UFC ORLANDO: Summary

The UFC made their return to the south at UFC Orlando this weekend with 9 finishes and a couple of classic fights to offer. As a fan that attended live, I can vouch for the electricity in the crowd and the pay per view like deliverance of energy from the fighters. Let’s break down some of the things we saw at one of the last fight night cards of 2022.

PRELIMS:

Yasmín Jauregui vs Istela Nunes
The prelims started off with a great striking match between strawweights Yasmín Jauregui (10-0-0) and Istela Nunes (6-4-0 1 NC) and ended in a TKO finish for Jauregui to continue her unbeaten streak and heighten the excitement of her presence in the division. Both ladies started the fight swinging and traded big shots ending in knockdowns until Yasmín was able to capitalize on her speed and accuracy in the beginning of the second round. I knew it would be a great night of fights with the way these two began the evening. I would love to see Yasmín Jauregui matched up with someone like Vanessa Demopolous or Cory McKenna on her way up the strawweight division.

Marcelo Rojo vs Francis Marshall
The next prelim fight of the evening was between two tough featherweights Marcelo Rojo (16-10-0) and Francis Marshall (7-0-0) and like the opening fight, started off with the both of them trading shots. Marshall came in with a bit more tenacity and variety of striking, kicking Rojo’s lead leg, offering shots to the body and utilizing his jab. Rojo successfully landed a few of his striking attempts in the first round as well, and he seemed to be the more patient and calm of the two fighters. In the beginning of the second round, Marshall came out with more urgency and pressure while Rojo continued to keep up with the pace and mix up his striking attacks well, with kicks to the body and legs of Marshall as well as strikes to the head. With 3 minutes and 55 seconds to go in the second round, the two began swinging at each other in the pocket and Marshall got the best of the exchange, knocking Rojo unconscious with a perfectly timed right hand on the break. I would like to see the UFC continue to match Marshall up intelligently and slowly build him up. I think Shane Young or Kamuela Kirk would be good matchups for him moving forward.

Natan Levy vs Genaro Valdez
Next in the evening was Natan Levy (8-1-0) versus Genaro Valdez (10-2-0.) The first fight in Orlando to go to decision was credited to the toughness of Valdez and a well calculated master class performance by Natan Levy. Levy is quite the well rounded fighter and I think many others on the lightweight roster would have been finished by him in this fight, Valdez is just as tough as it gets. Eating every shot Levy threw and working the entire fight to defend takedowns, although the attempt to do so wasn’t always successful. This fight went to decision but the crowd was pleased with the action, as was I. I would like to see Natan Levy matched up with someone like Ignacio Bahamondes or Gabriel Benitez.

Darren Elkins vs Jonathan Pearce
Elkins (27-11-0) versus Pearce (14-4-0) started with Pearce throwing not one or two head kicks to the face of Elkins, but 3 within the first round. This set the tone for the entire fight, consisting of both men swinging with power and attempting + securing takedowns. It was a great fight for those of us that appreciate the full arsenal of mixed martial arts because Pearce did a great job at showcasing his wrestling, striking defense and offense. This fight was the first of the night to leave a significant amount of blood due to the damage done by Pearce on the always tough Darren Elkins. Pearce put on a pretty dominant performance and won the unanimous decision. I’d like to see Pearce against someone like Andre ‘Touchy’ Fili or Makwan Amirkhani.

Michael Johnson vs Marc Diakese
It was a great night for the OGs on this card, starting with the one and only Michael Johnson (22-18-0) versus Marc Diakese (16-6-0). This fight was the turning point for the crowd, although there had been action in the fights before.. It just seemed like the energy was turned up to the next level when Michael Johnson made his walkout to Blunt Blowin by Lil Wayne. It was quite the performance for the 12 year veteran of the UFC, as he seemed to dominate Diakese in every exchange and round. Nothing makes me happier than to see MJ continue hanging with the younger guys and showing us this new and improved, well rounded version of him. I would like to see Johnson continue to rebuild his stock in the division and fight guys like Nasrat Haqparast or Jalin Turner.

Clay Guida vs Scott Holtzman
Speaking of OGs, next up on the prelims was a fight between two men that have put in some serious hours with the UFC. Clay Guida (38-19-0) versus Scott Holtzman (14-6-0). Although you may never know which version of Guida will show up, it seems as if he took the energy from the crowd and was able to use it for an incredible performance. I’m not quite sure how he does it but his cardio is great, his striking was there and as always, his ability to wrestle remains. I would like to see Clay Guida in a fun fight like Tony Ferguson or Bobby Green, although Green is currently matched up with Drew Dober.

Angela Hill vs Emily Ducote
The prelims finished off with another OG facing a potential prospect, Angela Hill (15-12-0) versus Emily Ducote (12-7-0.) The fight was a fairly dominant striking performance on the side of Hill who was the slight underdog headed into this matchup. Ducote attempted 2 takedowns that were successfully stuffed by Hill, and with this win she is now on a two fight win streak in the promotion. It was nice to close off the prelims with a decision on the side of Angela Hill as many fans believe she has been on the short end of the stick when it comes to split decisions in the UFC. I would like to see Angela matched up against someone like Mackenzie Dern, although that is a high jump in the rankings I think Hill has earned that and would put on a good fight. If not Dern, then possibly another prospect like Polyana Viana.

MAIN CARD:
This main card was quite electric in person, with every fight ending in a finish.

Philip Rowe vs Niko Price
The first fight on the main card was an anticipated match up between Philip Rowe (10-3-0) versus Niko Price (15-6-0, 2NC.) As a fan attending the event, I was very excited to watch this one due to the excitement that both of these men bring to the cage each time they fight. At this point of the night, the crowd was fully present chanting for the fighters and even doing the wave at one point. I remember noticing the intensity in Price’s face in comparison to the calmness that Rowe seemed to be possessing. Bruce Buffer announced Rowe, fighting out of Orlando, and the crowd popped immediately. I mentioned on Twitter that there is nothing better than hearing Bruce Buffer announce in person and I stand by that. Round 1 begins and Price immediately closes the distance in the center of the octagon, throwing punches, kicks and spinning attacks while Rowe seemed to keep his calmness and work to read the shots of Price. The beginning of the fight was fairly back and forth with both men staying active and trading shots, although it seemed that Rowe was a bit more calculated and impactful with his. Both men attempted to take the fight to the mat but it was Rowe that was successful with his attempts. By the end of the second round, Price was wearing the damage that Rowe had gotten through on him. The crowd was loving this fight. Going into the third round, both men stayed extremely active standing in the pocket and throwing shots at one another. Price seemed to drop Rowe with just under 4 minutes left in the round, raining down strikes using his hands and elbows in the top position. After this exchange, Rowe was able to get back to his feet and at this point, Price was clearly tired. In the last two minutes of the last round in what seemed to be a pretty evenly scored fight, Rowe was able to capitalize on the exhaustion of Price. He threw a right hand followed by an elbow to initiate the beginning of the end for Price, and continued moving forward with knees to the body, finishing him with 1:35 seconds left in the fight. And once again, the crowd went insane. Rowe is on quite the run and i’d like to see him continue this momentum and climb up the division versus someone in the top #15 like Daniel Rodriguez or Michael Chiesa.

Eryk Anders vs Kyle Daukaus
It was great to see Eryk Anders out there looking the way that he did. His movement was great, he stayed patient and showed off the hands that we’ve always known he was capable of. Many people counted Anders out in this fight, but I remember thinking to myself that his power is something that should always be respected. He came into this fight looking like someone that is free of injury, and knowing that he did stem cell treatment for his bad back also had me re-considering the narrative that many people had for this one. Daukaus was doing a good job at beating up the lead leg of Anders in the first round and working on finding his range with a classic jab. Anders was controlling the cage for the most part in this round. Both men had good output but Anders was definitely the more active of the two, even securing a knockdown in the last couple minutes of the first. In the second round, Daukaus shoots for a takedown that was not successful. Anders keeps his feet planted and continues causing damage to the side of Daukaus’ head. The two are put back on the feet by Keith Peterson and once again Anders continues with pressure and aggression and causes Daukaus to panic wrestle by landing a clean overhand left, this would be the beginning of the end for Daukaus in the bottom position. The ref stepped in with 2 minutes and 15 seconds left in the second round as Daukaus was seemingly not defending himself and taking heavy shots from Anders. This would be Anders’ first TKO win since June of 2019, and boy was it a sight to see. I think everyone in attendance was happy to see Anders back in the win column and looking like the Anders we all loved when he first came into the UFC. It was a great moment. I don’t have any specific fights i’d like to see Anders in at the moment, but I do think he will be making his way into the top 15 soon if he continues to fight with the same tenacity and IQ he showed on Saturday night.

Jack Hermansson vs Roman Dolidze
The next matchup of the night was between Jack Hermansson (23-8-0) versus Roman Dolidze (12-1-0) and ended in a finish that had everyone in the crowd on their feet. Coming into this fight on fairly short notice, Dolidze was the underdog. Hermansson began the round looking very technical, cutting off the cage and chopping up the lead leg of Dolidze with kicks. Toward the end of the first round, Dolidze seemed to find his range and had a few moments of backing Hermansson up against the cage. All I have to say about the second round is.. Wow. In the last minute of the 2nd, Dolidze was able to reverse a well timed takedown from Hermansson after attempting an arm bar from the bottom position. We then see Dolidze get a CALF SLICER in on Hermansson, which was absolutely insane. In this strong position Dolidze was able to flatten Hermansson out on his stomach and rain down shots from the top to secure a 2nd round TKO over the #9 ranked Jack Hermansson. This was an absolutely incredible performance from the underdog and earned him a POTN bonus. I think Strickland or even Brunson would be a smart next move for Dolidze.

Tai Tuivasa vs Sergei Pavlovich
The next bout was the first and only heavyweight fight on the card between two heavy hitters Tai Tuivasa (15-5-0) and Sergei Pavlovich (17-1-0.) Bam Bam Tuivasa of course had the crowd cheering his name as he walked out to Nelly Furtado’s ‘I’m Like A Bird.’ I was loving every second of his walkout, it was my first time seeing it live and it was a treat. But, the walkout of Tai lasted longer than the fight itself. We all knew this fight would end in a knockout, with the odds of the fight not going the distance sitting at -900 in the sportsbooks. Sergei took advantage of his speed and tremendous reach (84”) and was able to knock Tuivasa out within 60 seconds of the start of the fight. I believe that Sergei is the dark horse of the heavyweight division and gives everyone in the top 3, as well as the champ, a real problem to deal with. I would like to see him matched up with Ciryl Gane next on his way to the championship fight.

Matheus Nicolau vs Matt Schnell
This fight between favorite Matheus Nicolau (19-3-1) and underdog Matt Schnell (16-7-0, 1 NC) was quite the coming out party for Matheus Nicolau. If you didn’t know of him before, you know of him now. Schnell had the momentum behind him after one of the best comebacks the sport has seen in July of this year versus Su Mudaerji (16-5-0.) Nicolau started the fight by circling the cage and seemingly waiting patiently to counter the shots of Schnell, as he does with the majority of his opponents. The majority of the first round consisted of both men working to find their own and each other’s rhythm, with a small amount of strikes thrown on each side. Toward the end of the first round, Nicolau found his jab and dropped Schnell. The boo’s from the crowd quickly turned into cheers as Nicolau capitalized on this moment and began raining shots down from the top position. Schnell, being the tough fighter he is, was able to get back on his feet and finish off the round. Coming into the second round, both fighters kept up their footwork and movement, but it took less than two minutes for Nicolau to find that right hand again and drop Schnell and finish the fight via TKO. I must say, this man has one of the best signature post win moves. Great performance by him. I would like to see him matched up with someone in the top five next, possibly Brandon Royval or Kai Kara France. What a beautiful striking affair those fights would be.

Bryan Barberena vs Rafael dos Anjos
The co-main event of the evening was a fight between two respected men in the game, Bryan Barerena (18-9-0) and Rafael dos Anjos (32-14-0.) This fight started the same way most Barberena fights do, with Barberena walking forward immediately and working to put pressure on dos Anjos. But if there is anyone who will not play into the game plan of their opponent, it’s Rafael dos Anjos. RDA was able to secure 4 of his 6 takedown attempts against Barberena. In the second round, RDA secured the takedown and not only was he showing his vicious ground and pound game, but while doing so he continued to attempt various submissions. Barberena gets back to his feet and gets taken down yet again shortly after. As Barberena attempts to get back to his feet once again, RDA takes the back and within less than one minute is able to secure a rear naked choke. It’s great to see someone who has put in so much time into his career with the UFC continue to dominate the majority of his opponents. I myself and everyone in the crowd showed clear excitement to see him get this win against an always tough opponent. I’d like to see RDA continue to thrive in the 170 division, I think he is an OG of the sport and deserves fights that make sense for his career. I’d like to see him matched up with a big name like Jorge Masvidal or someone in the top 10, possibly Vicente Luque.

Stephen Thompson vs Kevin Holland
As the legend Bruce Buffer says, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. One of the best aspects of being at a live event is hearing the crowd roar alongside Buffer while he says his famous lines. The main event between Stephen Thompson (17-6-1) and Kevin Holland (23-9-0, 1 NC) was an instant classic, I couldn’t be more thankful to have watched this fight live. The crowd was going insane the entire fight. Wonderboy did his legendary walkout and Kevin Holland brought the intense energy through his as well. The first round between these two was quite competitive as they showed off why they are some of the best strikers in the welterweight division of the UFC. This fight did not go the scheduled 5 rounds and between the two of them, there were just under 500 strikes thrown. Although the first round was a back and forth affair, the rest of the fight consisted of Wonderboy outclassing the Trailblazer with his speed, fight IQ and ability to mix up his attacks on the feet. Without the toughness of Holland, this fight wouldn’t be nearly as good as it was. He was able to take most of the shots thrown by Wonderboy but he was definitely taking a lot of unnecessary damage, he was aware of this himself and called the fight after the fourth round which I commend him for. I think that Wonderboy has paid his dues in the UFC and deserves fights that make sense name wise and stylistically. I’d like to see him matched up with Conor Mcgregor or even a rematch between him and Jorge Masvidal. Overall, I was pleased to see the OG’s come out on top at UFC Orlando and felt honored to attend my second event of the year. The crowd came with the energy and it showed in each and every fight. I hope the UFC continues to travel around the US and internationally for these fight night cards.