UFC Fight Night Vegas Post Fight Analysis

Hello fight fans! UFC Fight Night took place this weekend at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Trivia (answer at end)

Who carried a life sized cross on their back for their UFC entrance?

Ricardo Ramos vs. Charles Jourdain

Recap: I thought this fight was going to be all stand up and striking, but I was pleasantly surprised. This opening main card fight began with the two fighters exchanging leg kicks in a stand up game and ending with some high level grappling. A little after a minute in, Ramos went for a takedown after Jourdain connected with some powerful punches. As Ramos was trying to take Jourdain to the ground, Jourdain got him in a guillotine. On the ground, Jourdain maintained the guillotine but Ramos positioned himself for a Von Flue choke, a defense against the guillotine. Ramos didn’t have success and the two continued to grapple for position. During the exchange, Jourdain got Ramos in another guillotine with less than two minutes left of the round and submitted him.

What’s Next: Jourdain came off a win against Kron Gracie and showed his grappling skills in this fight without breaking a sweat. Jourdain called out Cub Swanson for a Toronto fight. A lot of guys coming up in the ranks want to fight Cub Swanson so we’ll see who the UFC decides. Ricardo Ramos is a solid fighter so we’ll see how he does as he fights his way to the top 15 as well.

Bryan Battle vs. AJ Fletcher

Recap: Coming into this fight, Bryan Battle had a SIGNIFICANT reach advantage of 10” on AJ Fletcher but Fletcher surprised people and won round 1 with an elbow that wobbled Battle. He moved around well by switching his stances and getting in and out while Battle teeped to keep his distance. I don’t even remember if Battle threw a punch in that first round. He was calm and collected and getting his reads. In round 2, both came out a lot more aggressive and got in the clinch. Battle eventually got Fletcher against the cage where he kneed him for about a minute. These knees weren’t the biggest but they were definitely enough to cause damage and wear your opponent down. The clinch went to the ground where Battle was in Fletcher’s half guard but eventually got his back and sunk in the rear naked choke. With 30 seconds left of the round Fletcher had nothing left to do but tap.

What’s Next: This was Battle’s 6th win in the UFC and he came off a previous 14 second TKO win. Once he gets a bit more settled and finds that consistent rhythm, he’s going to be a Welterweight to watch. I think Fletcher has his work cut out for him as he advances his career. He has the shortest reach in the division and his last fight was his first win in the UFC.

Marina Rodriguez vs. Michelle “Karate Hottie” Waterson-Gomez

Recap: Do you like violence? Do you know why Muay Thai is called the art of 8 limbs? Are you a casual who wants to see a 10-8 round? Well ladies and gents, this one's for you. This was a big fight for both women as Rodriguez needed to prove that she’s still in line for a title shot and a win would have moved Waterson-Gomez in the top ten.

In the beginning of round 1, Waterson-Gomez came out strong and got Rodriguez to the ground which was a solid strategy until Rodriguez created space and got back to her feet. Then, for the next 3 minutes and 15 seconds Rodriguez put on a Muay Thai clinch clinic (say that 5 times fast). Rodriguez being the violent and ruthless fighter she is, used her knees and elbows to absolutely destroy Waterson-Gomez who was running away in the octagon and fighting for survival. Rodriguez bloodied up the Karate Hottie so much that the ref actually stopped the fight with 26 seconds left in round 1 to have the doctor take a look at her cut up eyebrow. Personally, I think that was an awful stoppage as it gave Waterson-Gomez time to recover a bit. Without that stoppage, the fight could have been over in the first round. Now THIS is a 10-8 round. Rodriguez ABSOLUTELY without a doubt dominated. Props to Waterson-Gomez for staying in the fight though and doing what she could until the end of the round.

In round 2, Gomez played right into Rodriguez’s game by going in for the clinch. Maybe she was going for a takedown? IDK it was high, but if I just got my ass whooped in the clinch, the clinch would be the last option for me to run into. With that being said, Rodriguez dominated again and the fight ended with Waterson-Gomez pulling Rodriguez on top of her in the mount which led to her demise.

What’s Next: Rodriguez wants Tatiana Suarez next and that’s a fight I’d love to see. Both fighters are ruthless and Suarez is undefeated. If Rodriguez stays violent and hungry like this, she could be a really good test for Suarez. It’s hard to stay undefeated so big props to Rodriguez for calling this fight out to be her first loss. This is Waterson-Gomez’s 4th loss in a row, she has 6 more fights on her contract, and she’s 37. I think she’s on her way out and going to be the gatekeeper into the top 15 for up and coming fighters.

Bryce “Thug Nasty” Mitchell vs. Dan “50K” Ige

Recap: This fight went the distance and it was a grappling dog fight. Bryce Mitchell is known for his grappling as he’s a BJJ black belt with strong striking, and Dan Ige is known for his striking and has strong grappling. Throughout all three rounds, Mitchell was looking for the takedowns and per usual was relentless with the attempts. Dan Ige was looking for striking opportunities and defended the takedowns. The first two rounds had a good balance of striking, clinch work, and grappling with Ige opening Mitchell’s right eye in the first. Mitchell dominated in the third round by getting control of Ige on the ground within the first minute. Ige showed incredible grappling defense, but Mitchell was too strong (that farmer strength is a thing!) and stayed on him like a flea on a dog’s back. The fight ended with the judges scoring it 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 for Thug Nasty.

What’s Next: I’d like to see either Mitchell vs. Emmett or Giga. Emmett would be a good fight to watch because both are very well rounded. For Dan Ige, I think a fight vs. Giga would be a banger of a striking matchup (Giga could also fight Mitchell as this would be a battle of grappling vs. striking).

Rafael “Ataman” Fiziev vs. Mateusz “Gamer” Gamrot

Recap: What an unfortunate ending to this fight. I was incredibly excited since these two are very strong and have such different styles. Fiziev is a striker (former Muay Thai champion) who has one of the best takedown defenses in the UFC and Gamrot is known for his wrestling. The first round was a close one and could go either way. I’d give Fiziev the edge. The two went back and forth with a well rounded high level performance. Then in the second round, Fiziev had a right body kick to Gamrot, but his left leg got injured. Fiziev fell down and Gamrot ended the fight by TKO at 2:03. A bit anti-climatic . . . .

What’s Next: Gamrot wants Charles Oliveira . . . mmm yeahhh . . . I’m going to have to say no to that. I’m not a Gamrot hater (just yet) and I do like that he’s calling some big shots, but he needs to humble himself. He won this fight by injury (not his defense like he said in his press conference), he won his last fight against Jalin Turner by split decision, and he won a close fight against Tsarukyan. Keep in mind, he also lost to Beneil Dariush. This lightweight division is stacked and he’s going to have to fight his way up. For Fiziev, rumor has it that he tore his ACL. Let’s just hope for a safe and healthy recovery.

Trivia Answer

Kimo Leopoldo

Until next time fight fans! There are no UFC fights next week so don’t miss me too much.

BMF

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