Another card, another batch of winners and losers. As we get through the weekend of fights, let’s reflect on their performances and see what’s next for UFC Rochester winners and losers!
UFC Rochester has come and gone and we were blessed with a fantastic night of fights. With several fan favorites on the card, everyone was excited to see what UFC Rochester would bring for us. Now that the fights have come and gone, let’s see what is next for the fighters on the card.
Davi Ramos Thwarts Austin Hubbard’s UFC Debut
After watching Austin Hubbard’s cardio in his last fight at LFA, his gameplan was obvious. Outlast his opponent and win in the later rounds. Hubbard took the fight with Davi Ramos on short notice to get his foot in the door in the UFC. Ramos was having none of his game. With constant shots and several takedowns, Ramos dominated the fight. Hubbard was tough but was very obvious Ramos was too much for the LFA veteran. Ramos is now riding four straight wins, with the Hubbard fight being the only one to go to decision. Ramos will be within striking distance of a ranked opponent with one more victory.
Hubbard’s tenacity showed in the fight for sure. He ate shots most men couldn’t. While the outcome wasn’t what he was looking for, “Thud” Hubbard is now a bonafide UFC fighter. With a more appropriate fight in his future, Hubbard will benefit from fighting such a tough opponent and has a bright future in the UFC ahead of him.
Next Opponent for Davi Ramos: Nik Lentz, Francisco Trinaldo
Next Opponent for Austin Hubbard: Charles Jourdain, Devin Powell
Charles Oliveira and Nik Lentz Bang it Out for a Third Time
Unfortunately for Nik Lentz, Charles Oliveira is evolving as a fighter. In his last couple of fights, Oliveira has shown leaps and bounds of improvement in his striking. Last night, Lentz was the victim of Oliveira’s first UFC knockout. Oliveira fights a lot. At only 29 years of age, he has 24 fights in the UFC, 15 wins, and 14 finishes. Oliveira is a killer who is on a five-fight win streak, the longest since he was handed his first ever loss. In a stacked lightweight division, there are plenty of insane fights to be made for Oliveira.
It’s back to the drawing board for Lentz. The third time was not the charm when it came to fighting Oliviera. While he didn’t look terrible in the fight, Oliveira just had answers for anything Nik Lentz brought to the table at UFC Rochester. While “The Carny’s” best days are behind him, he’s far from being done in the UFC. As an exciting fighter, there are still plenty of fights to be made for Lentz.
Next Opponent for Charles Oliveira: Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta
Next Opponent for Nik Lentz: Gilbert Burns, Jim Miller
Vicente Luque Survives Derrick Krantz’s Early Onslaught
Vicente Luque came into UFC Rochester riding four straight wins in the welterweight division. Originally slated to face Neil Magny, Magny pulled out due to a USADA violation. Enter LFA veteran Derrick Krantz. The short-notice fight was a dream come true for Krantz. He came out guns blazing. He had Luque hurt early on in the first round. But Luque survived the carpet bombing from Krantz and managed to get up. In the end, Luque’s striking was just too much for Derrick Krantz. He got the first round finish and kept his win streak alive.
As for Krantz, he came out looking fantastic. Almost finishing one of the better welterweights definitely put stock in his name and assured the UFC that he belonged in the promotion. As seen on the Lookin’ for a Fight episode, Dana was apprehensive on signing Krantz because of his age. He was invited to the Contender Series but with the pull-out, Krantz got in the easy way. His next opponent will be shaking in his gloves having to fight such an experienced prospect.
Next Opponent for Vicente Luque: Neil Magny, Gunnar Nelson
Next Opponent for Derrick Krantz: Rick Story, Muslim Salikhov
Felicia Spencer Notches HUGE Win in UFC Debut
Not many people gave Felicia Spencer, the former Invicta champ, much of a chance coming into her fight with Megan Anderson. Megan is a fan-favorite and people thought her length would be enough to keep Spencer at bay. They were wrong. Spencer ate a couple of tough shots, but all in all, did a fantastic job of keeping composure, getting the fight to the ground where she was the better fighter, and securing the finish. A first-round finish is everything you want in a UFC debut. Especially against an opponent like Anderson. Spencer has some big opportunities coming her way.
Anderson hasn’t had the UFC stint she’s wanted. She lost her debut to Holly Holm. After poking Cat Zingano in the eye with a kick, she notched her first win in December. Now, she is in the loss column again. Anderson showed her striking off a bit in the beginning, catching Spencer with some shots. Her grappling was her downfall. Anderson will need a couple wins to get a shot at the ever-elusive UFC gold.
Next Opponent for Felicia Spencer: Cris Cyborg, Cat Zingano
Next Opponent for Megan Anderson: Yana Kunitskaya, Leah Letson
Ian Heinisch’s Shows Off Gas Tank in Scrap with Carlos Junior
Ian Heinisch, the Contender Series vet, came into the fight taking on his first ranked opponent in the UFC. After a rough first round, Heinisch settled in and got the striking and wrestling going against Antonio Carlos Junior. While he was not perfect on the night, even in the rounds he won, he showed he is a top contender in the middleweight division. His ground and pound and relentless pressure was his advantage over Carlos Junior. His grit got him the victory. Heinish will likely get a top ten opponent next.
Antonio Carlos Junior will be sent back to the drawing board. He looked like had Heinisch outmatched early in the fight, getting to the ground with ease. Unfortunately, his gas tank wasn’t up to par with Heinisch’s and he faded, giving Ian the advantage. While Antonio Carlos Junior is still elite, he will need a rebound quick to get him back on track for his career.
Next Opponent for Ian Heinisch: Jared Cannonier, Derek Brunson
Next Opponent for Antonio Carlos Junior: David Branch, Elias Theodorou
Rafael dos Anjos Finally Beats a Wrestler
It’s no secret Rafael dos Anjos struggles against wrestlers. With losses to Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, Eddie Alvarez, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Clay Guida, dos Anjos has never had luck with a wrestler. Kevin Lee is a wrestler. Luckily for dos Anjos, he managed to fight his fight here and go where he wanted most of the fight. With his black belt in Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu, he managed to get the finish late in round four, where his team wanted the fight over with. Dos Anjos ends his two-fight skid and is back on the upward trajectory.
Sadly for Kevin Lee, his welterweight debut didn’t go as planned. We saw how hard the loss was on him in his Instagram post:
The good news for Kevin Lee is he looked great at UFC Rochester. His size was sufficient and he was very crisp on his striking as well. He gave dos Anjos some problems early on. I still think Kevin Lee will do well at welterweight. He just bit off more than he can chew against the seasoned vet dos Anjos.
Next Opponent for Rafael Dos Anjos: Tyron Woodley, Stephen Thompson
Next Opponent for Kevin Lee: Darren Till, Leon Edwards
