UFC Vegas 102: Five Things We Learned

UFC Vegas 102: Five Things We Learned

UFC Vegas 102 featured many fighters at important stages of their careers. This includes older veterans, rising contenders, UFC debutants, and more. Let’s recap the event and dive into fighters’ performances in crucial fights. Here are five things we learned from UFC Vegas 102.

Jared Cannonier Refuses To Out Sad

In the UFC Vegas 102 main event, Jared Cannonier had his back up against the wall. The 40-year-old entered the bout with consecutive finish losses and could not afford a third. He was able to get himself back into the win column with a fourth-round knockout against Gregory Rodrigues.

Cannonier’s victory did not come without adversity. In the first round, Rodrigues used his size and speed to land massive shots. Cannonier was dropped twice and hurt on multiple occasions. Still, he managed to survive the round.

In the second round, Cannonier began to push the pace as Rodrigues slowed down. This was accomplished by getting inside and landing big punches. Plus, he sat down on a few heavy leg kicks. This continued into the third round as well. He stayed in Rodrigues’ face and continued throwing heavy shots. The offensive pressure never stopped.

Ultimately, the fight changed when Cannonier landed a massive clinch elbow that dropped Rodrigues; however, he landed the shot with seconds left in the third round. He was unable to get the stoppage before the bell, but he quickly finished the hurt Rodrigues in the fourth round.

This was a great win for Cannonier. It was a sensational demonstration of how to survive danger before pushing a pace. It also showed that he is not willing to lay down for the up-and-coming prospects of the middleweight division. The question is how long he can keep performing at this level.

Youssef Zalal Has Another Impressive Performance

In the UFC Vegas 102 co-main event, Youssef Zalal picked up a decision win over Calvin Kattar. The victory will make Zalal a ranked featherweight and keep his streak of impressive performances rolling.

This fight displayed Zalal’s striking skills and movement. In the first two rounds, Zalal used his speed and movement to get in and out of the pocket to land shots without taking any in return. His ability to avoid’s Kattar’s boxing was impressive.

The one issue with Zalal’s performance is that he did not attempt to land any offense in the third round. The dynamic of the fight was clear. Zalal won the first two rounds and Kattar needed a finish to win. Well, Zalal knew that he used his movement to avoid the fight for the entire third round.

Despite the uninspiring third round, Zalal still had a strong performance. This win put him at 4-0 since he returned to the UFC. Now, the challenges will only get steeper.

Nazim Sadykhov Moves Up The Lightweight Prospect Rankings

At UFC Vegas 102, Nazim Sadkyhov defeated Ismael Bonfim because of a doctor stoppage after the first round. The victory puts Sadykhov in a solid position in the lightweight rankings.

This fight was not going well for Sadykhov in the early moments. Bonfim was consistently landing big strikes. It felt like he could end the fight at any moment. Although, Sadykhov stayed composed and began to threaten with kicks. That eventually allowed him to set up a question mark kick that hurt Bonfim badly. Sadykhov was unable to finish the fight, however. Eventually, the ringside doctor did that in between rounds.

This victory makes Sadykhov 3-0-1 in the UFC. On top of that, he managed to take out another highly regarded prospect. That puts him in a position to gain some respect as a solid lightweight prospect.

Angela Hill Takes Out Another Prospect

At UFC Vegas 102, Angela Hill defeated another rising prospect. This time around she won a decision over Ketlen Souza.

Hill started off hot in this fight. In the first round, she was dominant. She landed strikes from a distance, attacked with knees in the clinch, and spent time in the top position. The second and third rounds were much closer, however. Souza began to pressure with offense while Hill continued to land shots from the outside. At the end of the fight, the judges scored the bout for Hill.

This fight continued Hill’s trend of defeating young prospects. Her three most recent victories have all come against prospects that were looking to use Hill’s name to climb into the rankings. Despite being 40 years old, Hill had impressive performances against them all.

UFC 312: Five Things We Learned

Elijah Smith Wins A Tough UFC Debut

Elijah Smith made his UFC debut at UFC Vegas 102. The 22-year-old picked up a tough-fought decision victory over Vince Morales to get in the win column.

Smith showed a lot of his positive skills in this fight. That includes his speed, athleticism, and boxing. He managed to use his speed to consistently land his jab, but he also sat down on a few big strikes that did significant damage. The most potent strike he landed was an uppercut in the third round.

Aside from his success, Smith also had to fight through adversity. In the second round, Smith and Morales engaged in a brutal grappling pace. In the chaos, Morales used his tricky front choke series to put Smith in serious danger. It looked like he was going to land the submission multiple times.

This was a strong performance for Smith. The Dana White’s Contender Series alumni did not have a layup for a debut, but he still managed to get his hand raised. At 22, there is plenty of time for Smith to make a serious impact in the UFC.

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