UFC Vegas 100: Five Things We Learned

UFC Vegas 100: Five Things We Learned

UFC Vegas 100 presented several fighters with the chance to make a statement. The card featured fighters looking to climb the rankings while having some UFC debutants looking to get off to a solid start in the UFC. Let’s look at the event and discuss which fighters taught us something new. Here are five things we learned at UFC Vegas 100

Carlos Prates Adds To His Highlight Reel

The UFC Vegas 100 main event ended quickly as Carlos Prates landed a left hand that put Neil Magny out cold. Prates clipped Magny on the temple and ended the fight in the first round.

Prates has become a ranked welterweight in approximately a year and a half since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. It has been a nasty run that has included four highlight reel knockouts. Unfortunately for Magny, he is Prates’ newest victim.

Prates still has a ton of question marks that could hinder a serious title run. At this point, he has not been in an extended fight or tested against an elite grappler. It is not to say he cannot pass those tests. Instead, we simply do not have the evidence to be confident in his success or failure. Regardless, his length, power, accuracy, and diverse set of weapons make him a tough fighter to beat in a striking-based fight.

At this point, Prates has legitimate superstar potential. It is not a surprise to see him become a fan favorite. This is a fighter who fights frequently, knocks opponents out, and has a fun personality. It is going to be exciting to see what Prates can do against ranked opponents.

Reinder de Ridder Passes His First UFC Test

At UFC Vegas 100, Reiner de Ridder made his UFC debut against Gerald Meerschaert. This was a must-watch fight considering what de Ridder has accomplished outside of the UFC. The 34-year-old was a two-division champion in ONE Championship. That is the type of fighter you have to watch when they enter the UFC.

de Ridder passed his first UFC test as he picked up a third-round submission against Gerald Meerschaert. The bout showed a mix of strengths and weaknesses for the UFC debutant.

It has to be recognized immediately that de Ridder defeated Meerschaert at his own game. Meerschaert does not get much respect for his grappling prowess, but he has the most submission victories in middleweight history. In fact, he has 11 submissions while Brendan Allen, who currently sits in second, has six. It is impressive to see anyone take Meerschaert into deep waters and land a submission. It should also be noted that de Ridder is massive for the middleweight division.

On the negative side of things, de Ridder has highly suspect striking, his takedowns are not great, and his cardio is concerning. All of these issues put a damper on his performance and limit his UFC upside.

It will be interesting to see how de Ridder’s UFC career turns out. At a minimum, his achievements outside of the UFC make him worthy of attention when he steps into the UFC octagon.

Gaston Bolanos Edge Out A Close Decision

One of the most entertaining fights from UFC Vegas 100 was a bantamweight bout between Gaston Bolanos and Cortavious Romious. It was a close fight, but Bolanos edged out the victory.

This was a great fight that included some heavy striking exchanges and interesting grappling exchanges. The deciding factor was Bolanos’ aggressive striking from the top position and his ability to prevent Romious from controlling the top position.

This was an underrated UFC Vegas 100 bout because was an important fight for both fighter’s careers. Bolanos and Romious are 30 and 32, respectively. At the bantamweight division, that is older than it seems. Plus, neither fighter has a bevy of UFC experience. At those ages, it is important to get off to a solid start in the promotion. Now, Bolanos is 2-1 in the promotion while Romious is 0-1. That is not to say Romious is dead in the water, but he is facing an uphill battle.

Gillian Robertson Continues Her Strawweight Run

UFC Vegas 100 featured a ranked women’s flyweight matchup between Gillian Robertson and Luana Pinheiro. Robertson used her grappling to pick up a dominant victory. Now, she sits at 4-1 since dropping down to the women’s strawweight division.

This fight showed exactly what makes Robertson a dangerous strawweight. In most fights, she will be bigger and more physical while also having a technical grappling edge. This allows her to land takedowns and get to strong positions. In those positions, she is nasty with ground and pound and will hunt submission. Despite not finishing this fight, she showed this dominance when in the top position.

Robertson is on the verge of getting into much tougher fights. It is clear she can have success against unranked and lower-ranked strawweights. That success has her knocking on the door of a top-ten matchup. It will be very telling to see how she performs in that fight.

Mansur Abdul-Malik Shows His Finishing Skills

At UFC Vegas 100, Mansur Abdul-Malik made his UFC debut. The Dana White’s Contender Series contestant showed his finishing skills en route to a first-round knockout against Dusko Todorovic.

This was a fairly easy fight for Abdul-Malik on paper. Todorovic is not a great UFC fighter and does not have great durability. That said, Abdul-Malik treated him exactly like he was supposed to. The 27-year-old landed a barrage of punches on the feet and landed big strikes on the ground.

Abdul-Malik is still a raw fighter. The wrestling and athleticism are obvious. With that being said, he still has a lot of improvements to make. This is a raw fighter with a ton of upside. In the future, Abdul-Malik should be put under the microscope to see how he improves from fight to fight.

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