UFC Vegas 94: Five Things We Learned

UFC Vegas 94: Five Things We Learned

UFC Vegas 94 was void of star power and big names. The event did not provide much to get excited about. Thankfully, the fights delivered as the main card featured several fun scraps. It is time to break down those scraps and recap the biggest lessons we learned during UFC Vegas 94.

Virna Jandiroba continues her hot streak

The UFC Vegas 94 main event featured a women’s strawweight bout between Virna Jandiroba and Amanda Lemos. Jandiroba put her BJJ on full display as she landed a second-round submission. That victory was her fourth consecutive win.

This was a competitive fight while it lasted. The first round had several competitive scrambles. In the second round, Jandiroba won a scramble and took Lemos’ back. That allowed her to work from a dominant position for several minutes before locking in an arm bar.

This win continues Jandiroba’s current hot streak. Jandiroba’s four-fight run has gone down against ranked opponents. A win over Lemos adds a former title challenger to her resume as well. At this point, Jandiroba is very close to a title fight. The next challenger for Weili Zhang’s throne will likely be Tatiana Suarez or Jandiroba. Regardless, she has put her place in a strong position.

Steve Garcia lives in chaos

The UFC Vegas 94 co-main event saw Steve Garcia pick up a knockout victory over Seung Woo Choi in just 1:34.

This was a ridiculous fight as Garcia quickly put his foot on the gas pedal. At that point, someone was getting knocked out. Choi landed some impressive counters in the exchange, but Garcia was landing harder and more often. That led to Choi being the one to get finished.

Garcia is now on a four-fight win streak with each win coming in knockout fashion. It is clear that he thrives in chaos. In each victory, he has brought the heat and made the fight chaotic. That game plan has yielded success as he manages to stay composed and land big shots. It certainly helps that he has knockout power too.

Bruno Silva is a flyweight finisher

At UFC Vegas 94, Bruno Silva knocked out Cody Durden in the second round. The comeback showed the danger Silva brings to the octagon.

Durden started hot in this fight. On the feet, he was outstriking Silva, landing effectively, and doing more damage. If that wasn’t enough, he was proactively grappling. That continued into the second round. It looked like Durden was on his way to earning a dominant victory; however, Silva flipped the script when he landed a nasty uppercut that ended the fight.

This was not a sensational performance from Silva. That said, it was a sensational knockout. That is what separates Silva from a lot of flyweights. All four of his UFC victories have been stoppages and he is always live to find a finish. That is a much more rare trait in the flyweight division.

Doo Ho Choi finds the win column for the first time since 2016

At UFC Vegas 94, Doo Ho Choi defeated Bill Algeo to earn his first win since 2016. In an eight-year span, Choi had an all-time great war, a pair of losses, a draw, and a mix of injuries. All of that chaos is in the rear-view mirror as Choi gets back in the win column.

This was a strong fight from Choi. In the first round, he has to fight some adversity. Choi was hurt and fought his way back into the fight. On top of that, he was struggling to land shots because of Algeo’s size. In fairness, he had some success of his own as he nearly landed a guillotine choke, but it was not an ideal round for Choi. In the second round, he had a better feel for the distance and timing. This allowed him to land shots and counter Algeo. That immediately changed the fight and he capitalized with a second-round finish.

Choi deserves a lot of credit for fighting through years of struggle to come back and get a victory. Hopefully, Choi can parlay this win into frequent competition.

Hyder Amil represents Skrap Pack honorably

At UFC Vegas 94, Hyder Amil fought like a crazy person against Jeong Yeong Lee and earned a 1:05 knockout.

Amil is a part of Skrap Pack. That camp has ties to Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Gilbert Melendez, and Jake Sheilds. Not to mention, Melendez is Amil’s head coach.

In his UFC Vegas 94 bout, Amil fought like the Skrap Pack founders. In the first minute, Amil ate a massive counter that should have knocked him out. It did not knock him out and he responded with a 38-piece combination. That is not a typo. Amil literally threw 38 consecutive punches. He bit down on his mouthpiece and let his hands fly until he stopped his opponent.

This is exactly what the Skrap Pack represents. Amil used his toughness to stay in the fight and used his volume boxing to end it. Amil does not just fight out of Skrap Pack. He represents what they stand for.

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