consistent shots throughout.
Fights like this are so crucial in the development of young fighters, and Bahamondes should improve as a result of this loss, while it also highlights the importance of having stalwarts like Makdessi around. He’s never been a contender and has been consistently inconsistent throughout his UFC career, but he’s a polished professional who valiantly fills this role and he’s the kind of guy you need in every division.
Welcome back, Jarjis Danho!
Out of action since battling Christian Colombo to a draw in September 2016, the 37-year-old heavyweight return in emphatic fashion on Saturday, planting a right hand on the temple of Yorgan De Castro three minutes into the opening stanza, causing the Contender Series alum to collapse to the canvas with his knee buckling behind him, similar to how Stipe Miocic fell in his bout with Francis Ngannou.
Danho contemplated retirement as injuries repeatedly kept him from competing, but the Syrian-born, Germany-based big man pressed on and on Saturday morning, he scored the first win of his UFC career in impressive fashion, showing that perseverance pays off.
Welsh bantamweight Jack Shore maintained his perfect record on Saturday, grinding out a hard-fought victory over Hunter Azure by split decision, earning 30-27 scores from two judges, while the third official saw the fight 29-28 for Azure. With the win, Shore pushed his record to 3-0 in the UFC and 14-0 overall, further establishing himself as one of the top prospects in the organization and another impressive young talent to track in the deep and competitive 135-pound weight class.
This fight played out exactly as expected, with both men showing the depth of their talents, blending grappling and striking in a non-stop give and take where each man had positive moments. But throughout the 15-minute affair, Shore was just a little ahead of Azure, defending myriad takedown attempts and getting back to his feet quickly when his back was on the canvas while nicking several takedowns of his own and showcasing his clean, technical striking in spurts. Shore anticipated this would be a tough fight and looked forward to introducing himself to the North American audience by out-hustling the gritty, more established Azure; mission accomplished.
This is one of those instances where the stock of both fighters should climb after this fight, as it was a close, competitive affair from start to finish. Azure is now 2-2 in the Octagon and has a strong foundation to build on going forward, while Shore remains a very promising figure in the bantamweight ranks, and someone that could make real noise in the next 18-24 months.
The opening round of the featherweight fight between Luis Saldana and Jordan Griffin is a terrific case study in judging a five-minute frame and applying the scoring criteria effectively.
Out of the chute, Saldana had success with his striking, sniping at Griffin from range, catching him with some solid shots. In the second half of the frame, Griffin reversed the momentum, closing the distance, landing some strikes of his own, and attacking with his grappling, controlling the final few minutes of the round.
The second stanza was clearly Griffin’s and the final round was Saldana’s, making the opening five minutes the round that would determine the outcome, and all three judges scored it for Saldana, favoring his early, impactful offence over Griffin’s methodical, but less damaging work in the latter portion of the round.
I understand Griffin’s frustration, but don’t object to the verdict at all — it was a close round that played out in two halves and rewarding damage over control is how these rounds are supposed to be scored if you read the criteria.
Da Un Jung extended his overall unbeaten streak to 13 and his UFC record to 3-0-1 with a three-round mauling of William Knight on Saturday morning.
In all three rounds, the South Korean light heavyweight dragged Knight to the canvas and kept him there, battering him with punches and elbows that turned the Contender Series alum into a bloody mess. It was a smart, tactical fight for the intriguing Korean Top Team member, who has very good size for the division and keeps showing little improvements each time out.
This was also another instance where the importance of Fight IQ was really on display, as Knight actually initiated more than a couple of the clinch exchanges that led to him getting planted on the canvas. Maybe it was the game plan and he’s not at a point where he can change it up mid-fight, but it clearly wasn’t working and having no Plan B cost him dearly on Saturday.
Impa Kasanganay got back in the win column in his welterweight debut, snatching up a no-hooks rear-naked choke just seconds into the second round against Sasha Palatnikov.
The two-time Contender Series winner got put on a highlight last time out by Joaquin Buckley, but a change in gyms and a shift down to the 170-pound ranks, Kasanganay looked to start 2021 anew, and he did just that. After controlling the majority of the opening round with his wrestling, Kasanganay came out quickly to start the second, chasing down Palatnikov, creating a scramble, and snatching up the neck in the transition phase, getting his forearm fished under the neck and securing the tap without needing to set his hooks.
Kasanganay is in his third year as a pro, so already being at this level with a couple wins under his belt is a testament to his raw talent and upside. This was the kind of performance that should make a lot of people pay closer attention to “Tshilobo” going forward if they weren’t already.
All photos by Chris Unger, courtesy of Zuffa LLC