At UFC Mexico City last night, we were treated to a rare submission, a record-breaking flyweight finish, and the return of a fighter who’s been battling outside of the Octagon. Huh?
Finding the proper response to much of the news finding its way into our social media feeds is becoming a tougher task every day. Nothing is surprising, and there’s always more to the story. Leaving us with one reply: “huh?”.
Last night at UFC Mexico City, lightweight Jordan Rinaldi earned his submission victory utilizing the rare Von Flue choke, becoming the third person in UFC history to do so. The flyweight division also answered some critics *cough* Dana White *cough* thanks to Dustin Ortiz’s record-breaking finish, and Diego Rivas made a welcomed return to the Octagon after defeating testicular cancer following his last bout.
The reason “huh?”, in its various forms, is such a quality reply is simple. The word is as versatile as a response gets, and while it may require some explanation, “huh?” is sometimes the only way to react to the news of today. Defined by Merriam-Webster as an interjection that’s “used to express surprise, disbelief, or confusion, or as an inquiry inviting affirmative reply”, “huh” or “huh?” can mean a lot of different things.
Despite some of the follies of human evolution (see: Another freaking Snapchat), the development and growth of “huh” is something we should embrace. To be the change we want to see in the world, here are a few moments from last night’s action at UFC Mexico City that made us go “huh?”.
4. Jordan Rinaldi gets win with fourth ever Von Flue choke in UFC history
The first fight of the card, opening up UFC Mexico City on UFC Fight Pass, featured the fourth ever Von Flue choke in the promotion’s history. Huh?
Early in round one, lightweight contender Jordan Rinaldi submitted Alvaro Herrera with the rare choke, after an early guillotine attempt from Herrera went awry. Holding Rinaldi’s head underneath his left arm for far too long, Rinaldi was able to use the cage to his advantage and rebound from his loss to Abel Trujillo in his UFC debut last year, moving his record to 1-1 in the promotion.
Originally showcased to the masses by Jason Von Flue at UFC Fight Night 3 in January of 2006, the Von Flue choke has hit a resurgence in 2017. Light heavyweight contender Ovince Saint Preux secured his second career Von Flue choke in April of this year, submitting Marcos Rogerio de Lima in the second round. Rinaldi now joins Von Flue and Saint Preux in the club, and has some momentum to build upon following his first win in the UFC.
3. Diego Rivas returns to the Octagon after defeating cancer
Fighting for the first time in 18 months, after discovering he had testicular cancer, and then defeating it, Diego Rivas’ made his return to the Octagon at UFC Mexico City. Huh.
Diagnosed following his flying-knee knockout victory over Noad Lahat in February of 2016, Rivas’ life drastically changed. The 7-0 prospect and former competitor on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America questioned not only whether or not he would fight again, but how much longer he would live.
“It’s very hard to put into words,” Rivas told UFC.com‘s Thomas Gerbasi about the diagnosis. “I was shocked, obviously. Really, I had no immediate reaction. After the news settled in with me, I thought that my career was over. I thought nothing else was possible after my diagnosis, especially competing as an athlete. Honestly, I thought I was going to die.” – via MMA Junkie
Although the return could’ve gone better, as Rivas lost a unanimous decision to Jose Alberto Quinonez at UFC Mexico City, the Chilean still looked game. Making his bantamweight debut, Rivas will be back in the Octagon soon enough. Now that he’s overcome cancer, rebounding from the loss to Quinonez will be a walk in the park.
2. Dustin Ortiz earns fastest finish in UFC flyweight history
Taking on one of the division’s rising prospects at UFC Mexico City, promotion veteran Dustin Ortiz secured the fastest finish in UFC flyweight history. Huh?
Flyweights are boring! UFC President Dana White said so! Apparently Ortiz wasn’t paying attention to his boss’ recent thoughts on the promotion’s 125-pound division. Knocking-out prospect Hector Sandoval in 15 seconds on Saturday night, Ortiz rebounded from his April loss to UFC Mexico City headliner Brandon Moreno in record-breaking fashion. In the first flurry of the fight, Ortiz landed a heavy right that dropped Sandoval, requiring a few follow-up strikes to earn the quick win.
Ranked in the top-15 in the UFC official flyweight rankings going into the fight, Ortiz will now be looking toward a top-10 bout after winning two of his last three fights at 125-pounds. You can check out the entire fight below.
If you missed the Ortiz-Sandoval match, don't worry…here's the entire fight! Fastest KO in UFC flyweight history! https://t.co/2tDvCoks0W
Although it may not have received much notoriety in the build-up to the card, UFC Mexico City was extremely entertaining. Featuring more than a few first-round finishes, some upsets, some records being broken, rare submissions, and heartwarming stories, UFC Mexico City exceeded expectations. Huh.
