5 important things we learned from UFC Vegas 30
UFC Vegas 30 concluded with the knighting of a new top heavyweight contender. Ciryl Gane extended his successful run with a dominant performance against Alexander Volkov to earn the decisive unanimous decision win in the main event. While the fight may not have seen a finish and received some criticism from fans and fighters alike, it definitely did a lot for Gane's career trajectory.
Tim Means and Timur Valiev also bagged impressive decision victories against formidable opponents to improve their standing in their respective divisions. But what makes UFC Vegas 30 so memorable are the highlight-worthy finishes courtesy of Tanner Boser, Renato Moicano, Kennedy Nzechukwu, and several others.
Overall, UFC Vegas 30 will go down the books as an eventful fight card despite its lack of mainstream stars.
On that note, let's discuss five key takeaways from UFC Vegas 30.
#5 Shavkat Rakhmonov shines at UFC Vegas 30
Hardcore fans have proclaimed Shavkat Rakhmonov as the future of the welterweight division since he first arrived at UFC 254. The fighter from Kazakhstan gained more notoriety when he extended his unbeaten streak to 14 wins after tapping out Michel Prazeres via rear-naked choke.
The 26-year-old utilized his length to perfection as he found a comfortable striking range to tag his opponent from a safe distance. His long limbs also allowed him to defend against Prazeres' takedown attempts and ultimately lock in the fight-ending chokehold.
Rakhmonov, after just his second fight in the octagon, has certainly stood out as one of the most dangerous prospects in a division full of lethal combatants looking to crack the top 15. He proved worthy of all the hype surrounding his budding career by handing the durable veteran his first loss by submission.
On the heels of a spectacular showing at UFC Vegas 30, 'Nomad' is clearly ready for a ranked opponent. Anyone outside of the top 15 would feel like a step back for the surging submission specialist. After all, 14 wins with 14 finishes is no small feat.
Also Read: The positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 30