Serghei Spivac

Moldova’s Spivac redeemed himself twofold in UFC Vegas 95’s main event against Marcin Tybura, making up for his recent TKO loss to Cyril Gane and for his first fight against Tybura back in 2020, which Serghei lost by decision. This time he made it look easy, taking the Pole down and tapping him with an armbar after less than two minutes. Despite his recent loss, Spivac is 4-1 in his last five, so he should be in position for a higher-ranked opponent.

There are not many other available, highly ranked heavyweights coming off wins. Gane and Alexander Volkov won their last fights but have been scheduled to rematch each other, as well, in two months. With the title picture stagnant due to Tom Aspinall being forced to defend his interim belt the division feels a bit empty at the top of the rankings, since the erstwhile #1 contender has been a champion, not just a contender, for over a year now while Stipe Miocic and Jon Jones endlessly circle each other. That leaves just Jailton Almeida for Spivac.

A strong grappler, Almeida has flawed wrestling but is freakishly athletic and has the best top game in the UFC heavyweight division. With a 7-1 UFC record and his only loss coming against Curtis Blaydes – in a fight he was winning – Jailton needs maybe just one or two more wins to earn a title shot, as does Spivac. This matchup would also be a grappler’s delight, with interesting scrambles sure to ensue.

Spivac’s Next Fight: Jailton Almeida

Chepe Mariscal

With his impressive and dominant win over Damon Jackson, Chepe Mariscal got his fourth straight win. Staying perfect in the UFC matters a lot, but missing weight by 4.5 pounds is egregious, so perhaps Chepe will not be given a ranked opponent just yet. Hovering just outside the rankings at featherweight are fighters like Sodiq Yusuff, Nate Wood, and Nate Landwehr.

Any of those would be excellent fights; Yusuff was ranked at featherweight for years until his last two losses, and never puts on a bad show. Wood and Landwehr are also talented; Landwehr in particular is one of the most action-oriented fighters in the sport today. His brawl-or-die style matches up perfectly with Chepe’s own, and would create an excellent fight where the winner could compete against a ranked foe next.

Mariscal’s Next Fight: Nate Landwehr

Danny Barlow

Memphis’ young, new striker Danny Barlow also missed weight for his UFC Vegas 95 fight, but unlike Mariscal it was by less than a pound. Barlow earned a split decision win for his efforts against short-notice debutant Nikolay Veretennikov. He remains undefeated and moves to 2-0 in the UFC, but this prospect clearly wanted to win more dominantly. As a 29-year-old welterweight his time is now to make a run.

A good step up to test if Barlow is capable of bigger things would be Phil Rowe. ‘The Fresh Prince’ lost his last two fights after a three-bout winning streak put him on the verge of being ranked, so while it is a big step up for Barlow, its also a fight he is capable of winning and will be a new style for him to face. He may only be 9-0, but when a fighter has that zero in their record they are going to ascend quicker than others may.

Barlow’s Next Fight: Phil Rowe

Chris Gutierrez

‘El Guapo’ made it look easy, though not necessarily attractive to look at, when he beat the debuting Quang Le on Saturday. Using his infamous leg kicks, Gutierrez chewed up the former LFA fighter from the outside en route to a comfortable, if tepid, decision. With his last two losses coming to ranked fighters, and due to holding no wins against ranked bantamweights, Chris will have to do more to get back his top-15 spot.

He was originally scheduled to face Javid Basharat in the UFC Apex, so that fight can be rebooked with no hesitation. It would be an excellent addition to the pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi later this year, with Basharat being from the region and fans loving to see talented bantamweights in action.

Gutierrez’s Next Fight: Javid Basharat

Yana Santos

Twelfth-ranked UFC women’s bantamweight Yana Santos, née Kunitskaya, won her first fight since returning from giving birth to a child with her husband, former UFC title challenger Thiago Santos, in April of 2022. Santos largely outclassed fourteenth-ranked opponent Chelsea Chandler, another fighter from UFC Vegas 95 who missed weight badly, even scoring a her first-ever UFC knockdown in the second round.

After three straight losses to ranked opponents, Santos had to win this to hold onto her ranking, and she did just that. Another fighter who is not in the best form of her career is Julia Avila. Thirteenth-ranked Avila won her first three UFC fights, including beating now-ranked fighter Pannie Kianzad, but has now lost two of her last three and clearly needs work on her wrestling. Yana Santos would be more than happy to oblige her by testing that particular skillset of Julia’s.

Santos’s Next Fight: Julia Avila

Toshiomi Kazama

Japan’s Toshiomi Kazama lost his first two UFC fights by knockout but impressed in his rebound against Charalampos Grigoriou on Saturday. Despite getting dropped after a strong first round, Kazama survived and choked out his opponent from his back with a triangle choke, a somewhat rare submission to see in the UFC nowadays.

However, Kazama is not totally in the clear, even after that; a 1-2 record in the stacked bantamweight division is not ideal. Toshiomi will need to win his next fight to make sure his job is safe. One fight which would be interesting is Kazama vs Ricky Turcios. Turcios is not a knockout artist, but he is chaotic and a good scrambler that would give Kazama a new style to deal with. Also, Ricky will not gas out quickly like Grigoriou.

Kazama’s Next Fight: Ricky Turcios

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Marcin Tybura

Marcin Tybura was submitted via armbar by his opponent Serghei Spivac in the main event of UFC Vegas 95. Tybrua entered the fight as the #8 ranked UFC heavyweight while Spivac was ranked at #9. The fight was a rematch from 2020 in which Tybura had secured a unanimous decision over Spivac.

Tybura is 7-3 since his first win over Spivac but has struggled at the upper levels of the division losing three of his last six fights (the other losses coming to Alexander Volkov and Tom Aspinall).

Tybura should fight Derrick Lewis in his next fight. Lewis and Tybura fought once before in 2018 with Lewis stopping Tybura in the third round, and final, round. They are both 2-2 in their last four fights. Lewis doesn’t have a fight booked and is ranked at #11. And with nearly every other fighter having been booked in the bottom half of the rankings, this rematch makes a lot of sense.

Tybura’s next fight: Derrick Lewis 

Damon Jackson

Damon Jackson lost a high-paced unanimous decision to Chepe Mariscal in the co-main event of Saturday’s card. Mariscal is now a perfect 4-0 in the UFC, so it was yet another solid competitor for Jackson. Damon has now won just one of his last four fights, a split decision to Alexander Hernandez in April.

Jackson should fight Andre Fili in his next fight. Fili and Jackson have a recent common opponent in Dan Ige. Both Damon and Andre were stopped by the Hawaiian in the first round of their respective bouts, within 13 months of each other.  Fili is 2-2 in his last four fights having last been in action at UFC 303 when he won a split decision over Cub Swanson.

Jackson’s next fight: Andre Fili

Nikolay Veretennikov

Nikolay Veretennikov was defeated in his promotional debut by Danny Barlow via spilt decision. Veretennikov stepped up on short notice and had his opponent miss weight as well. Niokolay, who was on the wrong end of a fight on the 2021 season of the Contender Series, captured Arizona’s UFL welterweight strap in the time since his apperance.

Nikolay Veretennikov should fight Yusaku Kinoshita in his next fight. Kinoshita is 0-2 in the UFC and is also a veteran of the Contender Series (2022 season).  Kinoshita has been finished in the first round of both of his UFC fights while opposite of Billy Goff and Adam Fuggit. He was even matched up to fight Danny Barlow, earlier this year, but withdrew from that fight.

Veretennikov’s next fight: Yusaku Kinoshita

Quang Le

Quang Le lost for the first time in his professional career on Saturday to Chris Gutierrez. Le was a standout in the LFA and faced a very experienced fighter in Gutierrez. Quang impressed, despite the final result of the bout.

Quang should fight Alatengheili in his next fight. Alatengheili is another exciting fighter that has also faced Chris Gutierrez and lost a unanimous decision as well. Actually, Gutierrez is Alatengheili’s sole loss in his last four fights. He was last in action back in May when he defeated Kleydson Rodrigues by unanimous decision.

Le’s next fight: Alatengheili

Chelsea Chandler

Chelsea Chandler lost a unanimous decision to Yana Santos on Saturday. To make matters worse, Chandler also missed weight by five pounds ahead of the bout. It was her second time in a row missing weight. Chandler entered the bout as the #14 ranked UFC women’s bantamweight while Santos was ranked at #12.

Chelsea is now 2-2 in her last four fights and has struggled with making weight. Chandler should fight Pannie Kianzad in her next fight. Pannie is ranked at #11 as of Saturday in the UFC’s rankings. She has lost four of her last five fights with her only win being over Lina Lansberg who is now retired. Pannie fought Karol Rosa on the undercard of UFC Vegas 95, losing a one-sided unanimous decision. It’d be a bout that makes sense in more ways than one.

Chandler’s next fight: Pannie Kianzad 

Charalampos Grigoriou

Charalampos Grigoriou was submitted in the second round of his bout with Toshiomi Kazama on the first main card bout of UFC Vegas 95. The 2023 Contender Series alum is now 0-2 in the UFC, having lost his promotional debut to Chad Anheliger earlier this year.

Grigoriou should fight Fernie Garcia or a fresh fighter off of the Contender Series. Fernie Garcia is currently 0-4 with UFC since his win on the 2021 season of the Contender Series. Garcia has lost unanimous decisions to bantamweight’s: Journey Newsome, Brady Hiestand and Rinya Nakamura. Charalampos was finished in his most recent bout by Hyder Amil in a featherweight affair. The loser of that fight would likely be out of the UFC.

Grigoriou’s next fight: Fernie Garcia or 2024 Contender Series fighter

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You’d be forgiven if you checked out early, had you tuned in at all, as the early going of the show was a mixed bag at best. While Youssef Zalal had a strong performance and Karol Rosa vs. Pannie Kianzad turned out to be a fun fight, there simply wasn’t a lot going on.

Luckily, the top half of the main card showed up and showed out, starting with Chepe Mariscal dominating a tough but outmatched Damon Jackson over the course of three rounds. A pair of 30-25 scores (the third judge had it 30-26) showed just how dominant Chepe had been, though missing weight for the fight denied him any bonus money.

Instead, the UFC went with three individual performances in terms of bonus cash, on a night where no Fight of the Night handed out. Sorry, Rosa vs. Kianzad, no post-fight bonus for you.

Serghei Spivac, however, earned one Performance of the Night awards for his first round arm-bar submission of Marcin Tybura. The fight was a rematch, with Spivac avenging an earlier loss and moving to 4-1 across his last five fights.

Zalal, for his rear-naked choke finish of Jarno Errens, and Toshiomi Kazama, who put Charalampos Grigoriou away with a triangle after being knocked down early in the second, picked up the two remaining Performance bonuses.

As it turned out, those were the only three finishes on the ten-fight card. All three bonus winners claim an extra $50,000 USD on top of show/win money and outfitting pay.

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For another, Tybura told Cageside Press heading into the bout that he really had nothing to gain from the fight.

That didn’t mean it wouldn’t be an entertaining affair. At least, one would hope. Spivac certainly opened hot, with a big left hand. From there, “The Polar Bear” took Tybura to the fence, tied him up and got him down. Just 40 seconds in, he tried to take the back and wound up rolling back, dragging Tybura with him. He couldn’t fully take the back, however, and Tybura was able to reverse, settling into Spivac’s guard and ripping the body.

Just when it seemed like Marcin Tybura was in control, however, Spivac grabbed an arm from the bottom. He got into position, wrenching back on the limb while on his side, and soon had forced the tap! A first-round submission win for Serghei Spivac, who avenges his 2021 decision loss to Tyrbua and gets back in the win column after a loss to Ciryl Gane last September.

Moldova’s Spivac is now 4-1 in his last five, with that lone loss to former interim heavyweight champ Gane.

Official Result: Serghei Spivac def. Marcin Tybura by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 1:44

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At least the fight held together, despite Mariscal missing weight by 3.5 pounds on Friday, one of three fighters to miss the mark for the much maligned event.

Jackson entered the would-be featherweight bout off a split decision win over Alexander Hernandez; Mariscal had won his first three fights under the UFC banner.

The action was hot and heavy in the early-going of the UFC Vegas 95 co-headliner. Mariscal went right after a bodylock takedown and ripped the body when he couldn’t get it. Jackson fired knees. They held onto that clinch until Chepe landed a throw; even coming back up, they stayed locked together, neither man willing to given an inch. Ending up on the cage, Jackson clasped his hands with a gable grip and reversed; Chepe spun them around again. A grueling style through two minutes, with Jackson living up to his nickname, “The Leech.”

Still clinched up, Mariscal landed a knee. Moments later, a four pack of left hooks connected for Chepe Mariscal. Yet coming out of that clinch it was Mariscal who was bloodied. He’d land a takedown, however, but drew a warning for hitting the back of the head. Another takedown at Jackson defend with a guillotine. He’d get up, reverse, and drive Mariscal into the fence. Jackson then stumbled off a throw attempt and nearly gave up position before regaining his composure.  They finally broke, found some space, and re-engaged, with Mariscal connecting with punches and the pair trading knees. It was Mariscal attempting a takedown late, but Jackson fought it off, reversed, and tried for one of his own.

Early in the second, Jackson landed low with a knee, leading to a break in the action 30 seconds in. The ref restarted them in the same position, with the pair reversing a couple of times once they were back underway. This war of attrition continued for several minutes until Mariscal finally landed a trip. Jackson then gave up his back trying to get up; Mariscal locked up what could best be described as a reverse crucifix from back mount. That allowed him to drop elbows and hammer fists and force Jackson to try and change position, which led to a scramble. Mariscal was having his best moments of the fight, and Jackson was looking exhausted. When Mariscal stood up, Jackson fell to his back, inviting Mariscal to follow. He did, but it backfired for Jackson, as Mariscal was in control landing ground n’ pound with 30 seconds to go in the round.

It wasn’t enough to put Jackson away, but Chepe Mariscal finish the round extremely strong. He started the third with a push kick, while Jackson fired back with his hands. Mariscal appeared to be the fresher fighter, if just barely. The clinch game was back, the pair spinning around on the fence. Once Mariscal got his hands going, he was able to scoop Jackson up and land a takedown. Chepe was on the back, but Jackson reversed, and nearly took the back himself! Another scramble and they were back up, Jackson looking for a takedown.

More scrambles and it was Mariscal on top. Jackson seemed to be just barely holding on. When he got up, Mariscal dragged him back down for the mat return. Jackson, tired as he might be, was proving super tough – but also losing the fight. Mariscal would finish in control, landing ground n’ pound to the final horn in one of the better fights at UFC Vegas 95.

Were it not for the weight miss, it might have been close to a perfect night for Chepe Mariscal.

Official Result: Chepe Mariscal def. Damon Jackson by decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)

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While it was Veretennikov stepping in to replace Uros Medic in the fight, Barlow had actually come in heavy, albeit by just a quarter of a pound.

In round one early on, Veretennikov landed a thudding straight right to the body. Barlow was being measured but did time a nice knee to the body. Also, a counter hammerfist from Barlow landed which was awkward but effective. Barlow was swinging wild and Veretennikov was doing a good job of slipping out of the way. Barlow landed quite a bit in round one with his kicks to the legs and body. Veretennikov was almost taken down but had good balance but was taken down in the final seconds.

In round two Veretennikov came out stalking forward. Both guys were looking for openings but Barlow continued to go first. Barlow’s kicks were the highlight of this fight to that point. Barlow timed a beautiful left hand as Veretennikov threw something, which was the biggest moment of the fight thus far. Veretennikov had to clinch up but Barlow quickly turned it around and put him against the cage. A low blow from Veretennikov caused a pause in the action. They resumed back in the clinch but it didn’t stay there long. Barlow ended the last minute of the round with long jabs but a nice right from Veretennikov to end the round.

Going into the final round it was likely Veretennikov needed a finish. He was the one pressing the action but Barlow was elusive and sticking on the outside. Veretennikov would throw looping punches where Barlow was beating him to the punch with the straights. It was clear Barlow had a speed advantage not just with his hands but with his feet. Veretennikov did get some respect with a clubbing right hand and charging forward with some power shots. Veretennikov started to find his rhythm but Barlow was taking it well. With a minute left a looping left hook from Veretennikov landed. Barlow let off the gas in the third but survived to the bell likely winning the first two rounds.

Come the scorecards, there was one surprise: two judges had it for Danny Barlow, but the third awarded all three rounds to Veretennikov. That scorecard will certainly raise eyebrows.

Official Result: Danny Barlow def. Nikolay Veretennikov by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)

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Le, from Vietnam, was replacing Javid Basarat in the fight, which had originally been scheduled for UFC Abu Dhabi.

Round one got underway and Gutierrez stared getting after the lead leg kick. Gutierrez was using a lot of feints to try and throw off the newcomer. It ended up costing him as Le caught one of those lazy kicks and got the takedown. Gutierrez quickly got right back up and landed a heavy leg kick. Le would come forward but Gutierrez was moving out of the way with his light footwork. The main focus of round one was those nasty leg kicks from Chris Gutierrez. They was keeping Le on the outside and having him rush in without any setup. The kicks started to add up and you could see the visible redness on the leg of Le to end the round.

In round two a heavy leg kick from Gutierrez landed to start the round. Le continued to struggle to find his range in the striking so he attempted to take the fight down. He had the back on Gutierrez standing and very sneakily Le jumped on the back. Le had the body triangle in as Gutierrez went down to the mat. Gutierrez was able to get out of that position but Le was able to stay in guard and ended the round there.

In the final round, it was likely even on the scorecards so it was anyone’s fight. Le had more confidence from that last round and was bringing more pressure early in round three. He was doing it but still had trouble finding his hands. He attempted a single leg but that time Gutierrez escaped. Gutierrez would stick to the leg kicks lifting the leg of Le as they were impactful. He had Le more stationary and that’s when Gutierrez started to let loose more. Le tried again for a takedown and got it with seconds left but it didn’t matter.

Official Result: Chris Gutiérrez def. Quang Le by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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“Bantamweight” might have been a misnomer for Chandler, who while talented, had missed weight in two consecutive fights, including by 5lbs for her fight with Santos. Her remaining UFC contests had come at featherweight, and a 140lb catchweight.

Chandler had also missed the mark for the bantamweight division in her second pro fight, under the Invicta FC banner.

Santos used her right hand to set up some solid kicks early in round one, and was able to fight off Chandler when the latter took the fight to the fence. A former Invicta champ who had competed at a featherweight as well, Santos seemed well equipped to deal with the weight of Chandler. Later in the frame, a head kick snuck upstairs for Santos. She went after Chandler, who held her own. Chandler would find some success late in the round, while Santos fired a spinning back kick that just missed the body.

Round two opened with some scrappiness, with Santos landing a knockdown less than 30 seconds in! Chandler fell to her back, and stayed there, hoping Santos would get on top. She declined, chopping at Chandler’s legs until the ref stood her up. Fighting with some fire under her, Santos flashed a front kick that missed, then ripped one to the leg a moment or two later. Chandler finally closed the distance, taking Santos to the fence, only for Santos to easily break free, with no takedown attempt in sight.

Another clinch along the fence led to knees being traded, but little else. But likely down in the round and in the fight, Chandler needed to use those clinches to get the fight to the ground – and seemed unable to. Santos got a front push kick high enough to graze the face. The kick would come again with about 20 seconds left. Santos would fire an elbow, and went on the attack again just before the horn.

With Chandler almost certainly down two rounds to none, a finish was almost certainly required. She would use a left hand to bully her way into the clinch early in round three. She had underhooks, with her hands clasped, and tried to pull off a trip, to no avail. A moment later, Santos freed herself and circled out. Chandler was having a better round in the early going, putting Santos back on the fence a second time just under two minutes in.

Again, Chelsea Chandler couldn’t get the fight done. Santos even managed to reverse and get some control time of her own. They’d come off, then go back to the fence, come off again, and return. This time, Chandler landed a couple of lefts, one big one. Time was falling off the clock however, and Chandler’s inability to make those clinches pay off would cost her the fight.

Yana Santos returns to the win column with the victory, snapping a three-fight skid.

Official Result: Yana Santos def. Chelsea Chandler by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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While Japan’s Kazama had been knocked out in his first two UFC bouts, Cyprus’ Grigoriou had only lost a decision in his debut after his DWCS win. With both men looking for their first UFC win, this bout had the highest of stakes in their minds, even if not those of the fans.

Kazama shot a takedown in the opening seconds but only managed to push his foe against the fence. After holding him there for a while, Kazama landed a knee which may have been illegal, with Grigoriou’s hand on the mat. Jason Herzog paused the fight while the commentary debated the legality of the knee; Charalampos’ hand was coming up right as the knee landed. When the fight restarted they were at distance but again Toshiomi shot, this time transitioning to the back. He had the back almost fully but made a mistake by giving up the position to hunt for an arm bar, allowing Grigoriou to get on top. However, Kazama executed a half-guard sweep and got on top, where the round ended.

Grigoriou came out swinging to start round two and hurt Kazama badly. Kazama almost got a takedown but Charalampos shook him off and got back to his assault. The Cypresian fighter dropped his foe and pounced on top with elbows. Jason Herzog warned Kazama to defend and he did just enough to stay alive as Grigoriou wore himself out. While he rested, clearly exhausted, Toshiomi Kazama locked up a triangle choke. Grigoriou was so tired that he tapped almost right away.

Despite his battered face, Kazama radiated joy after earning his first UFC win with slick grappling skills.

Official Result: Toshiomi Kazama def. Charalampos Grigoriou by submission (triangle choke), Round 2, 1:55

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The Fight Night event at the UFC Apex found both fighters looking to return to the winner’s circle. Kianzad had lost two straight, to Ketlen Vieira and Macy Chiasson, while Rosa was coming off a single loss to Irene Aldana.

Rosa was ranked #8, Kianzad #11 to start the night.

Kianzad opened the fight with a jab to the body, while Rosa looked to find a home for her low kicks. Kianzad fired back with one of her own, but Rosa landed another, sharper calf kick. And another. Kianzad tried to keep up in the kicking exchanges, but just didn’t have the power behind her own. Rosa then fired a 1-2, with Kianzad returning a jab in response.

Rosa continued to chop the lead leg of Pannie Kianzad, who was already showing damage. An outside kick connected, then another, that nearly took Kianzad off her feet. Soon, Pannie was stepping gingerly on that leg, and opted to switch stances. That bought her some time, but soon enough, Rosa was chopping the opposite leg as well. In the final minute, Kianzad actually fell throwing a kick of her own, unable to support herself on her compromised leg.

Rosa and Kianzad got to trading in the opening minute of round two, Rosa holding her ground throughout the exchanges and mixing in a lead elbow. One of those blows opened up a cut on Kianzad, who was soon leaking blood along the hairline. Rosa continued to chop the legs, and rag-dolled Kianzad a bit. Her face a mask of blood, Kianzad was likely to have some issues with vision at some point, though much of the blood was running alongside her nose.

Clinching up, Rosa fired an elbow, continuing to impose her will. Kianzad was still answering, but throwing less, landing less, and doing far less damage. Rosa’s own face was bloodied, from rubbing against Kianzad in the clinch. Wearing her opponents blood, Rosa kept up the kicks, leading to Kianzad hopping at one point. Pannie did get a decent combo off in the final minute, but it felt like a few more kicks might topple the TUF 28 alum.

Early in the third, Rosa tied things up, with Pannie firing a knee in the clinch. Rosa threw a few weak shots to the body, then looked to land a standing elbow before the broke, moving back to center. Another clinch went nowhere, then Kianzad got her hands going. Rosa, however, opted to take a different track, landing a trip takedown with over three minutes on the clock. Kianzad closed her guard, accepting the position despite the low percentage that she’d be able to win from bottom. At least she wasn’t about to be kicked in the leg with Rosa on top of her.

To her credit, Kianzad, tough as nails throughout the fight, made it back to her feet. A nasty elbow from Rosa with a minute forty left on the clock connected. A combination from Karol Rosa saw lefts and rights land. Kianzad held on, landing some short right hands in a clinch along the fence. Rosa put her weight on her, battling for position and perhaps a takedown. 45 seconds to go, and there was little question that, barring a miracle, Karol Rosa had the fight in the bag. One more elbow eaten by Kianzad, another flurry, and some knees, and the horn sounded to close things out. Zero question whatsoever as to the winner. A worthy scrap for the featured prelim spot.

Official Result: Karol Rosa def. Pannie Kianzad by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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