The chances favored Marina Rodriguez in the primary occasion of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 64. These odds collapsed after a proper hand from Amanda Lemos left Rodriguez struggling to defend herself in opposition to an onslaught of punches in opposition to the fence. Together with her third-round upset TKO win, Lemos put herself in place to get some consideration as the subsequent title challenger within the UFC’s strawweight division.
Within the co-main occasion, veteran welterweight competitor Neil Magny picked up a record-setting win with a submission victory over the hard-hitting Daniel Rodriguez, who was on a four-fight profitable streak and seeking to break into the top-10 of the UFC’s 170-pound division.
Of the 11 fights on the UFC Vegas 64 battle card, which befell at UFC Apex and streamed on ESPN+, solely two went the space. Learn on for the winners and losers from the occasion.
Winners:
Amanda Lemos: Amanda Lemos fought her battle in opposition to Marina Rodriguez. She set a gradual tempo within the first spherical and had a dominant second spherical, because of a nifty journey adopted by strain on the bottom. Then, within the third spherical, Lemos caught Rodriguez with a giant proper that left Rodriguez defenseless and open to the onslaught of strikes that adopted. These blows ended the competition on the 0:54 mark of the third stanza.
The win ought to put Lemos within the combine to face the winner of the upcoming UFC 281 title battle between UFC strawweight champ Carla Esparza and former champ Zhang Weili.
Jason Herzog: At full pace and reside, I can perceive why viewers might need questions relating to the primary occasion stoppage. Nevertheless, on slow-motion replay, it’s laborious to argue that Herzog made the suitable name on the proper time.
Neil Magny: Neil Magny made his twenty eighth stroll to the UFC octagon on Saturday. Along with his third-round submission win over Daniel Rodriguez, Magny broke his tie with the legendary Georges St-Pierre for many wins within the historical past of the UFC’s 170-pound weight class. Magny, who additionally holds the UFC welterweight file with 13 choice wins, picked up his twentieth victory with the stoppage.
Shayilan Nuerdanbieke: Shayilan Nuerdanbieke picked up his first end underneath the UFC banner with a first-round knockout win over Darrick Minner. Sure, Minner suffered a knee damage earlier than Nuerdanbieke wrapped issues up with floor strikes, however that doesn’t go within the official file of the battle.
Tagir Ulanbekov: Tagir Ulanbekov bounced again from a March choice setback to Tim Elliott with what can solely be described as a vicious guillotine choke submission win over Nate Maness. I’m undecided the win will probably be sufficient to maneuver him up the official flyweight rankings, the place he’s at the moment ranked at No 15, however it ought to get him a matchup in opposition to a ranked opponent.
Grant Dawson: Grant Dawson moved to 7-0-1 within the UFC with a submission win over Mark Madsen. A dominant wrestler, Dawson has constructed a popularity as a robust wrestler throughout his time with the UFC, however he confirmed some progress in his hanging on this matchup, particularly when Madsen’s protection slipped as his cardio light.
Dawson was a late substitute for his UFC Vegas 64, accepting the battle in late October. Sadly, he missed weight for this contest, which — as he acknowledged — took some shine off the victory. With that being mentioned, I might not be shocked to see him crack into the light-weight rankings after UFC Vegas 64.
Miranda Maverick: Miranda Maverick and Shanna Younger have been carefully matched on the ft, however Maverick was a lot better on the mat. As soon as she and her staff realized the trail to victory was Maverick’s wrestling, she dominated the battle and cruised to a call win. Maverick went 5-for-8 in takedowns and had 7:47 of management time within the ultimate 10 minutes of the competition.
Maverick is simply 25. She is younger and coachable and getting higher. She is a fighter to observe within the flyweight division.
Mario Bautista: Mario Bautista appeared centered on placing strain on Benito Lopez from the opening of their battle. Bautista was profitable. He by no means allowed Lopez to get his ft underneath him. That strain led to Bautista scoring his second consecutive first-round submission victory.
Polyana Viana: Polyana Viana wanted a win at UFC Vegas 64. The previous Jungle Combat strawweight champ was 2-4 with the UFC courting again to August 2018 when she stepped into the octagon in opposition to Jinh Yu Frey. Viana overwhelmed Frey, scoring one of many quickest knockout wins in UFC strawweight historical past.
Viana landed a knee to the physique of Frey after which unleashed a barrage of head strikes that Frey struggled to defend. Referee Herb Dean waved off the battle 47 seconds into the opening stanza.
Johnny Munoz Jr.: Johnny Munoz Jr. bounced again from a June knockout loss to Tony Gravely with a call win over Liudvik Sholinian. Munoz was higher than Sholinian in each facet of this battle. The previous KOTC bantamweight champ is now 2-2 within the UFC.
Jake Hadley: Jake Hadley had a incredible exhibiting in stopping Carlos Candelario within the second spherical of their 128.5-pound catchweight scrap — Candelario missed weight. Hadley put a excessive tempo and a fair proportion of ahead strain on his opponent within the hanging division in the course of the first 5 minutes of the battle, which resulted in Candelario going for a takedown within the second stanza. Nevertheless, that proved to be a mistake as Hadley shortly cinched up a triangle after which unloaded with elbows to Candelario’s uncovered dome. The triangle introduced a faucet from Candelario on the 2:39 mark of the second stanza.
Hadley’s first UFC win was a powerful all-around efficiency from the 26-year-old English competitor.
Tamires Vidal: It’s not typically {that a} debuting UFC fighter places their identify subsequent to 2 former UFC champions. However that’s what Tamires Vidal did at UFC Vegas 64 when she scored the third end within the historical past of the UFC ladies’s division through a knee strike to the physique. The opposite two fighters who achieved the feat have been Ronda Rousey and Germaine de Randamie.
Losers
Marina Rodriguez: In hindsight, Marina Rodriguez may remorse her method to the primary occasion of UFC Vegas 64. Rodriguez didn’t put any strain on Amanda Lemos and allowed her opponent to dictate the tempo of the battle, which let Lemos preserve her vitality and energy.
The knockout loss ended Rodriguez’s four-fight profitable streak.
Daniel Rodriguez: Daniel Rodriguez is an effective striker with a variety of energy and excessive output. That fashion will give a variety of welterweight fighters issues, however it is not going to get him previous well-rounded and skilled opposition like Neil Magny.
Mark Smith: Referee Mark Smith allowed an injured and defenseless Darrick Minner to take a variety of pointless elbow strikes to the top earlier than waving off Minner’s battle in opposition to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke
Nate Maness: Nate Maness made weight for his UFC flyweight debut. Nevertheless, he misplaced that battle by submission 2:11 into the primary spherical. After seeing how depleted Maness appeared making weight, it would behoove him to return as much as bantamweight.
Benito Lopez: On Saturday, Benito Lopez returned the octagon for the primary time since 2019. Earlier than his battle, the UFC commentary staff mentioned that Lopez didn’t imagine in ring rust. I’m left to surprise if he consents after Mario Bautista overwhelmed — and submitted — him within the first spherical of their 138.5-pound catchweight battle (Lopez missed weight.)
Jinh Yu Frey: Jinh Yu Frey fell to 2-4 within the UFC with a first-round knockout loss to Polyana Viana. The 37-year-old is a former atomweight turned strawweight within the UFC. At this level, it’s not out of line to query if Frey has the dimensions to compete at 115 kilos underneath the UFC banner.
Carlos Candelario: UFC president Dana White took a flyer on Carlos Candelario, signing him after a split-decision loss on a DWCS card. Following his submission loss to Jake Hadley, Candelario is now 0-2 within the UFC and he missed weight forward of Saturday’s card. The one factor that would save Candelario’s job is that he’s probably on a low-rate contract coming off the DWCS.
UFC commentary staff: It could be somewhat factor, However Mark Madsen’s center preliminary is O. Regardless of his final identify being Madsen, each member of the UFC commentary staff working cageside, referred to him as O’Madsen in the course of the first spherical.
