Among those winners was Derrick Lewis, who picked up an early Knockout of the Year candidate against Curtis Blaydes. In doing so, he appeared to injure his right hand and will need a clear x-ray or will face six months on the shelf. In that same boat are winners Chris Daukaus and John Castaneda. Both men picked up first round finishes of their respective opponents and both, like Lewis, appear to have damage to their right hands as a result.

Among other notable suspensions was a fighter who never actually stepped into the cage. Jamall Emmers was handed a medical suspension due to the back spasms that kept him from making the walk against Chas Skelly. He faces 180 days off, but can be cleared earlier by an MRI of his lumbar.

Full list of suspensions:

Derrick Lewis – 180 days or until clear x-ray of right hand and wrist
Curtis Blaydes – 60 days
Ketlen Vieira – 45 days
Derrick Minner – 21 days
Charles Rosa – 180 days or until clear x-ray of right hand
Chris Daukaus – 180 days or until clear x-ray of right hand
Aleksei Olenik – 45 days
Phil Hawes – 30 days
Nassourdine Imavov – 30 days
Tom Aspinall – 30 days
Andrei Arlovski  180 days or until clear x-ray of right foot
Jared Gordon – 30 days
Danny Chavez – 180 days or until clear x-ray of right foot
John Castaneda – 180 days or until clear x-ray of right hand
Eddie Wineland – 45 days
Nate Landwehr 180 days or until clear x-ray of nose
Casey O’Neill – 30 days
Shana Dobson – 180 days or until left eye is cleared by ophthalmologist
Jamall Emmers – 180 days or until cleared by MRI of lumbar
Drako Rodriguez – 60 days
Sergey Spivak – 21 days
Jared Vanderaa – 180 days or until nasal bone fracture is cleared by ear, nose and throat doctor

Suspensions originally reported by Kirik Jenness. 

The post UFC Vegas 19 Medical Suspensions: Broken Hands Abound appeared first on Cageside Press.

Derrick Lewis

Before defeating Blaydes this past weekend, Lewis was ranked number four in the heavyweight division. He said after his fight that he would like to feature in a three-round fight in his next fight. He also suggested a match-up with the recently defeated Alistair Overeem. That is seemingly impossible as his next match-up will likely be against the winner of Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou, or Jon Jones. Miocic and Ngannou will be fighting in late March meaning that unless Lewis wants to wait until the end of the year he will probably be taking another fight before getting his title shot. That leaves Lewis with the option of welcoming Jon Jones to the heavyweight division. Of course, this only works if Jones isn’t gifted the immediate title shot.

Lewis’ next fight: Jon Jones

Yana Kunitskaya

Yana Kunitskaya won a unanimous decision this past weekend over Ketlen Vieira. Kunitskaya came into this fight ranked number seven in the division with Vieira ranked number six. Meaning her win over Vieira will likely not push her crazy far in the division and she is probably not next in line for a title shot. Irene Aldana would be a perfect opponent for Kunitskaya’s next fight. Aldana is ranked number four in the division and is coming off a decision loss to Holly Holm in October. Aldana also has a win over Ketlen Vieira right before her loss to Holm. That fight will be a great striking match-up as both women have 50% of their wins by way of knockout.

Kunitskaya’s next fight: Irene Aldana 

Darrick Minner

Darrick Minner dominated Charles Rosa for their whole fight at UFC Vegas 19. That win brings Minner to 2-1 in the UFC. He currently has an overall record of 26 wins and 11 losses. With 22 of those 26 wins coming by submission, impressively. Minner should be looking to climb the ranks by fighting more up-and-coming stars in the featherweight division. Lerone Murphy would fit that bill perfectly. Murphy is 2-0-1 in the UFC and is 10-0-1 in his professional MMA career. Murphy is a much better striker than he is a grappler so it is going to be a completely different fight than Minner versus Rosa.

Minner’s next fight: Lerone Murphy 

Chris Daukaus vs. Tom Aspinall

After Tom Aspinall’s second-round submission victory over Andrei Arlovski, he called out the winner of Chris Daukaus and Aleksei Oleinik, which was to take place just a few fights after. Chris Daukaus would win that fight by knocking out Oleinik in the first round. It would be great for these two guys to get some more wins and possibly meet up one day once they are both in the top 15. On the other hand, there is no time better than the present. Both of these men are rising in popularity and both just beat great veterans on the same card. If both men want this fight, it seems like a no brainer to book next.

Phil Hawes

Phil Hawes won a majority decision over Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Vegas 19. Hawes easily won the first two rounds but lost the final frame. Badly, with one judge even scoring the last round 10-8 for Imavov. Hawes showcased great wrestling and clinch work in this fight. Tafon Nchukwi seems like he would be the perfect opponent for Hawes’ next fight. Both men are somewhat undersized in the middleweight division. Both men have great power in their hands. With Hawes finishing seven out of his ten wins by knockout and Nchukwi finishing four of his five wins by knockout, they could produce fireworks. Both men are also new to the UFC and have won their contracts on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Hawes’ next fight: Tafon Nchukwi 

The post What’s Next: UFC Vegas 19 Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

Curtis Blaydes

After a vicious knockout loss to Derrick Lewis, Curtis Blaydes finds himself in an awkward spot in the division. With wins over Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov (sitting at #6 and #7 respectively in the rankings), he shouldn’t be fighting too far down the chain. However, with losses to Francis Ngannou and now Lewis, he isn’t really in a contender’s spot either. This leaves him with few choices that fit right in that sweet spot and aren’t an unnecessary rematch. Two fighters who fit in that range just happen to be squaring off this weekend in Jair Rozenstruik and Cyril Gane. Either of those two would work for Blaydes’ next step, but given that the winner will likely be looking at a big match-up, Blaydes should get the loser.

Curtis Blaydes’ Next Fight: Rozenstruik/Gane loser

https://twitter.com/KrayT1to/status/1363575693406257159

Ketlen Vieira

Ketlen Vieira did a solid job of scoring takedowns and top control time this past weekend. However, she landed very little in terms of strikes and didn’t do much significant in the grappling department either. The loss, her second in just three fights, puts her in a must-win spot if her dreams of contending for that title are ever going to come to fruition. A good option for her next would be Pannie Kianzad. Kianzad does a good job of pushing the action and would be an interesting physical match for Vieira to try to solve as well.

Ketlen Vieira’s Next Fight: Pannie Kianzad

Charles Rosa

With the loss to Darrick Minner this past weekend, Rosa has now alternated wins and losses for his entire nine-fight UFC career. The lack of consistency has not been the biggest issue with this trend though, but rather the tendency for the black belt to get outworked on the ground in the most recent losses. A nice test for him next would be a talented striker with decent takedown defense to see if he can make that streak continue to ten fights. Rick Glenn had his comeback fight scratched at the end of 2020. If he’s back and ready to go, he would fit the bill.

Charles Rosa’s Next Fight: Rick Glenn

Aleksei Oleinik

With an ever growing number of fights on his resume, Oleinik has nothing else to prove. The 43-year old has now lost two in a row and is likely on the verge of retirement. Rather than roll out the prospects to let them try to build their name on the submission specialist, why not give him some fun fights? Andrei Arlovski has a similar ridiculous record and faced a setback to a prospect Saturday as well. With 125 fights between the two of them, it’s almost absurd that they haven’t fought each other yet. While not the most meaningful of fights, it would be one I’d tune in for.

Aleksei Oleinik’s Next Fight: Andrei Arlovski

Nassourdine Imavov

While taking a loss to Phil Hawes, Imavov clearly did more damage. In the third round he had Hawes on skates more than once and, if not for a clinch, was working to finish the fight. Still, his lack of activity early on and the wrestling of Hawes proved to be too much for him. In his next bout, he should look for another athletic middleweight who can push him into action earlier on to see if he learned from the slow start. Dusko Todorovic comes out quick and is similarly looking to rebound for a loss.

Nassourdine Imavov’s Next Fight: Dusko Todorovic

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In the past few years, the UFC’s heavyweight division has seen a generational change.

Since Stipe Miocic first won the heavyweight title in 2016, the old guard of top contenders in the division have been replaced with fresher faces. Gone, or at least out of contention, are Junior dos Santos, Mark Hunt, Fabricio Werdum, Daniel Cormier, Alistair Overeem, Andrei Arlovski, Travis Browne, Cain Velasquez, and a smattering of others. Those familiar names have been replaced slowly but surely with newer, younger fighters (a trio of those, Sergey Spivak, Tom Aspinall, and Chris Daukaus, won big on Saturday). While this is a natural process in combat sports, it’s been especially noticeable in the heavyweight division of late.

The main event last night at the UFC Apex saw one of the freshest clashes of this younger generation when Derrick Lewis took on Curtis Blaydes. In a very real way, the fight captured this generational shift, as this was the second consecutive heavyweight main event in which a fight that could be viewed as a title-eliminator didn’t feature a former champion. Two weeks prior, it was Alexander Volkov getting his hand raised. Saturday it was Lewis. And of course, less than a year ago, there was Francis Ngannou vs. Jair Rozenstruik. A fight which landed Ngannou his second shot at Miocic.

The establishment of this trend wasn’t the only talking point to come out of UFC Vegas 19. The main event saw a stunning performance by underdog Derrick Lewis, who secured a second round knockout win over highly touted prospect Curtis Blaydes. There’s no question the fight was an important one. Lewis and Blaydes were on three and four-fight winning streaks, respectively. However, while Blaydes was coming off wins over Justin Wills and Alexander Volkov, Lewis’ last few victories had lacked anything close to a highly ranked opponent. That changed Saturday — but the fact remains that Curtis Blaydes is the only top-ranked fighter on Lewis’ current win streak.

Perhaps that’s why Lewis himself appears so dismissive of his own chances at securing a title fight.

Next up for the promotion is UFC Vegas 20, featuring the third of three heavyweight main events this month. Next week’s headliner will see American Top Team product Jairzinho Rozenstruik take on the undefeated Ciryl Gane. The two are coming off wins over the man Lewis last lost to, Junior dos Santos. The fight offers the perfect opportunity for either to make a statement of their own.

Dos Santos may not be the dangerous top contender that he once was, but his name continues to carry considerable value. Sure, Rozenstruick lost a lot of stock when he suffered a first-round knockout defeat against Ngannou back in May. But Gane has a lot going for him heading into the fight. He’s been on a roll since entering the company back in 2018, having already secured four wins. If either fighter manages to impress the audience with their performance next Saturday, then it wouldn’t be surprising to see them clash against Lewis.

After all, there are more factors at play when it comes to heavyweight title shots in the UFC. The most impressive win or highest ranking, frankly, is only part of the equation.

Overall, the heavyweight division is undergoing a transformation not seen in years. So it shouldn’t come as a shock to see fighters having to put up considerable winning streaks, and still be a win or two away from being considered for the title— as understandably “eye-rolling” as it may be for many in the division. As Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou get ready for their rematch, it should give enough time for Lewis, known for not taking big breaks, to lock horns against someone new, and thus a lot depends on what happens next week. And even then, there’s the specter of Jon Jones, whose arrival in the division may halt the title race in its tracks.

In years gone by, Lewis’ victory Saturday might have leap-frogged him into a title shot. Frankly, that was the case the first time around for “The Black Beast,” when a knockout of Alexander Volkov in the dying seconds of their UFC 229 fight, and a hot post-fight interview, secured him a shot against Daniel Cormier. But in 2021, the heavyweight division looks vastly different, which a steeper climb to the title. Just ask Curtis Blaydes.

The post UFC: Has Derrick Lewis Secured a Shot at Heavyweight Gold? appeared first on Cageside Press.

Saturday’s card featured four fights in the heavyweight division, and by the end of the night, three of them featured in the post-fight bonuses. There was little surprise there, given some of the big finishes in those fights.

Really, maybe the only surprise was the lack of a Fight of the Night. Darrick Minner vs. Charles Rosa seemed like it had a chance — but in the end, the promotion opted to reward four individual performances instead.

No surprise at all, Derrick Lewis was among the Performance of the Night bonus winners. His uppercut knockout of Curtis Blaydes in the second round of their main event showdown will live on via highlight reels for years to come. Lewis, now with 20 knockouts in his professional career, caught Blaydes changing levels for a takedown with a perfectly timed punch. Blaydes went stiff as a board, and ate two more heavy blows while asleep on the canvas before ref Herb Dean jumped in to make the save.

Heavyweight up-and-comers Chris Daukaus and Tom Aspinall will also see their bank accounts grow after UFC Vegas 19. Aspinall was up against ex-champ Andrei Arlovski on Saturday, in a youth versus experience match-up. Youth won. While Arlovski weathered an early storm in the opening round, and battled back to land a few heavy strikes of his own, the second round was a different story. Aspinall quickly powered into a double-leg takedown, took the back, and caught the Belarusian fighter in a rear-naked choke, forcing the tap.

Daukaus, meanwhile, avoided the takedowns and submissions of Aleksei Oleinik, and battered him along the fence to earn a TKO finish.

The only one of Saturday’s four Performance of the Night bonuses to not go to a heavyweight went to Aiemann Zahabi. The Canadian bantamweight landed a perfectly placed right hand on opponent Drako Rodriguez, ending his night early.

All four fighters will take home an extra $50,000 for their efforts.

The post UFC Vegas 19 Bonuses: Heavyweights Clean Up appeared first on Cageside Press.

One name that has been constant and consistent at the top of the UFC heavyweight division, whether the fans like it or not, is Curtis Blaydes. With each win, Blaydes inched closer to reaching the pinnacle of the sport and challenging for UFC gold. It’s an opportunity that seemed to have been delayed back in 2018 with his second loss to Francis N’Gannou, the man who appears to be Blaydes’ kryptonite. But in the years since, Blaydes seemingly put it all together, sharpening his striking while still relying primarily on his smothering wrestling.

Derrick Lewis had a taste of challenging for the heavyweight strap at UFC 230 in 2018. While a second chance at the title remains distant for Lewis, the bitter taste of defeat to Daniel Cormier in 2018 would no doubt motivate Lewis to push a little harder Saturday.

One man was going to at least be in the title conversation, even as a runner up to Jon Jones.

The power of Derrick Lewis is scarily dangerous. That’s a given in any fight. At UFC Vegas 19, it was on display once again. Blaydes looked to secure a takedown early in the second round, but a perfectly timed upper cut connected and with that devastating power Lewis has in his hands, the heavyweight main event ended early. Lewis will look to wait and see how the championship picture plays out between Stipe Miocic, Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, but there is no denying that Derrick Lewis remains a threat to whoever holds the title. And whoever stands opposite him.

The Pro Take

Here’s the pros’ take on what was a colossal main event between “The Black Beast” Derrick Lewis and Curtis “Razor” Blaydes.

Bring out the big boys!! #UFCVegas19

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) February 21, 2021

Derrick Lewis brought the heat 🔥👊 #UFCVegas19

— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) February 21, 2021

The Black Beast!!!!!! @Thebeast_ufc has the most power ever

— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) February 21, 2021

Whoa @Thebeast_ufc never doubted #UFCFightNight

— Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) February 21, 2021

Curtis went straight into this one👀, after all the setup he did.#UFCVegas19

— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) February 21, 2021

Man I swear . Derrick Lewis power is unmatched . Dude sits down and puts you to sleep! Shesssssh #UFCVegas19

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) February 21, 2021

Slip into slap then took a nap. Beautiful KO! @Thebeast_ufc @ufc #UFCVegas19

— Julia Avila (@RagingPandaMMA) February 21, 2021

https://twitter.com/blondefighter/status/1363337740549558274?s=20

Wow boom 💥

— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) February 21, 2021

What a shot!!!!!! #UFCVegas19

— JIMI MANUWA (@POSTERBOYJM) February 21, 2021

Man that promo was weak, c'mon Derrick you let us down.

— Funky 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@Benaskren) February 21, 2021

I didn’t give Derrick Lewis much of a chance in this fight but daaaamn he proved me wrong!

— Matt Brown (@IamTheImmortal) February 21, 2021

Black beast is a cheat code #ufcvegas19

— U R I A H H A L L (@UriahHallMMA) February 21, 2021

Michael @bisping was all of us when Derrick Lewis produced that insane KO! 😱#UFCVegas19 pic.twitter.com/wgi46sLVzA

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) February 21, 2021

The post The Pro Take: Derrick Lewis’ Uppercut Draws Quite the Reaction appeared first on Cageside Press.

Of course, anything can happen in MMA, and the pandemic era was just as much the era of opportunity. A Jones injury, or any number of other circumstances, could change things overnight. And even with the stakes unclear, Blaydes vs. Lewis promised to be an interesting clash of styles.

Blaydes opened the affair with a leg kick, landing it. But Lewis answered with a number of punches that sent Blaydes retreating. Safe to say, that wasn’t an enjoyable experience for Curtis Blaydes. He regrouped, and put Lewis’s back on the fence, pumping his jab. Lewis fired a high kick that forced Blaydes back. But in the next exchange, with Lewis swinging wild, it was Blaydes landing a solid punch. And the leg kicks, which Blaydes had opened with and continued to use off and on throughout the round, were finding the mark. Late in the round, a knee, and an elbow, sent Lewis reeling, covering up.

Round two saw Blaydes come out swinging hard, then transitioning to a takedown — which Lewis defended expertly. Later, Blaydes would duck down for another shot — which Lewis timed perfectly. An uppercut from “The Black Beast” connected flush on the chin, and Blaydes went stiff as a board. A couple nasty follow-up strikes landed on the downed Blaydes before the ref could make the save.

OMG!!! 💥@TheBeast_UFC does it again! #UFCVegas19 pic.twitter.com/hUpgHRGgFS

— UFC (@ufc) February 21, 2021

The win for Lewis marks his 20th knockout, and shakes things up a bit at the top of the heavyweight division. While a title shot might not be next, the KO of Blaydes was absolutely a statement win — and a reminder that Lewis can knock out anyone.

Official Result: Derrick Lewis def. Curtis Blaydes by knockout, Round 2, 1:26

The post UFC Vegas 19 Results: Derrick Lewis Lands Highlight Reel Uppercut on Blaydes appeared first on Cageside Press.

From the outset of Saturday’s co-main event, Vieira’s game plan was clear: get the fight to the ground. Ketlen immediately pursued a takedown out of the gate. Kunitskaya fought it off, and the pair battled in the clinch, Kunitskaya working in some knees and reversing. But with half the round still ahead, Vieira finally managed to put the former Invicta FC champ on her back. Brazil’s Vieira came close to passing to mount, but Kunitskaya trapped her in half guard. The rest of the frame would play out on the ground, with Vieira far more comfortable and in control.

When the pair went to the ground early in the second, after a clinch, it was Kunitskaya landing on top. A much better spot to be in, but Vieira stayed busy on bottom. Kunitskaya worked from guard, while avoiding submission attempts and traps. Her corner urged her to stay heavy, and that is exactly what Yana Kunitskaya did. But after Vieira briefly trapped a leg, she was able to escape up, with the pair going back at it in a clinch. Again, off a Vieira-initiated takedown, Kunitskaya was in control. They were quickly back up, then down again, Kunitskaya still on top, landing knees to the body.

Heading into the third, it was likely even. Vieira landed an early takedown, planting Kunitskaya on her back. Vieira worked to pass guard, with Kunitskaya just barely keeping her in half-guard. The Russian would spend most of the round fending off Vieira, with the Brazilian taking her back and getting hooks in later in the frame. After the scare that was the second round, Vieira’s control in the third appeared to have salvaged the victory for her. Kunitskaya reversed late, however, finishing on top with heavy blows that did some serious damage. And that appeared to be the difference maker.

Heavy shots in the last few seconds of RD 3️⃣!

Who will take the W? #UFCVegas19 pic.twitter.com/3TtEfOkigC

— UFC (@ufc) February 21, 2021

The striking of Kunitskaya proved more effective in the end — giving her a unanimous decision win. The story of the fight was clearly written on Vieira’s face after the bout.

Official Result: Yana Kunitskaya def. Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29)

The post UFC Vegas 19 Results: Striking Trumps Grappling as Kunitskaya Gets by Vieira appeared first on Cageside Press.

In the end, it was Minner getting the last word on Saturday.

Minner opened the bout with a leg kick then worked into the clinch and landed a knee. Rosa fired back with a pair of leg kicks, but undeterred, Minner kept moving forward. Rosa went for a body kick but Minner caught the leg and converted it to a take down. Minner then looked for the choke, when it wasn’t to be had, he went for ground and pound. Rosa tried to tie him up and was able to get Minner back into his guard.

After a scramble — there were plenty of those in this main card bout — Minner worked to take the back of Rosa, but Rosa used the cage to cut off the attempt. Minner got there eventually however, then moved to mount. Rosa was again able to get Minner back into his guard, halting his progress. Another scramble saw Rosa get into a position where he looked for a leg lock but Minner was able to defend as the round came to a close.

Relentless pace in RD 1 from these two! ⚡️

[ The main card continues live on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/eZW45OZETr

— UFC (@ufc) February 21, 2021

Minner got off first in the second with a leg kick and a pair of strikes. Rosa fired back but Minner landed three hard right hands that sent Rosa to the ground. Minner dove in and looked for the submission, then secured the mount and tried to land strikes. Slowly recovering, Rosa was able to hold on and prevent further damage. Minner broke free and both men spun with Minner taking Rosa’a back again for a moment. Rosa spun again and looked for the triangle from bottom. Minner defended then worked into side control then to Rosa’s back. Rosa was able to get to his feet then fell back into Minner to try and break the hold but — Minner held on and worked for the choke. Rosa was able to defend and break free and went for an armbar to close out the second round.

Lots of fun grappling, plus the knockdown in the second, was making for a fun bout. With definite bonus potential. In the third, Rosa clipped Minner with a right, but Minner kept moving forward and landed the take down. Minner worked from side control then to Rosa’s back. Rosa spun then was able to get back to his feet, only for Minner to stay with him. Minner eventually dragged him back to the mat. Rosa, from bottom, went for a Kimura attempt but Minner escaped then went back to work on improving his position. Rosa kept attacking from the bottom and worked into an armbar then a possible omoplata, but Minner remained calm and escaped into a north- south position. One benefit for Minner, he had spent plenty of time right in front of his corner and coach James Krause. Rosa escaped again but gave up his back, Minner looked to lock in the hooks as time wound down but Rosa was able to avoid his attempts, and finished the round landing strikes in a futile effort. Minner easily had the win.

Official Result: Darrick Minner def. Charles Rosa by Unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)

The post UFC Vegas 19 Results: Darrick Minner Gets Last Word Against Charles Rosa appeared first on Cageside Press.

The other related storyline was one of youth vs. experience, also a key component of several bouts on the card, including Andrei Arlovski vs. Tom Aspinall, and of course Oleinik vs. Daukaus.

Youth appeared to have the edge on Saturday. After a few exchanges on the feet, Chris Daukaus got his third win in the UFC with another finish over veteran submission expert Aleksei Oleinik. Oleinik looked to drag his opponent down early, perhaps for his famed Ezekiel choke. It wasn’t there. Instead, Daukaus landed a quick right hand which looked to hurt Oleinik. Daukaus swarmed “The Boa Constrictor,” finding a home for his punches. As Oleinik was pressed with his back up against the cage, all he could do was cover up, only to be saved by Herb Dean. The end came early in the first round, with little in the way of offense for Oleinik.

The sky is the limit for Chris Daukaus inside the UFC heavyweight division. With Oleinik holding the number 10 ranking at heavyweight, it stands to reason that Daukuas will have a number next to his name in the days to come.

POURING IT ON! 💥@ChrisDaukausMMA gets an early TKO victory in RD 1! #UFCVegas19 pic.twitter.com/V96QbLmwlr

— UFC (@ufc) February 21, 2021

Official Result: Chris Daukaus def. Aleksei Oleinik by TKO, Round 1, 1:55

The post UFC Vegas 19 Results: Chris Daukaus Makes Short Work of Aleksei Oleinik appeared first on Cageside Press.