5 best finishes from UFC Vegas 29
UFC Vegas 29 took place inside the UFC Apex on June 19, 2021. The event marked the much-awaited return of The Korean Zombie to the winning side as he bested powerhouse Dan Ige in the main event. The whole card was filled with exceptional fights that proved why the UFC is a platform for only the best mixed martial artists in the world.
There were a total of six finishes at UFC Vegas 29, including a doctor's stoppage. Before we get to that, let's take a look at the best finishes of the night not involving doctor stoppages:
Casey O'Neill makes her mark at UFC Vegas 29
In her second appearance under the banner of the UFC, women's flyweight contender Casey O'Neill put up a masterful performance and finished her opponent Lara Procopio in the opening fight of the night.
The two were level on the judges' scorecards heading into round three. But Casey O'Neill secured the stoppage after latching onto her opponent's back and locking in a rear-naked choke. Even as Procopio attempted her best to shake O'Neill off her back by standing up, O'Neill's arm was well locked-in and the prolonged attempt by Procopio only led to her losing consciousness.
Rick Glenn returns to the octagon in a brutal way
After a three-year-long hiatus, Rick Glenn returned to the octagon to face lightweight Joaquim Silva in the second fight of the night. Making quick work of his opponent and wasting no time in announcing his return, Glenn knocked Silva out in just 37 seconds.
As Silva leaned in to strike Glenn, the latter caught Silva with a straight left that sent him crashing into the canvas. Rick Glenn then went on to pursue ground-and-pound and landed a couple of unanswered punches before the referee stepped in to call a stop to the contest.
Matt Brown opens the main card with a devastating KO
Welterweight veteran Matt Brown opened the UFC Vegas 29 main card against Dhiego Lima. Making his way back to the winning side, Brown executed a devastating one-punch KO in round two that did not need any follow-up strikes.
Brown landed a right hook square to the jaw of Dhiego Lima, ending the fight there and then as Lima went limp and fell face-first into the canvas.
Bruno Silva executes ground-and-pound KO to mark successful promotional debut at UFC Vegas 29
'Blindado' Bruno Silva made his promotional debut for the UFC at UFC Vegas 29 against Wellington Turman. The fight did not last more than one round.
Snubbing all of Turman's ten takedown attempts, Silva engaged in ground-and-pound as the former laid on his back. The vicious strikes were sufficient enough to help Silva sail to a TKO victory.
Also read: Matt Brown calls out Nick and Nate Diaz after spectacular KO win at UFC Vegas 29
Seung Woo Choi marks third win in the UFC with first-round KO
South Korean fighter Seung Woo Choi marked his third straight victory in the UFC at UFC Vegas 29 as he knocked out Julian Erosa in the very first round of their featherweight bout.
Living up to his nickname, 'Sting' caught Erosa with a precise and strong left hand just over a minute into round one. He delivered ground-and-pound shots to win the fight via TKO. The win earned him a 'Performance of the Night' bonus.
Also read: UFC Vegas 29 bonuses: Which fighters won $50,000?
Virna Jandiroba wins via doctor stoppage
Brazilian fighter Virna Jandiroba put on a spectacular performance at UFC Vegas 29 to rebound after her unanimous decision loss to Mackenzie Dern in December 2020.
The 33-year-old strawweight put on a great all-round performance. However, it was her armbar submission attempt in round one that helped her sail to victory over Kanako Murata. Jandiroba's attempt to submit her opponent led to a suspected dislocated arm for Murata, after which her use of the arm was visibly reduced.
It was only after the second round that the officials recognized the injury and called a stop to the contest. Virna Jandiroba won the fight via TKO (doctor's stoppage).