Saturday was an enjoyable UFC card from start to finish. Several prospects broke through with big wins including Shavkat Rakhmonov, Kennedy Nzechukwu and Timur Valiev. The main event was a fun fight to watch as a more active Ciryl Gane secured his sixth consecutive UFC win. That is the longest current win streak in the heavyweight division. Following is a short recap of each bout:
- Damir Hadzovic defeats Yancy Medeiros via Unanimous Decision– An excellent fight to open the card. Hadzovic rather comfortably won the first two rounds, but Yancy Medeiros rallied late to make things interesting. Hadzovic showcased crisp striking and good ring generalship
- Charles Rosa defeats Justin Jaynes via Split Decision– Justin Jaynes lost the $25,000 he bet on himself, but not without a fight. I respect him putting on one of his better performances in this spot but ultimately Rosa proved to be superior
- Julia Avila defeats Julija Stoliarenko via Rear Naked Choke at 4:19 of Round 3– Julija Stoliarenko hung tough in this bout, but eventually the pressure got to her. Avila is a very fun fighter to watch as she throws with significant power on the feet.
- Marcin Prachnio defeats Ike Villanueva via Body Kick at 0:56 of Round 2– After a dominant first round, Marcin Prachnio landed a kick to the body of Ike Villanueva that sent him collapsing to the mat. Prior to landing the kick, we saw Prachnio heed the advice of his corner and switch stances. The fight was stopped before any additional strikes were thrown. Marcin Prachnio was awarded a $50,000 performance bonus for his stoppage win
- Jeremiah Wells defeats Warlley Alves via Right Hook to Ground and Pound at 0:30 of Round 2– Wells makes a huge splash in his UFC debut against veteran Warlley Alves. He looked very fast in this fight and had excellent striking, something that he really had not showcased on the regional scene. Dominating Alves like that makes him a prospect to watch at 170 pounds
- Shavkat Rakhmonov defeats Michel Prazeres via Rear Naked Choke at 2:10 of Round 2– The undefeated Rakhmonov improves to 14-0 with all professional victories coming by stoppage. He is a huge welterweight and clearly utilized that size advantage in this matchup. He overwhelmed Prazeres and easily got the tap after a rather patient approach
- Kennedy Nzechukwu defeats Danilo Marques via Punches at 0:20 of Round 3– The first half of this bout was largely dominated by Marques. He was unable to improve position much, but had the back of Nzechukwu for all of round one and a good portion of round two. Nzechukwu remained calm and poured on the pressure as Marques faded. He got the finish standing when Jason Herzog stepped in to stop any further damage. Nzechukwu showed resilience and grit for the second consecutive fight. Kennedy Nzechukwu was awarded a $50,000 performance bonus for his stoppage win
- Renato Moicano defeats Jai Herbert via Rear Naked Choke at 4:34 of Round 2– Jai Herbert could stack a few UFC wins in the future but does seem rather raw. Moicano had no problem carving through Herbert on the mat
- Tim Means defeats Nicolas Dalby via Unanimous Decision– A very good scrap where both fighter’s had their moments. Tim Means once again grinds out the victory as savvy veterans do
- Andre Fili vs. Daniel Pineda ends in No Contest due to Accidental Eye Poke at 0:46 of Round 2– Andre Fili completely dominated this fight and was on his way to a second round finish. However, an accidental eye poke closed the eye of Daniel Pineda and made it impossible for him to continue
- Timur Valiev defeats Raoni Barcelos via Majority Decision– This bout was a technical chess match. The first round was extremely close but higher volume gave Valiev the nod on all three judge’s scorecards. Both fighters engaged more in round two and three, with Barcelos taking the second and Valiev earning a victory in the third. Both fighters were awarded a $50,000 bonus for Fight of the Night
- Tanner Boser defeats Ovince St. Preux via Knees and Punches at 2:31 of Round 2– A low volume first round from Ovince Saint Preux once again revealed that he belongs at 205 pounds. In the second round Tanner Boser took advantage of awkward positioning on the cage and landed a knee that ended OSP’s night
- Ciryl Gane defeats Alexander Volkov via Unanimous Decision– Once again, Ciryl Gane outclasses an established UFC heavyweight. His record improves to 9-0 as a professional and next on the schedule seems to be an Interim Heavyweight title fight in August. Alexander Volkov was not able to match Gane’s volume on the feet. He threw leg kicks to limit Gane’s movement but we saw tonight just how fast and agile the new contender is.
MMA fans also enjoyed more action in the Professional Fighters League, Bellator, RIZIN and Cage Warriors. Following is a short recap of the major bouts you may have missed:
- Kayla Harrison defeats Cindy Dandois via Armbar at 4:44 of Round 1– The domination continues for Harrison who has walked through all PFL competition thus far. Talks of an eventual fight with Clarissa Shields would be very ugly. Harrison looks unstoppable at 155 pounds. If the UFC retains a women’s featherweight division, I think she is the eventual champion
- Valentin Moldavsky defeats Tim Johnson via Unanimous Decision– The Bellator Interim Heavyweight Championship was won by Valentin Moldavsky on Friday night. Tim Johnson did not make things easy in the early rounds, but late it was all Moldavsky. He will eventually fight Ryan Bader to unify the heavyweight strap, as Bader is currently competing in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix
Ringworm 