UFC Denver: Five Things We Learned

UFC Denver: Five Things We Learned

UFC Denver is in the books. The event had a few fighters who showed an evolution to their game while others had career-high performances. That gives us a good amount of lessons to recap. Here are five things we learned from UFC Denver.

Rose Namajunas gets her best flyweight victory

In the UFC Denver main event, Rose Namajunas picked up a decision win over Tracy Cortez. This was Namajunas’ best performance in the flyweight division. 

This fight does not require a complicated recap. Cortez did not offensively grapple as much as many expected. That allows Namajunas to utilize her distance striking to outland Cortez. Once she gained momentum, she did an outstanding job of maintaining success. In the late rounds, Cortez began to find more success, but it was not enough to close the gap. 

This was definitely the best that Namajunas’ looked in the flyweight division. Now, her record in the division sits at 2-1. It is hard to say exactly how see will fair against the upper echelon of the division. At a minimum, this win provides more optimism that she will find success.

Tracy Cortez needs more development 

The UFC Denver main event did not go as planned for Cortez. That said, it should not be time to discount the prospect. 

This was not an ideal performance against Cortez. Still, in a striking-based fight against a former champion, she had impressive moments. This was best seen in the later rounds when she had a cardio advantage. 

Cortez has the potential to compete with the top portion of the division, but she will have to make a few improvements. At the moment, it feels like she has really good wrestling and solid striking. It feels like she needs to take another step forward in one area. That would help her matchup with elite fighters.

Jean Silva is a serious problem 

Jean Silva made a massive statement at UFC Denver with a doctor stoppage against Drew Dober. It’s safe to say Silva is going to be a problem. 

Silva was fighting with every disadvantage imaginable in this fight. This was a short-notice fight that he took at a weight class up. Plus, it was at elevation. Silva deserves serious respect for taking out an opponent of Dober’s quality under those circumstances. 

This performance showed Silva’s striking skills. In theory, he didn’t have any business outstriking Dober. That said, he did it. Despite being the smaller fighter, his strikes were doing serious damage. It is not easy to hurt Dober, but Silva pulled it off. 

The craziest part of this fight is that Silva can return to the featherweight division. If he can beat Dober, he will be a serious issue for the average featherweight.

Gabriel Bonfim patches his cardio 

At UFC Denver, Gabriel Bonfim picked up a decision win over Ange Loosa. The victory was a bounce-back for Bonfim and his first career loss in the rear-view mirror. 

Bonfim showed massive improvements in this fight. In his previous bout, he gassed out early into the fight and was finished. This time out, his cardio held up for three rounds. It seems like Bonfim has patched his cardio concern. That makes his ceiling miles higher. 

It should also be noted that Bonfim showed skill improvements as well. On the feet, his straight shots were strong. The jab and teep kick were on point. It felt like Bonfim ensured that he had the tools to win a decision. 

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Montel Jackson has the best performance of his career

On the UFC Denver prelims, one of the most anticipated fights was a bantamweight matchup between Montel Jackson and Da’Mon Blackshear. The fight did not last long as Jackson landed an 18-second knockout.

This is the type of performance that Jackson is capable of. Obviously, the expectation isn’t that he will knock out every opponent in less than a minute. This is a strong example of what makes him special, however. 

Jackson has a great combination of height, size, athleticism, power, and skills. When he fights to his top potential, he can have sensational performances. 

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