UFC Vegas 61: About Saturday Night's Action...
Assessing everything that transpired at the UFC APEX on Saturday and the impact it will have as the UFC heads towards the end of its 2022 schedule
Striker Beats Grappler
Saturday’s main event was another entry in one of the oldest battles in MMA history, as striker Yan Xiaonan faced off with grappler Mackenzie Dern, and this time, the striker earned the victory.
Throughout the contest, Yan did an excellent job of peppering Dern with strikes as she looked to close the distance and get into clinch situations. She threw an assortment of side kicks and teeps up the middle, occasionally stinging Dern with clean right hands when she got too close.
In the second round, Dern dominated on the ground, threatening with a deep omoplata attempt that looked incredibly painful, but Yan survived and won the next two frames. After being implored to press hard in the fifth, Dern quickly got the fight to the canvas in the final stanza, and spend the majority of the round in back mount, looking for submission opportunities. Yan defended well, and when Dern finally made the decision to attack an armbar, she couldn’t secure the hold and the clock expired.
This is a huge win for Yan, who entered on a two-fight skid and as a considerable underdog. This felt like a fight designed to get Dern into position to potentially challenge for the title, but instead, “Nine” nixed those plans, and collected the biggest win of her career. While this was obviously a massive win for the 33-year-old from China, it’s also an important result for Marina Rodriguez, who earned wins over both of Saturday’s main event combatants in her last two outings, and could potentially secure herself a championship opportunity with a win over fellow Brazilian Amanda Lemos next month.
Business is picking up in the strawweight division, and this result makes things even more interesting.
Four and Counting
Randy Brown extended his winning streak to four in Saturday’s co-main event, getting out to an early lead before hanging on down the stretch in his matchup with Francisco Trinaldo.
The rangy “Rude Boy” spent the first two rounds landing the more significant, impactful strikes from the outside against his 44-year-old opponent. He dropped Trinaldo in the first and finished that round hunting for a front choke variation, and got the better of things despite slowing down a little in the second. “Massaranduba” was able to get Brown to the canvas and keep him there in the third, however the Brazilian failed to do any significant damage or find a finish, leading to the Queens, New York native collecting the 29-28 sweep of the scorecards.
Brown is one of those fighters that has taken the slow and steady approach to moving up the welterweight rankings, pushing his record to 10-4 in the UFC with Saturday’s win. He’s earned four straight victories and wins in six of his last seven, all of which should combine to earn him a date with a more established, ranked opponent next time out. He’s one of the better success stories from the UFC’s talent search programs, and it’s surprising that we haven’t seen that angle pushed even more.
Perhaps that will change going forward.
Beautiful Effort from Barcelos
Raoni Barcelos snapped a two-fight skid with a one-sided drubbing of Trevin Jones on Saturday’s main card.
After entering 2020 as a dark horse in the bantamweight division, riding a five-fight winning streak in the UFC, Barcelos suffered consecutive losses to Timur Valiev and Victor Henry to take a small step backwards in the ultra-competitive weight class. Against Jones, he showed why many were high on his prospects in the division, showcasing a diverse skill set that allowed him to sting the resident of Guam multiple times on the feet and have success on the ground as well.
This was the kind of return to form Barcelos needed following those consecutive setbacks, and while he wasn’t able to get Jones out of there, it wasn’t for lack of trying. The Brazilian is a dangerous all-around threat and yet another fighter to keep close tabs on in the talent-rich 135-pound weight class. If he doesn’t face a ranked opponent next time out, Barcelos shouldn’t be sharing the Octagon with anyone too far behind him in the pecking order, as he’s cemented his standing as a “Second 15” fixture and merits a matchup with someone in a similar position.
Super Effort from Sodiq Yusuff
Sodiq Yusuff stormed through Don Shainis on Saturday, collecting a 30-second submission win over the promotional newcomer.
The featherweights met in the center of the Octagon and clinched right away, with Yusuff attacking with a series of heavy knees to the midsection. Shainis stumbled a little and when he climbed up from a knee, Yusuff jumped onto a guillotine choke, pulling guard and securing the finish.
This was an all-risk, no-reward situation for Yusuff, who was originally scheduled to face Giga Chikadze last month, and the Nigerian-born standout turned it into a massive statement effort nonetheless. “Super Sodiq” has already solidified his place in the Top 15, and should get an opportunity to fight forward next time out after collecting a second consecutive victory and the second fastest submission in featherweight history on Saturday night.
Wrestling Leads Davis to Victory
Mike Davis has made his name as a slick boxer, but Saturday, he showed that he’s a well-rounded mixed martial artist and possesses the Fight IQ to play to his advantages, using a wrestling-heavy approach to secure a unanimous decision win over Viacheslav Borshchev.
The two men started by exchanging on the feet, but as soon as Davis decided to look for a takedown, the difference between the two in the grappling department became apparent. Through the first round, Davis dominated, and over the final two stanzas, the Florida-based lightweight was able to neutralize much of Borshchev’s striking and keep him with his shoulders on the canvas. It wasn’t the most emphatic or exhilarating victory of his UFC career, but after a lengthy layoff, Saturday’s performance was a good get-right effort for Davis.
He’s now won three straight after losing his promotional debut up a division and on short notice against Gilbert Burns. He appeared to suffer an eye injury in the third that could possibly sideline him again, but if he’s able to remain active, “Beast Boy” could become a dark horse to watch in the 155-pound weight class.
Preliminary Card Thoughts
There might be something in the water at the Chute Boxe Diego Lima camp, as Daniel Santos turned in a performance comparable to his teammate Charles Oliveira on Saturday, working through a miserable first round against John Castaneda to secure a second-round stoppage win.
The Brazilian got rocked multiple times in the first, eating a couple different high kicks and getting staggered with clean strikes, but each time Castaneda swarmed in search of a finish, Santos gathered himself, avoided further punishment, and returned to being the aggressor. That relentlessness seemed to wear on Castaneda, who started slowing down at the end of the first and flagged in the second, allowing Santos to take control of the exchanges and find success of his own.
Late in the middle stanza, “Willycat” hurt the Minnesotan along the fence with a beautiful knee up the middle, leading to the finishing flurry and his first UFC victory. The Chute Boxe Diego Lima is one of the best in the business, and this was an outstanding sophomore effort for the dangerous and determined 27-year-old.
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Ilir Latifi got emotional in the Octagon following his win over Aleksei Oleinik on Saturday, speaking about being 40 years old and fighting out his contract while dealing with a staph infection.
“The Sledgehammer” controlled the contest at every turn, getting the better of things on the feet and on the canvas, picking up a second consecutive victory with a sweep of the scorecards. He’s been limited by injuries throughout his UFC career, making just one appearance per year in each of the last four years, including Saturday’s win, and may have reached the end of the line.
Latifi arrived in the UFC on short notice, stepping in to face Gegard Mousasi in the highly regarded middleweight’s promotional debut in Stockholm, Sweden, and has remained a competitive foe across two divisions ever since. If this is the last time we see Latifi inside the Octagon, he’s going out on a high note with a victory over a seasoned veteran.
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Joaquim Silva snapped his two-fight losing streak in impressive fashion on Saturday, securing a second-round stoppage win over Jesse Ronson.
After spending the majority of the opening round trading individual shots at range with the Canadian, Silva elevated and landed a flying knee, stunning Ronson and causing him to search for a takedown to avoid further damage. The second round began similarly to the first and followed the same trajectory overall, only with Silva expediting the finish. He once again landed the flying knee, and this time, Ronson was unable to be saved by the bell, with Silva pounding out the finish.
Silva isn’t someone that is going to make a run towards the top of the rankings in the lightweight division, however he has some power and solid experience, which should allow him to continue being a challenging assignment for any looking to work forward in the 155-pound weight class in the coming years.
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It’s taken a little longer than expected, but Brendan Allen appears to be putting it all together inside the Octagon.
The Louisiana native, who had stumbled in previous matchups against ranked competitors or those similarly on the fringes, went out and dominated Krzysztof Jotko to secure a third straight victory. The 26-year-old eventually brought the fight back to the canvas, tying up one of Jotko’s arms in a position that allowed him to then attack a rear-naked choke nearly unimpeded. Before Jotko could defend, the arm was under the chin and the hold was secured, leaving the Polish veteran no choice but to tap.
Allen has always shown considerable all-around skills and upside, but his results have been inconsistent. But he’s now one three straight and looked far more patient and measured in this one, which could signify a step forward in his overall growth an development as we head towards 2023.
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Newcomer Chelsea Chandler got taken down by submission hunter Julija Stoliarenko just 15 seconds into their preliminary card meeting, but she quickly proved she was more than capable of hanging with the veteran.
After reversing the position and returning to the feet, the Cesar Gracie Fight Team member took control, using her superior power and overall strength to hurt Stoliarenko, and when the Lithuanian looked to shoot, Chandler easily stuffed the attempts and turned them into dominant positions of her own. Late in the frame, Chandler rebuffed Stoliarenko’s desperate attempt to get her to the canvas, climbing into mount, where she pounded out the finish.
This was an outstanding effort from the newcomer, who said after the bout that she welcomes the opportunity to compete at 145-pound going forward, but can make the move down to the bantamweight division if given enough time to prepare. She looked strong in this one, and it’ll be interesting to see what she does for an encore whenever it comes.
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Guido Cannetti made quick work of Randy Costa in the opener, kicking his legs out from under him before chasing down a rear-naked choke submission in 64 seconds.
The two traded kicks early, but when Costa got his legs swept out from under him, Cannetti raced forward, securing a waist lock, spinning Costa to the canvas. Before he could do anything, the Argentine was under the neck, sinking in the choke without any hooks, leaving Costa dead to rights. Just an absolutely terrific effort from the 42-year-old Cannetti in picking up a second straight first-round stoppage win.