Two debuting strawweights were on the main card at UFC Vegas 22 on Saturday. Cheyanne Buys, debuting inside the octagon on the same night as husband JP, was up against fellow newcomer Montserrat Ruiz.
Ruiz, for her part, had taken the bout on short notice, stepping up to replace fellow Invicta FC alum Kay Hansen. She’d promised a war coming in. That was accurate. Out of the gate, the pair traded some serious punches, each looking to establish dominance early. When they went to the ground, it was Ruiz, a.k.a. “Conejo,” moving to side control, and locking on a head lock. Buys scrambled and tried to pull free, but to no avail. Ruiz’s background as a wrestler was clearly giving her an edge on the ground. Ruiz managed to trap an arm, though she wasn’t able to come close to finishing her opponent.
Round two saw another quick start, and it was Buys bringing the fight. Knowing she was down a round likely motivated that, but she’d need to avoid winding up back on the canvas. Buys settled down, landing a solid right hand. In a clinch, Buys landed a takedown that backfired, with Ruiz once again locking in a front headlock. Ruiz was able to land some short punches this time, though nothing with particular power. Buys escaped, and after another grappling exchange the pair went back down. On this occasion, Buys landed on top, getting to mount, which allowed her to drop a bit of ground and pound prior to the round’s end.
Round three saw more of a kickboxing battle, with Buys going to the body with her kicks, and trying to punch her way inside. She needed a finish, however, after being dominated on the ground through the first two rounds. However, Buys couldn’t stay standing in the end. She’d finish the fight on her back, hoping for a Hail Mary submission that wouldn’t come, with no answer to the smothering wrestling of Montseratt “Conejo” Ruiz.
“Conejo” had a little something to say at that point as the fight came to a close. Buys showed her frustration after the bell, flipping her opponent the bird as Ruiz did likewise, before cooler heads prevailed.
The underdog takes it!
🇲🇽 @ConejoMad dominates on the ground en route to the UD. #UFCVegas22 pic.twitter.com/9LGgecmTDv
— UFC (@ufc) March 21, 2021
Official Result: Montserrat Ruiz def. Cheyanne Buys by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
