Naurdiev vs Brady
In what arguably was one of the most skilled fights on the card, Naurdiev started t well, working from range and was able to mark up Brady. Brady had some success on the feet when he blitzed Naurdiev with punches but was not able to do it on a consistent basis. Brady turned the tide in the second and third rounds when he was able to secure takedowns and control the talented striker on the ground. Naurdiev’s weaknesses from the Rencountre fight still seem to be there and need to be addressed if he wants to fulfil his full potential. Brady showed a well-rounded skill set and the ability to adapt during a fight, this should help him to become a mainstay in one of the toughest divisions in the UFC.
Cruz vs Carlyle
A short fight in which ‘The Alpha Ginger’ surprised Cruz with a head kick early and forced him to shoot a takedown. From there, Carlyle landed a series of controversial elbows which really hurt Cruz and finished off with relentless ground and pound. Despite an impressive win we still don’t know a lot about Carlyle apart from that he is a very good athlete, it would be interesting to see how he does in a longer fight.
Griffin vs Brown
This fight went how I thought it would for the first 8 minutes. Brown was able to score takedowns and out scramble Griffin. However, Brown got sloppy on his takedowns and gave his neck to Griffin who was able to secure an unorthodox guillotine from half guard and put Brown to sleep. Despite his win, Griffin still showed the same holes as he did before but it did put him in the win column so he will get another couple of fights to show off his exciting fighting style.
Pena vs Garcia Jr.
In what I thought would be mainly a striking match, Pena was able to get takedowns in every round and kept it there once he got on top (or on Garcia’s back). Pena showed some good scrambling and control skills whilst Garcia Jr. showed off his heart by never giving up and even locked in a tight triangle at the start of the third round. Both guys are likely to have much more exciting fights than this one in the future.
Tybura vs Spivac
Tybura’s experience and all roundedness won him the fight. I thought that Tybura was the more skilled fighter anywhere the fight went and it showed. Spivac’s best moments came on the feet when he rushed Tybura with combinations but the Pole was never in trouble. Tybura’s grappling was the key to victory as Spivac was unable to get up from the bottom. Tybura got back in the win column but I am still unsure whether he can be a top 10 heavyweight.
Breese vs Allen
This was probably the only fight on the card that really surprised me. Breese made the mistake of trying to take Allen’s back early instead of disengaging and got stuck on the bottom. Allen used ground and pound and threatened submissions to put Breese against the cage. From there, Allen unloaded his ground and pound and the Englishman was unable to improve position forcing the referee to save him. It was a confusing performance from a highly touted grappler in Breese but a very impressive win for a prospect like Allen.
Phillips vs Silva
An extremely impressive debut from the MMA Lab fighter. Early on, Silva was able to push Phillips back with his boxing but eventually, Phillips started to land his own counters and combinations which stunned the Brazilian a couple of times. When Phillips began to mix in takedowns, it was clear that he was the superior fighter. The wrestling opened up even more striking opportunities and Phillips really poured it on Silva as the fight went on. I have to give credit to Silva for his toughness as lesser fighters would have been finished. Phillips will have a bright future in the UFC considering how improved he looked from his regional fights.
Dawson vs Minner
This was a typical Darrick Minner fight as he went all out in the first round. The UFC debutant had several close submissions but was unable to finish them. Dawson stayed composed throughout and started to take over as the fight went on. Minner might have been saved by the bell in the first round but it didn’t matter as Dawson went straight back to work in the second round and secured a rear-naked choke. Fun fight and I want to see both of them again, Dawson perhaps at lightweight.
Anderson vs Dumont
Dumont had success early in the fight when she was able to clinch and control Anderson. However, the Australian stopped the clinch takedown attempts and eventually, the fight ended up back in the centre. Anderson landed a precise right hand which dropped Dumont and the referee was quick to stop the fight. Good win for Anderson which might get her a shot at Amanda Nunes.
Ankalaev vs Cutelaba
The fight nearly started early as Cutelaba’s preflight antics provoked a scuffle which was quickly broken up by the security. However, when the fight started the two men wasted no time and went to work. Ankalaev seemingly hurt Cutelaba with a punch behind the ear and had the Moldovan stumbling. Ankalaev tried to close the deal with a number of head kicks which were all blocked but the referee stopped the fight anyway despite Cutelaba not getting hit with anything big after the initial punch. This a controversial stoppage in a fight that was shaping up to be a fight of the night contender, maybe they will run it back on an upcoming show.
Spencer vs Fairn
This played out like I thought it would. Fairn had some success early staying at range and picking Spencer apart but when Spencer was able to get to the clinch, she got a takedown and landed on top. from there she quickly advanced into mount and landed a lot of punches and elbows which were enough to get the referee to step in. With this win, Spencer put her name in the hat to face Amanda Nunes.
Benavidez vs Figueiredo
A flyweight half title fight didn’t disappoint (apart from the fact that Figueiredo missed weight). Benavidez came out all guns blazing trying to put it on the Brazilian. Figueiredo stayed composed and was able to stop the early takedown attempts and even had a close armbar attempt. Although I thought Benavidez won the first round by landing the more meaningful shots, Figueiredo looked more in control. The end came in the second round after a clash of heads opened up a cut on Benavidez’s face, Figueiredo capitalised and landed a clean right straight which dropped Benavidez and followed up with a series of hammerfists which put him out cold. Figueiredo won the fight but not the belt, what the UFC will do next is a mystery. Hopefully, we get to see another fight for the vacant belt but this time with everyone making weight.