As far as UFC Vegas 29 goes, it’s something of a shame that the card was as under the radar as it was. Coming in the wake of UFC 263 and with little in way of star power outside headliner The Korean Zombie and main card opener Matt Brown, the ESPN event barely registered as more than a blip with fight fans.
Yet as is often the case with overlooked UFC events, UFC Vegas 29 punched above its weight class. A number of exciting finishes and a couple of barn-burners that went the distance made the show far more entertaining than it looked on paper.
One of those aforementioned barn-burners scooped up Fight of the Night honors. In a rematch of their 2016 meeting, which Grant won, Marlon Vera and Davey Grant got into a three-round bloodbath Saturday night. Both gave as good as they got, but it was a Vera elbow opening up a nasty cut on Grant that seemed to shift momentum. While Grant would continue to have his moments, he appeared outclassed on the ground, and although things were more even on the feet, Vera’s elbows and knees gave him the edge he needed to take home the victory in the end.
Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Vegas 29 went to Matt Brown and Seung Woo Choi. Brown, opening up the main card against Dhiego Lima, absolutely flattened the Brazilian in the second round. The walk-off KO came care of a right hand in a fight that had been close, but was arguably leaning in favor of Lima to that point. At 40, Brown is starting to live up to his “The Immortal” nickname.
Choi, meanwhile, made quick work of Julian Erosa, needing just 97 seconds to score a TKO win over “Juicy J.” The loss was Erosa’s first since returning to the UFC last year. For his part, extended his win streak to three.
All four bonus-winning fighters will see an extra $50,000 for their efforts.
