UFC Vegas 62: Five Things We Learned
UFC Vegas 62 was a solid night of fights. The card could have been a little strong, but the cancelation of Brandon Royval vs Askar Askarov removed an important fight from the card. Nonetheless, Alexa Grasso and Viviane Araujo put on a great fight in the main event. Outside of that, the card was entertaining as six of the 11 fights ended via finish. Plus, we were able to learn a handful of things about the fighters that competed on the card. Here are five things we learned at UFC Vegas 62.
1. Alexa Grasso Has Entered Title Talks
Alexa Grasso looked tremendous in her unanimous decision win against Viviane Araujo at UFC Vegas 62. In the fight, Grasso’s boxing was crisp. Her hands were quick and accurate, and she was able to consistently out-strike Araujo. Grasso also did well to defend against Araujo’s grappling. Outside of round two, she did a great job of defending takedowns. If she was taken down, she immediately got back up.
In our UFC Vegas 62 Preview, I talked about how the women’s flyweight title picture is confusing because there are a handful of options for the next title contenders. After UFC Vegas 62, that still holds true; however, I do think Grasso has worked her way into the title discussion.
As of right now, Grasso is on the outside looking in at the next title shot. The two most obvious choices to challenge for Valentina Shevchenko’s title are Taila Santos as she was debatably robbed in her first with the champion and Manon Fiorot, if she bests Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 280. With that in mind, Grasso has earned the right to fight a top-five opponent like Jessica Andrade or Lauren Murphy. A win against either of those women would prove she deserves a shot at the title.
2. Jonathan Martinez is a Legit Bantamweight Prospect
Jonathan Martinez impressed at UFC Vegas 62 as he finished Cub Swanson with a leg kick in the second round. Throughout the fight, he was miles ahead of Swanson. Martinez nearly finished the fight in the first round after landing a massive knee, followed by a perfect body shot. Outside of the impactful strikes, Martinez controlled the fight with his tremendous kicks. In comparison to previous fights, he showed an improvement in his boxing too.
This fight should improve Martinez’s status in the bantamweight division. Previously, Martinez was viewed as a solid young fighter, but he was not as high on people’s radar as other young bantamweights. After his domination of Swanson, his stock should skyrocket. At this point, Martinez should be discussed as one of the best prospects in the bantamweight division alongside Adrian Yanez, Umar Nurmagomedov, and others.
3. Cub Swanson has Questions to Answer
As we have already discussed, Swanson did not have a great night at UFC Vegas 62.
My issue with Swanson is that his durability has taken a severe drop. He did not absorb damage well in his fight with Martinez. That was also an issue in his fight with Giga Chikadze. Now, Swanson has two questions to answer.
The first is far easier; what weight class will he fight at? The second is tougher; is he still UFC caliber? At 38 years old, bouncing between weight classes is not ideal. At the same, time being unsuccessful while moving around is even worse. Swanson needs to answer these questions. I am not ready to say he needs to hang up his gloves, but I will be watching his next fight closely. I am also not saying he is finished or washed, but I see red flags.
4. Raphael Assuncao is Back
Coming into UFC Vegas 62 things did not look great for Raphael Assuncao. He was on a four-fight losing streak and at 40 years old it did not seem like he was going to get his career back on track. His opponent was Victor Henry, who was coming off a great win over Raoni Barcelos. Assuncao seemed destined for another loss.
However, Assuncao dominated Henry and won all three rounds of their fight. While the fight was standing, Assuncao out struck Henry by counterstriking. He also mixed in some grappling and found success in that aspect too. In this performance, Assuncao showed that his gas tank is far from empty and that he can continue to fight in the UFC.
5. Tatsuro Taira Has a Bright Future
Tatsuro Taira was the second fight on the UFC Vegas 62 prelims. If you missed this fight, Taira looked good against CJ Vergara. Vergara may not be the best flyweight on the roster, but he is a quality opponent. At the same time, Taira is only 22 and was fighting in his second UFC bout.
This fight was a good measuring stick that helped us gauge where Taira is at in his career. His grappling certainly was terrific as he took Vergara down and controlled him while looking for submissions. Ultimately, he landed a slick armbar that came after transitioning from the back. All in all, Taira looked good, and he seems to have a bright future in the UFC.
