UFC Vegas 30: About Last Night...
Breaking down the takeaways and talking points from Saturday's afternoon affair at the UFC APEX
Still Undefeated
Ciryl Gane maintained his unbeaten record through his second main event assignment, collecting a unanimous decision victory over Alexander Volkov to wrap up the action on Saturday.
The French heavyweight delivered a sharp, technical effort similar to his fight with Jairzinho Rozenstruik earlier in the year, working behind his swift jab, sound footwork, and superior conditioning, turning up the pace in the middle rounds and never allowing Volkov to really get into the fight. While he couldn’t find a shot to topple the towering Russian, Gane was clearly the better of the two on Saturday, keeping Volkov off balance while showcasing the diversity of his offensive arsenal once again.
This was another outstanding victory for Gane, who still hasn’t been a professional mixed martial artist for four years.
Think about that: the man currently stationed at No. 3 in the UFC heavyweight rankings hasn’t been fighting in MMA for four years; that’s insane, and shows you how talented Gane is, as well as highlights that there could be more to come as he continues to garner more experience and build up more confidence. He’s 9-0 overall and 6-0 in the UFC, successfully navigating two main events assignments already this year while taking out a pair of legitimate contenders, and his footwork and movement will continue to be a problem for whomever he shares the Octagon with going forward.
Ironically, the chaos at the top of the division might actually serve Gane well, as there really is no need to hustle him into a championship opportunity right now given that he’s still early in his career. Positionally it makes sense, but with Francis Ngannou’s next fight still undecided and the guys ahead of him likely wanting to hold out for a title shot, this could be a good opportunity for Gane to fight back in the rankings once or twice (against the right opponents) in order to stay active, gain more experience, and continue his development.
Volkov will understandably be disappointed with the outcome, but this was largely what was expected.
He’s a legit Top 5 talent, but tops out at No. 5, as I said on Thursday in 10 Things. There will be more main event assignments, more opportunities to string together wins, and more attempts to clear this hurdle, but for now, “Drago” is entrenched in his position with no signs of moving forward any time soon.
Three Weeks Later, Tanner Boser Gets His Win
Tanner Boser dropped a debated decision to Ilir Latifi three weeks ago, the second straight fight where the Canadian ended up on the wrong side of the scorecards in a close fight. Eager to get back into the win column, he jumped at the chance to face Ovince Saint Preux on Saturday, and used the co-main event assignment to get back into the win column.
Fighting with far more urgency and activity than he did in his previous two outings, Boser took the fight to Saint Preux in the first, peppering him with punches and kicks, keeping him moving backwards throughout the opening five minutes. He looked to continue that approach in the second, but Saint Preux opted to wrestle, putting Boser on the deck early in the middle stanza. It looked like Boser grabbed a handful of fence to help get back to his feet, but referee Jason Herzog, who is one of the absolute best officials around, offered only a warning, and Boser clambered to the upright position, stuffing another takedown attempt before blasting Saint Preux with a knee and a right hand to end the fight.
Replays showed the Boser didn’t grab the fence, merely pressing off the wall with his fist and shimmying to his knees as Saint Preux adjusted positions, turning this from a controversial victory to a dominant effort from the talented Canadian. Boser moves exceptionally well, has a diverse offensive arsenal, and can be a handful in the middle of the pack if he continues to fight like this going forward.
After two fights this month, he’ll head home for a little rest and a full training camp, but promised to be back “sooner rather than later” in his post-fight interview.
Valiev Claims Gutsy Victory
Timur Valiev deserves full marks for his majority decision victory over Raoni Barcelos on Saturday night, rallying from being dropped twice and nearly finished in the second to win the third round and secure the win.
The first and third were near mirror images, with Valiev throwing and landing at a higher clip as Barcelos looked to land heavy counters, scoring more in the third than he did the first, but failing to offer enough to sway the judges in his favor. He was all over Valiev in the second, ripping big shots that twice put him on the deck, but the “Iron Army” representative was able to tie him up on the canvas down the stretch, avoid any further damage, and come on strong in the third. Barcelos was a perfect 5-0 in the UFC heading into this one and Valiev rose to the occasion, turning an impressive effort to earn his second consecutive win.
Each of Valiev’s fights have come at a different weight class, beginning with a 140-pound catchweight clash in his debut, followed by a stop at featherweight before Saturday’s bantamweight showcase, and the highly touted prospect made the most of it, extending his unbeaten streak to nine and pushing his record to 18-2 with one No Contest. He called for a Top 10 opponent in his post-fight interview and after a gutsy showing like this, he just might get it.
Either way, the bantamweight division just added another talented name into the mix.
A Great Effort, An Unfortunate Ending
A day after turning 31, Andre Fili was on his way to giving himself the present of a victory in his main card clash with veteran Daniel Pineda when things took a sudden turn.
In the opening round, the Team Alpha Male representative put it on Pineda, hitting him with shots that would have ended the night of countless other featherweight combatants, but couldn’t deter the tough Texan, who kept coming despite a big gash over his left eye. Between high kicks and liver shots, Fili looked outstanding over the opening five minutes, and it looked like it would be more of the same in the second, as he crashed home another heavy kick to the body from the southpaw stance early in the frame.
But as the two clashed in close quarters seconds later, Fili accidentally poked Pineda in the eye, pausing the action and ultimately ending the fight when Pineda couldn’t open his eye and respond to the doctor’s “How many fingers?” prompts.
This was a disappointing result for Fili, who was on fire through the first five-plus minutes, but also one that brings the accidental foul procedure into question again, as the doctor was called in quickly and Pineda wasn’t given much time to recover. As soon as the fight was paused, he was pressed to open his eye, rather than being given time to let his vision return, with both referee Herb Dean and the doctor looking for answers and responses from Pineda quicker than we’re used to seeing.
While Pineda was still unable to open his eye in his post-fight interview — in part due to the cut Fili opened over that same eye — it would have been nice to see him get his five minutes before being pressed to continue. It also would be nice to see the UFC do something to address these eye pokes, as they remain a scourge that should be dealt with, rather than accepted.
Business as Usual for “The Dirty Bird”
Every division needs a scrappy veteran like Tim Means, who secured his third consecutive victory on Saturday’s main card, starting quickly and holding on down the stretch in a grimy affair with Nicolas Dalby.
Expected to be in the running for Fight of the Night, the veteran welterweights didn’t disappoint, slinging from the word “Go,” with Means getting the better of things on the feet and turning to his wrestling over the first two rounds. While Dalby had his moments, Means fought a smart, tactical fight, avoiding long exchanges in favor of timely takedowns, control positions, and quality shots whenever the two did trade blows standing. Dalby stung Means in the third, prompting “The Dirty Bird” to clinch and keep things close over the final five minutes to secure the victory.
Look — Means isn’t going to be a contender, but he’s an entertaining fighter and a proven tough out for anyone looking to climb the divisional ladder. He’s won three straight and should get another little step up in competition next time out, while continuing to serve as an action addition to any fight card and a quality litmus test for upstarts and veterans alike.
Dominant Effort from Renato Moicano
Brazilian veteran Renato Moicano turned in an outstanding effort in the main card opener, playing to his strengths on the ground against Jai Herbert, securing a second-round submission victory to get back into the win column.
The former featherweight Top 10 fixture wasted little time bringing the fight to the canvas and showing his advantage on the ground, transitioning to mount and controlling the former Cage Warriors standout throughout the majority of the opening stanza. While Herbert did a great job creating space and scrambles, Moicano constantly stayed with him, returning him to the ground, reclaiming mount, and dominating the action.
It was more of the same in the second, with Herbert slowly starting to fade, unable to wriggle free the way his did in the first. Late in the frame, he tried working to his feet, but as he did, Moicano swiftly jumped onto his back, sinking in his hooks and stretching out “The Black Country Banger,” lacing up the fight-ending choke with just under 30 seconds remaining in the round.
Moicano ran into Rafael Fiziev last time out, his second in the lightweight division, but showed he’s still a force with this bounce-back effort. He fought a ton of quality opponents during his days at ‘45 and should be able to settle into a role as a dangerous threat just outside the Top 15 going forward in the lightweight division.
For Herbert, this is a second stoppage loss in as many UFC appearance, which is surely disappointing for the highly regarded British veteran. He’s had small flashes, but has just been overmatched through his first two starts, so it will be interesting to see if he gets one more chance to prove himself inside the Octagon.
Preliminary Card Takeaways
Just call him “Comeback” Kennedy Nzechukwu!
For the second consecutive fight, the Fortis MMA product rallied to secure a victory, swarming Danilo Marques and getting him out of their early in the second after being out-hustled in the grappling exchanges throughout the majority of the fight.
Marques was on Nzechukwu’s back like a Jansport throughout the first, unable to secure a choke (or even come close), but controlling the duration of the round from that position. In the second, he was able to drag the “African Savage” to the mat and again take his back, though Nzechukwu did a much better job of working to his feet and breaking free, catching the Brazilian with clean shots whenever they were in space.
In the corner following the second, Coach Sayif Saud told Nzechukwu to throw low-power, long-range punches and pressure Marques and his charge followed the instructions to a tee, walking down his foe with a flurry of lefts and rights that left Marques backing up and covering up, prompting Jason Herzog to halt the action.
Just 10 fights into his career, this was another major building block moment for the talented Contender Series graduate, who has now won three straight with consecutive stoppage wins to start 2021.
Shavkat Rakhmonov is a problem in the welterweight division.
The undefeated prospect secured his second UFC win and his second straight submission finish, following up his victory over Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira with an impressive effort against Michel Prazeres on Saturday.
Patient through much of the opening round, Rakhmonov got loose to start the second, clipping Prazeres with a spinning wheel kick that made the Brazilian immediately want to wrestle. The Kazakh standout shrugged off that attempt, burying a knee to Prazeres’ body and crashing home heavy ground-and-pound before slipping around to the back and quickly drawing out the tap from the veteran.
This was clinical work from one of the most intriguing prospects on the roster — a 14th consecutive triumph and another clean, impressive showing against a tremendously experienced opponent; the kind of effort that should earn the 26-year-old “Nomad” a significant step up in competition next time out. Rakhmonov is the real deal and he’s going to be a factor in the 170-pound weight class for a long, long time.
What an outstanding debut for Philadelphia’s Jeremiah Wells.
Paired off with TUF: Brazil winner Warlley Alves, who looked outstanding in his 2021 debut against Mounir Lazzez on Fight Island, the CFFC veteran came out throwing heavy shots, looking to take the Brazilian’s head off with every blow. He did well through the opening five minutes, largely controlling the action, and right out of the chute in the second, he put Alves on the deck in a chaotic exchange that needed replays in order to sort out what happened.
The playback showed Wells bust Alves on the chin with a sharp right hand after the Brazilian threw a naked low kick, his momentum sending him into a turn when Wells found the target. Alves’ knees buckled and when he tried to get back to his feet, Wells unloaded, sealing the upset win with piston-like right hands in the center of the Octagon.
Tabbed to replace Ramazan Emeev just a week ago, Wells made the absolute most of his opportunity, registering one of the best debuts of 2021 while establishing himself as someone to watch in the process.
Marcin Prachnio scored the first finish of the night, blasting Ike Villanueva with a thudding kick to the liver less than a minute into the second round of their light heavyweight affair.
Villanueva started well, piecing up Prachnio with big punches in the early going, punishing him for dipping his head with a series of uppercuts. But the Polish veteran weathered the storm and started chopping at Villanueva’s lead leg, eventually hobbling the Texan. When they came out in the second, Villanueva’s movement was clearly compromised and Prachnio took advantage, darting in to score and getting back out before “Hurricane Ike” could counter before switching southpaw and crushing his liver with a perfectly place kick.
After losing each of his first three UFC appearances, all by stoppage, all in the first round, Prachnio has now secured consecutive victories to give himself some security in his place on the roster and a little momentum heading into the back half of 2021.
Big win for Julia Avila on Saturday, getting back into the win column with a finish of Julija Stoliarenko.
After getting out-wrestled by veteran Sijara Eubanks last time out, “The Raging Panda” was tactically aggressive against Stoliarenko, attacking in fits and starts, but landing heavy and scoring well every time she came forward, busting up the Lithuanian with a pair of front kicks in the midst of a first-round exchange between the two. She controlled the action throughout the second and late in the third, Avila scrambled well, landing on Stoliarenko’s back and finishing with a rear-naked choke.
Just 11 fights into her career, this was a big bounce-back effort for Avila, who has always looked like a potential contender in the bantamweight division. The only thing standing between her and a Top 10 ranking is experience, and she’s started to add that to her portfolio, which will continue to help her going forward. She’s tough as nails, happy to get in a scrap, and steadily improving, which makes her an interesting name to follow in the 135-pound weight class in the second half of the year.
Justin Jaynes is going to be kicking himself when he watches this fight back, and not just because his hefty wager on himself didn’t work out.
The Las Vegas-based featherweight, who told Danny Podolsky of Overtime Heroics MMA in the preamble to this pairing that he bet his entire fight purse on himself ahead of the contest, was down on the cards heading into the third by all estimations and starting chasing the finish, hitting Charles Rosa with several big shots that had the divisional stalwart backing up on shaky legs. Inexplicably, Jaynes stopped bombing and went for a takedown, putting Rosa on his back as he hunted an arm-triangle choke. While he looked close, Rosa defended well and eventually broke free, working to the end of the round and coming out with a split decision victory.
This isn’t a case of second-guessing a decision after the fact — during the broadcast, the announcers questioned the decision and I have to agree. It’d be one thing if Jaynes was facing an inexperienced grappler, but Rosa is a legit black belt and did everything right to avoid the finish. Big wagers aside, this was a must-win for Jaynes and he might have let one slip away as a result of poor decision-making in moment.
Damir Hadzovic and Yancy Medeiros beat the bejesus out of each other to start the show, with Hadzovic coming away with the unanimous decision victory.
There was a little chatter on the broadcast about a possible 10-8 round for Medeiros in the third as he rallied to find a finish and controlled the action on the canvas, but he was never close with a choke and didn’t do enough damage to merit the score, leading to the 2-1 edge on all three cards for “The Bosnian Bomber.” As much as I rail against bad judging on here, I have to acknowledge the good judging as well, and the judges got this one right.
This was even more exciting than expected and the perfect way to kick off the card.