If there was a poll asking fans how excited they were for this event, perhaps the enthusiasm wouldn’t be as high as the quality and action that this card delivered.
Some bouts were perhaps not of the highest caliber, but almost all were great fun to watch or had some consequences in the careers of those involved.
Winners
Kailin Curran finally notched her first win in the UFC after a disappointing debut vs a frenetic Paige Van Zant and a heartbreaking submission loss to BJJ threat Alex Chambers in a fight she was dominating from the outset. She still had few answers for Kagan’s physicality and wrestling, and didn’t look as sharp in some striking exchanges. She was determined and got a solid submission win. A lot of expectations were placed upon her when she got to the UFC, so it will be interesting to see what comes next for her.
Danny Roberts – An English boxer working slick submissions off his back against an American wrestler? Not bad for the Blackzilians product training with Hooft and new grappling coach Neil Melanson. His divisional standing doesn’t take a massive jump, but a good win like this certainly puts him on the radar of guys to be optimistic about.
Santiago Ponzinibbio – Much like former TUF contestant Cody McKenzie, I initially viewed Ponzinibbio as a fighter that was somewhat one-dimensional and winning a fight or two that he probably was meant to lose. Ever since moving to Florida to train with ATT, he’s done fantastic work with expanding his game and keeping the fight where he wants it with solid accuracy in his shots and really good power. Might not crack the top ten, but guaranteed fun any day of the week.
Sergio Moraes – The BJJ specialist and dancing sensation scored a crazy KO during a late defensive lapse from his opponent. It seems Moraes himself was the last guy that expected it, but he capitalized on it and made an otherwise not-very-exciting bout an item he can add to his highlight reel.
Aljamain Sterling – From considering leaving the sport due to inactivity and lack of pay to fighting a feared striker and getting a vicious choke finish, Sterling really got a nice spotlight tonight on the prelims. The walk-out, the finish itself, and the charming post-fight interview should add up to Zuffa and give them the incentive to push this man further. Sterling’s got some growing to do with his standup, but with his current team and a bit of time he can make the most of things and blossom into a major breakout star not just in his division, but in the organization and sport as a whole.
Tim Means – First he stunned Doomsday early, but with patience and surviving his opponent’s wrestling approach he managed to knock out John Howard with the sneaky short left hand. He may not get that Matt Brown rematch he’s angling for due to divisional standings, but it would be great if he did. Another must-watch talent that got to shine tonight.
Sage Northcutt – Yes, you had to know I’d put him on this list. First he got outwrestled by Cody Pfister, but it appears that after the questionable standup Cody’s gas tank may have taken a hit. Northcutt took him down in turn and used what Brian Stann described as a somewhat basic ground game to catch a submission and finish the fight. Northcutt’s stock doesn’t rise too much, but it adds to his experience and shows he doesn’t crack at the first sign of adversity. How deep he can be dragged is still to be seen, but time is on his side.
Michael Chiesa – Something in the water in the Pacific Northwest that makes some remarkably gritty wrestlers with tricky submission games and violent top games that are hard to nullify. Chiesa took on the wily veteran and survived various leglock attempts while doing his best to keep doing damage no matter where he was. Submitting Jim Miller is a hell of a feather in his cap and his callout after the fight will certainly yield the benefit of giving him a higher profile match as he deserves.
Rose Namajunas – The Milwaukee Marauder™ (yes, I’m going with that) put on an exhibition that almost looked like a round of practice mode in UFC Undisputed. Rose got the best of VanZant with her boxing, use of angles, level changes and timing. Her corner gave her the guidance she needed to tighten things up round by round and finished the fight with a ruthless submission with an unorthodox position. The long layoff didn’t seem to affect her and a title shot appears to be very close, possibly with another win.
The fans – Twelve bouts, ten finishes. Despite the no-contest, none of these fights felt like a disappointment and we even had a few fun upsets. Very good pacing aside from a bit of filler, and even the notoriously picky Vegas fans were mostly well-behaved.
Losers
Emily Kagan -Despite a strong early showing in which she implemented her wrestling and pinned Curran to the cage, she just couldn’t keep it together with her submission defense. Now 0-2 in the UFC, she may end up returning to Invicta, who could use her talents.
Johnny Eduardo came off two consecutive victories against Jeff Curran and former title challenger Eddie Wineland had a long layoff and lost a bout against a hungrier opponent. Probably doesn’t knock him that far down in the pecking order, but an important bump in the road.
John Howard got styled on pretty hard in the opening of his fight against Tim Means as well as the final sequence. Have to wonder what’s next for him as he lost three straight and beat Cathal Pendred in his last outing, putting him at 3-4 in his second UFC run. Not sure if retirement is on the horizon or if the UFC keeps him around.
Elias Theodorou put on a hell of a performance at first getting into a striking duel with a hard-hitting and merciless striker in Thiago Santos, who probably expected Elias to wrestle him. Instead he got a disappointing loss after putting forth a valiant effort. He loses a bit of shine, but should be able to bounce back in due time.
Jim Miller – I hate having to be that guy, but I have to wonder if this is the end for the former top ten lightweight that’s given us surprising and often jaw-dropping performances. He looks like he may be losing a step, and for his sake, he may want to consider not taking that much more damage if he can help it.
Paige VanZant was somehow considered the favorite coming into her bout with #3 Rose Namajunas (who actually rolled her eyes when Jon Anik brought that up), perhaps due to the fact that she’s come into the UFC with a frenzied approach and an exciting style as well as a long time away from the Octagon for Rose. Unfortunately, one of the de facto faces of the organization received the “Life Comes At You Fast” award with the quickness. Big ups to her submission defense, but her corner almost took the Tarverdyan approach of telling their fighter to go out and just fight harder. She’s still a top ten talent, but she’s going to have to regroup here and improve on the glaring gaps in her striking.
Honorable mention goes to Zuffa. This was viewed as the inferior of all three cards and it was fantastic action for the most part. Fans derided the idea of a Thursday card, but this was for the best instead of having a hungover fanbase deal with another Sunday card after a PPV event.
Andreas Stahl came back from a long absence and was a step behind the whole way. Phillipe Nover showed a fun kicking game, but was bested and outpointed by Zubaira Tukhugov in a rough encounter. Nathan Coy faltered as a late replacement and yet may live to see another day. Finally, the less said about Antonio Carlos Jr vs Kevin Casey, the better. I just hope that eye is OK.
Mightiest Daddy 
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