The positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 31
Another UFC Fight Night card has passed us by and with it came some memorable talking points. Jon Anik, Paul Felder and Michael Bisping called the action from the commentary desk and Bruce Buffer provided enthusiastic introductions that never fail to get us hyped for the action inside the octagon.
Signaling a return to the UFC Apex following last week's UFC 264 pay-per-view at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena, fans were treated to 10 matchups. The card featured exciting prospects looking to make a name for themselves, contenders looking to edge closer to a title shot and veterans looking to show that they haven't lost a step inside the cage. Alongside a blockbuster main event between Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moises, the likes of Miesha Tate, Mateusz Gamrot, Jeremy Stephens and Daniel Rodriguez were also in action.
With that said, here are the positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 31.
Positive - It's not over until it's over
How great is Rodrigo Nascimento? From his performance to his post-fight conduct, his victory in the opening fight of UFC Vegas 31 was an all-round positive. I'd listed Nascimento as one of the five names to look out for at the event and he certainly didn't disappoint.
Against Alan Baudot, 'Ze Colmeia' was looking to rebound from his one and only MMA loss last time out against Chris Daukaus. After the opening round, Nascimento looked on his way to a second consecutive defeat in the UFC after getting rocked on the feet early on. Whatever his coaching team told him prior to the second round, it worked wonders. The 28-year-old came out of his corner and unloaded on the Frenchman, finishing him via a TKO early in the round.
His comeback was a great watch, as was his conduct post-fight, starting with his words to a defeated Baudot. Often fighters can appear slightly patronizing and obnoxious in their interactions with their beaten opponents. That was not the case with Nascimento. The Brazilian embraced Baudot and said he was a "great guy" and hoped to see him return to the octagon soon. Announcing his intention to go home and play Fortnite after landing one of the biggest wins of his career was the cherry on top of a great start to the night.
Positive - What a way to hit 500
We couldn't have hoped for a more impactful and better performance for such a historic landmark. At UFC Vegas 31, rising strawweights Amanda Lemos and Montserrat Conejo collided in what was the 500th women's MMA bout in UFC history.
After just 35 seconds, the fight was over and a new 115-pound contender was established. After defeat in her UFC debut, Lemos had built a three-fight winning streak heading into last night's event. With a brutal knockout, the Brazilian made it four and sent a message to the rest of the division. A powerful right hand rocked Conejo, but it was a vicious left hook that sent her face first to the canvas. Although the Mexican was on her feet quickly after the finish, her body language made it clear that the stoppage was perfect from Chris Tognoni.
With back-to-back knockouts and an exclamation mark on her most recent, Lemos will certainly be one to watch on her next walk to the octagon.
Positive - Daniel Rodriguez does it again
Despite a late opponent change, Daniel Rodriguez looked at his best at UFC Vegas 31. From the first second of the fight, 'D-Rod' lit up the debuting Preston Parsons with jabs and brutal straight lefts. Eventually the shots became too much and Rodriguez forced the referee to step in and call a stop to the contest inside the opening round.
Although the victory perhaps didn't do as much for Rodriguez as it would have done had it been against Abubakar Nurmagomedov, the 34-year-old couldn't help the opponent change and still had to go in the cage and put a tough welterweight away, which he did convincingly.
With the victory, Rodriguez moved to 5-1 in the UFC. The one defeat on his record was a decision loss to Nicholas Dalby, in what was a controversial decision. If Rodriguez had been given the nod on the scorecards, as many thought he should have, he’d be unbeaten in the UFC and on a 12-fight winning streak in MMA.
With the impressive performances he’s put in against the likes of Mike Perry, Dwight Grant, Tim Means, and now Parsons, Rodriguez has certainly earned a fight with a ranked opponent.
Positive - A wild start to the main card
Jon Anik, Michael Chiesa, Michael Chandler and just about everyone involved in MMA were signaling the main card opener between Gabriel Benitez and Billy Quarantillo as a potential Fight of the Night. As advertised, the featherweight bout did not disappoint.
Both men swung hard but the majority of the success on the feet fell to Quarantillo. The 32-year-old was as powerful and precise as ever and sat 'Moggly' down with a brutal right hand early on. But while Benitez's swollen left eye and bloody cuts suggested a one-way onslaught, the Mexican didn't go down without a fight and even secured a knockdown of his own in the final round.
The war came to an end after an accumulation of damage forced Mark Smith to call a stop to the fight following some hard shots from Quarantillo as he controlled Benitez's back.
Quarantillo will be heading abroad for his honeymoon as a happy man following a great win like that!
Positive - Another Polish UFC star
While Jan Blachowicz continues to put Polish MMA on the map with his reign as UFC light heavyweight champion, there's another Pole threatening to follow in his footsteps to UFC gold. Mateusz Gamrot boasts an impressive record and he's firmly arrived in the UFC. This weekend he had his chance to make an impression against an established name in the UFC when he faced Jeremy Stephens. Not only was he successful in doing so, but he did it in about as impressive a fashion as he could have.
Against one of the UFC's greatest active veterans and a seriously dangerous opponent in 'Lil Heathen', Gamrot looked composed and comfortable on the ground and secured a brutal looking kimura submission for the victory. Given the plethora of breaks and dislocations we've seen recently, it's unsurprising that Stephens chose to tap before Gamrot had the chance to do any serious damage to the limb.
In 20 professional MMA fights, 'Gamer' now has 19 victories. The only blemish on his record came in his UFC debut against Guram Kutateladze, a decision which was controversial and largely criticized. Had he been awarded the win that most felt he deserved, Gamrot would have a perfect 20-0 record.
Positive - 'Cupcake' is back
How good was it to see Miesha Tate back in action? The former UFC women's bantamweight champion is a pioneer for women's MMA and one of the most recognizable female names across UFC history. Despite a near five-year hiatus, 'Cupcake' showed that she hasn't lost a step when she entered the octagon against veteran Marion Reneau in the UFC Vegas 31 co-main event.
After largely controlling the fight, Tate became the first woman in MMA to finish Reneau in the final round with some vicious 'ground and pound'. In her post-fight interview with Paul Felder, Tate reminded the rest of the division that she hasn't come back to the UFC for a few fights, she's back for the belt. The successful return of a name like Tate has to go down as one of the night's positives.
Negative - Another Covid reminder
At a time when cities, states and countries are re-opening and we're seeing UFC PPV's held in front of a sold-out crowds again, it's easy to assume that we're out of the woods when it comes to the Covid-19 pandemic that's devastated the world. Another fight cancelation due to the Covid protocol at last night's event was a stark reminder that the virus still exists.
For fans, the cancelation of the bantamweight bout between Miles Johns and Anderson dos Santos was a negative part of the night because it meant one less fight. For the fighters, it meant they lost their chance to impress inside the Apex. Nevertheless, the health of the athletes, coaches and UFC staff is the most important factor to consider. Hopefully both men will have the chance to make the walk to the octagon again in the coming weeks or months.
Given the incredible knockout we saw the last time Johns entered the cage, this cancelation certainly hurt.