With UFC Vegas 116 now in the books, let’s look at what’s next for the winners.

Aljamain Sterling

Aljamain Sterling gave Youssef Zalal a “welcome to the big leagues” moment as he muscled the overmatched Moroccan around for most of the 25 minutes in the UFC Vegas 116 main event. While Sterling is now on a win streak, it’s nearly impossible to see him earn a title shot off of this performance. Not only does he have a loss to current number one contender Movsar Evloev, but the UFC has not shown a real interest in being in the Aljamain Sterling business in a long time. For that reason, I believe he’ll draw another tough matchup against another younger, up-and-coming featherweight contender like Aaron Pico.

Sterling’s next fight: Aaron Pico

Joselyne Edwards

After coming into the promotion at just 25 years old and starting her UFC career 1-2, the now 30-year-old Joselyne Edwards now finds herself on a 5-fight win streak, having just beaten s streaking Norma Dumont. Edwards’ game really appears to be coming together nicely. She came into this fight riding a four-fight finishing streak. Who knows how the title picture will look at bantamweight with the Kayle Harrison and Amanda Nunes matchup not even rescheduled yet, but Edwards has now earned herself a title shot.

Edwards’ next fight: Title shot

Rafa Garcia

The Mexican has had won consecutive bouts twice in the UFC, but with Saturday’s win, he now has his first three-fight win streak. The lightweight division is a shark tank even for the unranked, which is why Garcia isn’t out of the woods yet. There are multiple names the UFC could throw at him, but I landed on Mason Jones, who is also on a three-fight heater since joining the UFC again.

Garcia’s next fight: Mason Jones

Davey Grant

Even at 40 years of age, Davey Grant proves to still be a real tough out for anyone. This time around he defeated Adrian Luna Martinetti, who was one half of last year’s Fight of the Year contender with Mark Vologdin. Any unranked bantamweight could be thrown at Grant and it would make sense, but an option that I am particularly fond of is Serhiy Sidey. Grant would serve as a good test for the 29-year-old Canadian, but I also have no doubt that Sidey would make sure to pull his weight to contribute to the action quotient in that clash.

Grant’s next fight: Serhiy Sidey

Raoni Barcelos

Not too long ago, Barcelos was on a 1-4 stretch and looking old. He’s now on a five-fight win streak and the undying Brazilian will somehow enter the rankings at 38 years old.

It might sound like a strange matchmaking idea, but I really like the idea of a Payton Talbott rematch. If you look at it from the UFC’s perspective, they will want to invest in the young Talbott, who seems to have real star potential. There’s a promotional angle to be able to market Talbott as someone who has defeated everybody he’s faced. Talbott may no longer be undefeated, but the Barcelos loss is still one he can get back. And despite the bad nature of that loss, at the rate he seems to improve, I believe Talbott would be favoured in a rematch.

Barcelos’ next fight: Payton Talbott

Ryan Spann

With this win, Ryan Spann finds himself on his first win streak in almost four years. He’s been around for so long that it can be easy to forget he’s only 34 years old, which is quite young at heavyweight. The heavyweight division being in its current state means this KO win is probably enough to give Spann a ranked opponent. I think a fight with Marcin Tybura, Mick Parkin or the winner of next week’s Shamil Gaziev vs Brando Pericic bout all make sense. I went with the Englishman.

Spann’s next fight: Mick Parkin

The post What’s Next: UFC Vegas 116 Winners appeared first on Cageside Press.

It was an extra-long main card as all but the first fight on the card going the distance. In the main event, an important featherweight scrap, as former UFC bantamweight champion, (#5) Aljamain Sterling out-grappled (#7) Youssef Zalal on his way to a unanimous decision victory. In the co-main event Joselyne Edwards used her constant striking aggression to capture a unanimous decision victory over Norma Dumont.

Four win streaks were snapped on this main card while just two fighters have added to losing streaks.

Youssef Zalal

(#5) Aljamain Sterling put on a clinic in all things grappling and wrestling on Saturday when he smothered (#7) Youssef Zalal over five rounds to log a victory. Bitter defeat for Zalal as this is the first loss of his second UFC stint. Zalal was the owner of a 2-3-1 stretch with the UFC from 2020 to 2022 but that included decision defeats against studs like eventual double champ, Illia Topuria and striking standout, Sean Woodson. Since Zalal’s resigning in 2024, he’s 5-1. Youssef was coming into this fight with a decision win over Calvin Kattar and a first round submission victory against Josh Emmett back in October.

A good next opponent for Zalal would be to give him the loser of Melquizael Costa vs. Arnold Allen. That fight goes down on May 16 so the timing would be just fine.  It’s also a main event so it would make even more sense as a matchup. Allen has lost three of his last four as he has recently had a huge step-up in competition. His last fight was back in late January when he lost a unanimous decision to Jean Silva. Melquizael Costa, on the other hand, is on the ascent. Costa is on a six-fight win streak and has finished his last two opponents, most recently, Dan Ige in late February to earn himself a performance bonus.

Best case scenario for Zalal is he’s facing Costa who has a freshly snapped win streak much like himself. This could be a fight night co-main event or potentially even a main event. Great fighters to build names for.

Zalal’s next fight: (#12) Melquizael Costa vs.  (#8) Arnold Allen loser 

Norma Dumont

(#11) Joselyne Edwards used her muay thai and stayed on the offensive in order to get the victory over (#3) Norma Dumont in the co main event on Saturday. It was a competitive fight, but Dumont suffers a horrific setback suffering her first loss since a split decision in May 2022 (opposite of Macy Chiasson). Dumont is now 9-3 with the promotion. Considering Dumont was originally supposed to take on (#5) Yana Santos before her opponent suffered an injury having to withdrawal, this is a rough defeat.

Norma’s next opponent should be Jacquline Cavalcanti if she loses her fight to Ketlen Vieira. That fight goes down on May 16 so the timing would be fine. The Yana fight would also work fine as a backup as she’s just sitting on the shelf right now. Leaning heavily towards the fight with Cavalcanti though. Dumont was Vieira’s most recent loss, and it was only by split decision. Cavalcanti is 10-1 as a pro and a perfect 5-0 in the UFC.  If she stumbles against Vieira, Dumont could be the perfect next test- especially if it’s a close fight.

Dumont’s next fight: (#10) Jacqueline Cavalcanti or (#5) Yana Santos

Alexander Hernandez

Rafa Garica remained cool and composed for the duration of his bout with Alexander Hernadez, fighting within his game plan to tally a nice unanimous decision victory. Bad outcome for Hernandez- but at least he wasn’t finished. The loss stops Alexander’s 4-fight win streak that saw him defeating multiple TUF veterans before stopping Chase Hooper and Diego Ferreira.

Hernandez should look towards a veteran striker for his next matchup, keep the foot on the gas, but maybe a potentially more manageable matchup. Giving Hernandez the loser of the King Green vs Jeremy Stephens fight could be incredibly interesting. Those guys scrap on May 9th so timing would be perfect. King Green even has a recent unanimous decision victory over Jim Miller, and so does Hernandez. Green is headed into that May matchup with Stephens riding a 2-fight win streak.

Jeremy Stephens hasn’t been in the octagon since last May when he lost a violent fight to Mason Jones. Stephens has been all over the place in recent years, from the PFL, to most recently a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships stint. Either one of these vets could offer an interesting and fresh standup battle with Alexander Hernandez. It could be on the main card of a fight night card or prelim of a PPV card.

Hernandez’s next fight: Bobby Green vs Jeremy Stephens Loser

Adrian Luna Martinetti

Davey Grant battered a relentless Adrian Luna Martinetti at the APEX on Saturday to get the unanimous decision victory. Luna Martinetti never gave up, despite his heavily damaged legs, and for that, this fight received fight of the night honors for UFC Vegas 116. The bout was Adrian’s UFC debut as he is a product of last year’s season of the Contender Series. This was Martinetti’s first MMA loss since his third bout, snapping a 15-fight win streak.

Jafel Filho also lost a unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 116, but he fell on the undercard to Cody Durden. Filho is 3-3 with the UFC since being signed off of the 2022 season of the Contender Series. Jafel was fed to the sharks immediately as he faced an undefeated Muhammad Mokaev in his promotional debut. Filho also has a performance bonus under his belt for his 2024 finish over Ode Osbourne. Pairing these two featherweights up could offer a high action fight for fans. Timing makes it too easy of a fight to make as well.

Martinelli’s next fight: Jafel Filho

Montel Jackson

Raoni Barcelos did enough with his grappling and deep submission attempts to steal a split decision over Montel Jackson Saturday, despite Jackson’s early knockdown. This loss extends Jackson’s losing streak to two though his last loss was also a split decision and opposite of former UFC flyweight champion, Deivision Figueiredo. Before this pair of defeats, the 2018 Contender Series veteran was riding a 6-fight win streak featuring three finishes and two bonuses.

Montel Jackson should fight Ricky Simon next. This would be a banger. Simon has big power in his hands and is fresh off a wild majority draw against Adrian Yanez back in late March. Timing wouldn’t be too bad. Simon headed into that fight having dropped three of his last four. But prior to that was his 5-fight win streak that earned him five bonuses in his first five fights with the promotion. Similar fighters in terms of having had their momentums extinguished. Seems like this would be a great time to book this slick standup battle that would have fans on the edge of their seats. This fight could be a co main event on a fight night card.

Jackson’s next fight: Ricky Simon

Marcus Buchecha

Ryan Spann used his 16 fights of UFC experience to expertly navigate the dangerous grappling attacks of Marcus Buchecha before finishing the fight with a two-punch combo in the second. Marcus, who was once 5-1 with ONE Fighting Championship, is now winless since being picked up by the UFC, last July. With a 0-2-1 record with the promotion, it’s worth noting that the 36-year-old heavyweight was originally supposed to take on Max Gimenis on Saturday before Max broke his foot.

Rebook the fight with Max here. Max lost his debut to Josh Hokit, who at the time, was also making his debut. With all the notoriety Hokit has gained recently, giving Max a fight against a fighter that was a name outside of the promotion makes a lot of sense. Plus, the heavyweight division is shallow, and Marcus could be on the shelf long enough for Max to recover from his injury.

Buchecha’s next fight: Max Gimenis

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Back at the Meta Apex on Saturday, the UFC’s latest hometown show featured Aljamain Sterling earning a clear cut decision victory in the night’s main event. It was a handful of earlier fights that cleaned up come bonus time, however.

Among them, the main card opener between Ryan Spann, a recent transplant to the heavyweight division who previously fought at 205lbs, and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, a decorated BJJ star and former ONE Championship athlete.

Spann landed a two-punch combo in the second round of a fight that had, to that point, been more of a grappling affair to topple Buchecha, who hit the canvas like a fallen tree. It was a walk-off KO moment and one that saw Spann earn his second straight victory at heavyweight.

The night’s other Performance of the Night bonus went to Jackson McVey, who submitted troubled middleweight Sedriques Dumas to claim his first victory under the UFC banner.

Fight of the Night at UFC Vegas 116 went to a thriller between Davey Grant and newcomer Adrian Luna Martinelli. At 40, Grant still had enough in the tank to turn back the 2025 Contender Series winner.

All four bonus winners pocket $100,000 for their efforts. $25,000 finishing bonuses were nary to be found as Spann and McVey had the only stoppages on the night.

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Round 1 – Zalal came out pumping the jab like a piston, immediately setting the tone. Sterling looked to manage distance with kicks, but Zalal stayed aggressive, using his striking to close the gap, even if he wasn’t landing anything particularly damaging early.

The two traded control of the center, each taking turns applying pressure. Sterling would step forward and try to crash into range, looking to initiate grappling exchanges, but Zalal’s footwork kept him off the fence and out of danger.

Sterling eventually shot in on a single leg, which Zalal initially defended well. Moments later, however, Sterling timed a sharp leg kick as Zalal threw a body kick, knocking him off balance and creating the opening for a takedown.

From top position, Sterling settled in as Zalal worked to escape, attempting to shrimp out. Zalal then threw up a triangle, but Sterling stayed composed, maintaining posture and defending effectively while absorbing a few hammer fists. Realizing the submission wasn’t there, Zalal abandoned it.

The round closed with Zalal in a turtle position as Sterling controlled from above, landing knees to the body to finish the frame.

Round 2 – Sterling came out far more aggressive in the second round, firing leg kicks and applying heavy pressure on Zalal. He worked behind his jab, looking to set up a takedown, but Zalal defended well and forced the action back to striking.

Zalal answered with a knee up the middle that appeared to at least graze Sterling, prompting the former bantamweight champion to take a few deep breaths. Building on that moment, Zalal surged forward and put Sterling on the back foot, though it proved to be a trap as Sterling drew him into a clinch along the fence. After a brief grappling exchange, they separated and returned to striking.

Sterling then slipped a left hook from Zalal, ducking under to secure a body lock from behind before dragging him to the mat. From there, Sterling quickly took the back and began unloading with strikes.

As Zalal attempted to break the body triangle, he only allowed Sterling to tighten his control. Using a half nelson, Sterling continued to land shots to the head while maintaining dominant position.

The round closed with Sterling firmly on Zalal’s back, landing steady ground-and-pound to cap a strong frame.

Round 3 – Sterling shot in for a double leg and Zalal landed a knee to the chin which didnt hurt Sterling. He stayed in looking for the double leg, lifted Zalal and took him down. Zalal went for a hail mary guillotine which was pretty tight until Sterling went to his back to defend it.

Zalal gladly took top position forcing Sterling to get back to his full guard to defend. Zalal got to his feet and ate a couple up kicks until he dropped down looking to take the back on the ground.

Zalal took the back locking in a body triangle and rode the position the rest of the round.

Round 4 – Sterling wasted no time engaging, quickly closing the distance and taking Zalal’s back with more than four minutes remaining in the round, looking to drag him into deep waters.

His experience in longer fights began to show, as Sterling maintained control from the back and landed a steady stream of strikes to the head. He eventually locked in a rear-naked choke with the arm in, but Zalal managed to survive the submission attempt.

Zalal repeatedly tried to turn and face Sterling, but the former champion stayed one step ahead, shutting down each escape. In the process, Zalal briefly gave up mount with just over a minute to go, a position Sterling capitalized on by landing more ground-and-pound.

Zalal eventually worked back to his feet, but Sterling remained aggressive, attacking with heavy shots up top and knees to the body. The round closed with Zalal pressing Sterling against the fence, looking to stall the action and limit further damage.

Round 5 – Zalal looked to generate offense on the feet, throwing with intent, but the power wasn’t quite there at that stage. Sterling weathered the brief surge before shooting in once again.

Official Result: Aljamain Sterling def. Youssef Zalal via Unanimous Decision (49-45×3)

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Normal circumstances are not where the UFC women’s bantamweight division finds itself, however. Amanda Nunes, back from retirement, is waiting for champ Kayla Harrison to return from injury. That means Dumont had to fight on despite owning a six-fight win streak. Edwards meanwhile had four wins and four finishes on her current run.

After some feeling out Edwards went the grappling route in the opening round, getting the fight against the fence and looking for a way to take Dumont down. When that finally succeeded, however, it was Dumont landing on top, Edwards’ plan having backfired. Dumont was in half-guard, looking to pull her leg through and move to mount, or set up a choke with one arm around Edwards’ neck. That wouldn’t pan out, and they’d head to round two.

More of a standup affair with exchanges of kicks opened round two. Edwards threw a little harder, trying to open up a bit. Dumont stayed outside, choosing her moments to close the distance. Throughout the fight, Edwards didn’t seem to show much respect to Dumont’s power. And by the time the third round arrived, it was close.

Dumont fired kicks and her right hand in the third, Edwards launching kicks in return. More standup, with Dumont circling outside. Edwards would clinch up with two minutes or so left, taking the fight to the fence. Edwards fired knees but Dumont was able to get off the fence, get a Thai plum on and fire a knee or two of her own. In the final minute they traded hard leg kicks then let the hands go, until the final horn blared.

In the end, the judges sided with Edwards, who was happy to push forward most of the fight. That ends Dumont’s streak, but Edwards has now won five straight.

Official Result: Joselyne Edwards def. Norma Dumont by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

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Round 1 – The two met in the center and wasted no time engaging, with Alexander Hernandez opening with leg kicks while Rafa Garcia immediately implemented his trademark pressure. Hernandez looked to operate on the outside, circling and searching for angles, while Garcia stayed composed, landing counters as he advanced.

Garcia began to sit down on his punches, making his shots count with sharp, well-timed counters. Hernandez continued to move laterally, relying on leg kicks and footwork to create openings, but Garcia controlled the center of the octagon, calmly turning with him and cutting off space.

Around the two-minute mark, Garcia started to close the distance more effectively, tightening his footwork. Hernandez managed to escape along the cage, avoiding being trapped, but Garcia remained relentless.

Pressing forward, Garcia punched his way into range and secured a clean takedown. Hernandez quickly returned to his feet, only for Garcia to stay glued to him and bring him back down again.

Hernandez managed to stand once more, and the remainder of the round mirrored the earlier exchanges. Hernandez attempted a shot, but Garcia was ready, stuffing it and maintaining control to close out the round.

Round 2 – The second round opened much like the first, but Rafa Garcia began to diversify his offense, mixing his attacks from body to head and back again. Alexander Hernandez remained cautious, clearly wary of Garcia’s power, and continued to circle on the outside.

Garcia repeatedly punched his way into range, only for Hernandez to disengage and reset on the opposite side of the cage. Rather than overextend, Garcia stayed disciplined, holding the center and calmly turning to track his opponent’s movement.

It was all Garcia throughout the round, as he firmly took control and continued to inflict damage, putting himself in position to sweep the opening frames.

At one point, the two came together and stood forehead to forehead before the referee stepped in to separate them.

Round 3 – Down two rounds, Alexander Hernandez entered the third knowing he needed a finish. He opened with a sharp one-two and looked to claim more space, pressing forward with increased urgency.

Hernandez rushed in throwing combinations, but Rafa Garcia remained composed, resetting and firing back with counters. Any semblance of a measured game plan from Hernandez gave way to aggression as he hunted for a stoppage. He did manage to stuff a Garcia takedown attempt just before the four-minute mark, drawing a brief moment of momentum.

Garcia shot again, backing Hernandez to the fence in search of another takedown, but Hernandez quickly worked back to his feet. As they separated, Garcia landed heavy hooks on the break, continuing to make him pay.

The final minute turned into a firefight, with both men exchanging big shots, particularly Hernandez, who was desperately chasing a finish. Garcia stood his ground, landing clean, heavy punches of his own as they traded until the horn sounded.

Garcia asked for a top 15 matchup in his post-fight interview.

Official Result: Rafa Garcia def. Alexander Hernandez via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

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Grant, now 40, was still a tough out in the bantamweight division, and coming off a loss to the resurgent Charles Jourdain.

Grant came out sharp, immediately establishing his kicking game. He battered Martinetti’s lead leg with calf kicks, attacking both the inside and outside, while Martinetti fired back with kicks of his own, though without nearly the same impact. Grant even caught one and dumped Martinetti to the canvas. A looping right hand also found the mark as Grant mixed his offense well, forcing Martinetti to defend at all three levels.

To Martinetti’s credit, he never let Grant’s pace overwhelm him and continued pressing forward. However, his tendency to dip his head made him vulnerable, and Grant capitalized with several well-timed knees. Martinetti shot for a takedown in the final minute of the round, but Grant defended easily before punctuating the frame with more damaging leg kicks.

Round two opened at a much higher pace. Recognizing the need to increase his output, Martinetti began letting his hands go, but Grant quickly slowed that momentum with more brutal calf kicks. The damage became so severe that Martinetti was forced to switch stances repeatedly. Grant was excellent at chaining his kicks off his boxing and shifting stances seamlessly, making him a difficult target to track down. Martinetti struggled to cut off the cage or put together sustained combinations. Grant cracked him with a huge looping right hand that, while not visibly hurting him, certainly got his attention. Martinetti answered with a pair of uppercuts, and after more leg kicks from Grant, Martinetti landed a spinning backfist just before the horn.

Entering the third, Martinetti likely needed a finish. He opened with an immediate takedown attempt, but Grant easily shrugged it off. Martinetti found some success with a nice combination to the body, though his punches lacked the power to truly trouble Grant. Grant, meanwhile, continued loading up on looping shots, and Martinetti struggled to find counters. A crisp left hook from Grant landed flush during an exchange, followed by a strong body combination and several sharp punches upstairs.

Martinetti finally secured a takedown late in the round, but Grant wasted no time returning to his feet. The fight closed with an entertaining flurry from both men, capping off a strong and well-rounded performance from Grant.

Official Result: Davey Grant def. Adrian Luna Martinetti def unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Jackson has been one to watch, putting together a 9-3 record in the UFC and most recently competing against ex-flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo. While that fight didn’t go his way, he remained inside the top 15 and was getting a solid matchup with Brazil’s Barcelos, himself 10-4 inside the Octagon.

Jackson got the party started immediately, knocking Barcelos to the ground with a quick short shot to the 14 fight veteran. Referee Jason Herzog did an excellent job of allowing Barcelos to recover from the massive strike from Jackson, as the Brazilian quickly returned to his feet to recover.

Back at range, Barcelos was susceptible to the straight punches from Jackson, seemingly still out of sorts from being knocked down in the first 30 seconds of the round. After a shaky sequence on the feet, the Brazilian finally found some success in the back half of round one, finding a double-leg shot to bring the American down, then picking him up and slamming him back down to the mat.

Jackson was able to survive at first, though he was again brought back to the ground with a gorgeous level change. As the final seconds ticked off the clock in round one, Barcelos started cinching in a deep rear-naked choke. Saved by the bell, Jackson continued on to the second round with no significant damage after a back-and-forth first round. Barcelos, on the other hand, was wearing some of Jackson’s power straights.

Round two was more of the same from the two bantamweights, with Montel Jackson attempting to keep the fight at a distance while Barcelos searched for level changes to bring the opposition to the mat. The Brazilian got much better results this time, repeatedly winning positioning along the cage and taking Jackson to the ground. Once again, the two ended the round with Barcelos tying up a rear-naked choke submission on Jackson’s back, the veteran finding himself coming closer to the finish.

It was potentially anyone’s fight as the two bantamweights entered the final round of their three-round affair. Jackson continued to fight well on the feet, trying to deter Barcelos from coming inside on him. With around a minute and a half left, Montel Jackson landed his best strike of the round: a flush head kick directly upstairs on Barcelos. Though the momentum quickly faded for the American, as Barcelos was able to grab hold of Jackson in the final seconds, pulling off a beautiful trip and ending the third round in a row on Jackson’s back.

With the fight going to the scorecards, both bantamweights felt they had done enough to earn the decision victory. Ultimately it was the veteran Raoni Barcelos who got his hand raised via split decision over Montel Jackson. Potentially big things are ahead for the Brazilian, as he’ll likely hold a ranking come next week.

Official Result: Raoni Barcelos def. Montel Jackson by split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)

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Buchecha (properly Marcus Almeida) was a ONE Championship transplant and decorated BJJ star looking for his first UFC victory after dropping his promotional debut. Spann was 1-1 since arriving at heavyweight, moving up from 205lbs last year.

Early on, it was Buchecha on the outside, Spann moving forward, only for an eye poke to graze him early. Then it was Spann moving in and moving for a takedown, steamrolling Buchecha. The Brazilian chased a leg, eating a few hammerfists. Spann opted to stay on the ground with Buchecha, who soon escaped out and put on a bodylock. Buchecha landed a trip takedown of his own, which Spann answered via a guillotine that wasn’t close to in tight.

That left Marcus Buchecha with over three minutes to work. Spann however got up, and Buchecha slipped off his back when he tried to take it. Still two and a half minutes on the clock in round one, and this time, it was Spann on top when they hit the mat, though Buchecha threatened to reverse.

Finally, wisely, Ryan Spann backed off, forcing Buchecha back to his feet. Spann fired a front kick to the body. Buchecha punched his way in, changed levels, but couldn’t land a clean takedown, instead chasing a leg lock. Moments later, it was Buchecha on his back after Spann defended a takedown. Spann dropped an elbow, fired a knee to the body, and rode out the round in control.

Round two saw Spann fire a leg kick early, but Buchecha then made contact with his fingers extended, earning a hard warning. Moments later, Buchecha earned another warning for having his fingers extended even though no contact was made. In response, fist closed, Buchecha fired an overhand punch, backed Spann to the fence, and worked on a takedown. Spann, as he had in round one, defended with a guillotine, leading Buchecha to go to his back. A moment later and they were back on the feet.

Moments later, Ryan Spann decided enough was enough, and ended the fight. A two-punch knockout arrived in the care of a left hook and straight right, and Buchecha fell like the mighty oak. No follow-up required.

Perhaps not as good as the last couple of heavyweight fights, but a thrilling finish and great win for Spann, who has now won two straight.

Official Result: Ryan Spann def. Marcus Buchecha by knockout, Round 2, 2:10

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With a treasure chest of gold medals from the jiu-jistu world, Vieira was looking to find consistency in MMA, after falling to Bo Nickal in his last fight. McConico was also coming off a loss, against Baisangur Susurkaev.

Vieira got off to a quick start, swarming Eric McConico with a power takedown that dropped the American into a vulnerable position. It was dangerous waters early for McConico, though the crafty defender was able to return to his feet quickly after. A series of chain takedown attempts ensued as Vieira looked to find the same success as his first shot, though McConico stayed disciplined as the round came to a close.

Round two was much more favorable for Eric McConico. He let his hands go and was beautifully accurate, walking down a tiring Vieira. A big round one from the Brazilian virtually left him with no gas tank midway through the fight, with Vieira finding his only success by holding McConico against the cage. With a few seconds left in the round, McConico exploded out of Vieira’s grasp, landing a couple of strikes to stamp the round in his favor.

Vieira’s game plan didn’t change in round three either, with the Brazilian continuously attempting to slow down McConico with level changes. Again, the American stayed composed and defensively responsible, protecting himself from any major damage before finding his way off the cage and out of Vieira’s range. The tide turned for good once the two found each other at range with a minute left. McConico, in much better physical shape and striking well, sealed the deal on the feet, outstriking Vieira until the fight’s close.

McConico earned the unanimous decision victory as the fight reached the scorecards, finding himself back in the win column and evening his UFC record at 2-2. For Vieira, he’ll be forced to face the tough reality of two consecutive losses, dropping the Brazilian to 11-5.

Official Result: Eric McConico def. Rodolfo Vieira by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)

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