5 most explosive moments from UFC Vegas 29: Korean Zombie vs. Dan Ige
The UFC’s latest event at their APEX center – UFC Vegas 29 - was being largely overlooked going in, but it turned out to be pretty decent.
We were treated to a number of exciting knockouts, and while the top two fights at UFC Vegas 29 didn’t really deliver, we were given one classic fight earlier on.
With this considered, here are the five most explosive moments from UFC Vegas 29.
#1 Bruno Silva unleashes some brutal ground-and-pound on Wellington Turman
Arguably UFC Vegas 29’s most brutal finish was unleashed by newcomer Bruno Silva. He destroyed fellow Brazilian Wellington Turman with some genuinely ruthless ground-and-pound late in the first round of their middleweight clash.
Silva was actually on the defensive early on in the fight, with Turman looking to take him down and then take his back to hunt for a potential submission. However, once 'Blindado' escaped into Turman’s full guard, he quickly turned the tables on his fellow Brazilian.
Silva opened up with some seriously nasty punches, even shrugging off a potentially illegal upkick in the process. Turman’s head bounced off the ground, and moments later it was clear he was unconscious.
This was one of the more impressive UFC debuts in recent memory, and it’s also rare to see such a brutal knockout from inside the guard. Clearly, 'Blindado' has some insane power in his hands.
#2 Matt Brown keeps his UFC career alive with a nice KO of Dhiego Lima
Given he’d lost his last two UFC bouts, it would’ve been fair to suggest that Matt Brown was probably in the last chance saloon last night.
But 'The Immortal' was able to keep his UFC career alive with a stunning second round knockout of Dhiego Lima as he unleashed an excellent counter game before turning his lights out with a right hand.
Lima actually did well for himself in the first round, landing some nasty kicks to Brown’s calf that clearly had the veteran hurting. But with his traditionally questionable chin, he was always playing a dangerous game striking with the Immortal.
And sure enough, when he tried a big right hand, Brown countered with a crushing one of his own that landed cleanly to the jaw.
Lima dropped to the ground face-first, completely unconscious, and Brown had yet another violent finish to his name. 'The Immortal' might not be in title contention anymore, but he’s still clearly capable of explosive moments like this one.
#3 Marlon Vera edges Davey Grant with a brutal third-round performance
The best fight on offer at UFC Vegas 29 was clearly Marlon Vera’s bantamweight battle with Davey Grant. The two men went toe-to-toe for all three rounds – both on the feet and on the ground – and in the end, Vera had his hand raised.
The Ecuadorian’s best round was clearly the third, though. While Grant largely absorbed the offense of Chito in the first two, the third saw Vera really pull away, particularly when he began to abuse Grant’s body with strikes.
Grant was barely able to keep going, and once he was dragged to the ground, Vera continued to unload – coming close to a finish on a couple of occasions before the fight was over.
Sure, 'Chito' couldn’t stop his foe last night, but this fight was full of explosive moments that made it well worth watching.
#4 Rick Glenn unleashes a quick KO on Joaquim Silva
UFC Vegas 29’s quickest knockout belonged to Rick Glenn. The featherweight veteran has been with the UFC now since 2016, but last night was his first appearance since November 2018. It didn’t last long, either – a total of just 37 seconds, in fact.
A notable striker in his own right, Silva attempted to find his range early on, but quickly found himself hit with a big left hand that sent him crashing down.
The Brazilian attempted to recover, but Glenn was simply too hungry and too aggressive. He wasted no time in pouncing on Silva, and from there unleashed a number of brutal shots that separated 'Netto BJJ' from his consciousness, forcing ref Mike Beltran to step in.
The knockout was so brutal, in fact, that Silva still appeared to be attempting to fight after the stoppage, forcing Beltran to physically restrain him.
Glenn might’ve been out for a long time, but this was an explosive way for him to return to action – so here’s hoping he’s back again soon.
#5 Seung Woo Choi shows he belongs by knocking out Julian Erosa
After beginning his UFC career with a 2-2 record, many fans questioned whether Seung Woo Choi really belonged inside the octagon. Sure, he’d won his last two fights, but they were hardly entertaining.
That all changed at UFC Vegas 29 when the Korean fought Julian Erosa. Sting needed just over one and a half minutes to stop the TUF veteran, dropping him in vicious fashion with a right hand and a left hook that sent him down.
It looked like Erosa was out as he hit the ground, but referee Mark Smith allowed the fight to continue. However, that didn’t help Juicy J, as Choi pounced and delivered a barrage of hammer fists to finally force the stoppage.
The win now puts Choi on a three-fight win streak, and with an explosive knockout like this under his belt, he might garner more hype the next time he steps into the octagon.