MMA fans had themselves another treat on Saturday.
The UFC returned to Sacramento for the first time since 2019, topped by a middleweight showdown between Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues. Meanwhile, the PFL hosted Cris Cyborg’s retirement fight in Tampa as she took on Ketlen Vieira.
In the aftermath of both events, here are three lessons learned…
Carli Judice shone in her first-ever main card appearance on Saturday, shutting down Jeisla Chaves with a body kick and punches in the first round. After the fight, she made her future desires clear:
“I want top 15 next. Give me a shot at that.”
Now, most of the fighters in the lower rungs are booked. JJ Aldrich will look to protect her spot against Regina Tarin at Noche UFC, while Casey O’Neill and Eduarda Moura will clash a week after that. Finally, Karine Silva draws Gabriella Fernandes in November.
If Judice wants to establish herself as a contender to watch, the loser of any of them should make sense. Women’s MMA has seldom seen as explosive a fighter as her, and it warrants attention.
Cyborg’s final fight was tainted by controversy on its eve, as Vieira missed weight by 7.2 pounds and rendered herself ineligible for the featherweight title. The disappointment did not stop there, however, as the ensuing contest proved lackluster.
Cyborg was content to piece up her opponent from the outside without really trying to finish her, eventually securing a unanimous decision win. It was a rather deflating end to a career that saw her establish her notoriety with vicious finishes.
Nevertheless, the end has seemingly come, and debates over Cyborg’s MMA legacy will linger in the years to come. Was she really a one-of-a-kind fighter, or did she benefit from often overmatched opposition? Either way, most will never get to truly know.
“Robocop” has arrived.
Rodrigues outslugged Hernandez over five rounds, firmly establishing himself as a contender to watch over the coming months. His indomitability in the second headliner of his UFC career marked a major contrast from when he gassed out against Jared Cannonier, and it sets a dangerous message.
Rodrigues is already a very potent striker, boasting 12 knockouts among his 20 wins. He is also a black belt eight-time national champion, and two-time world champion in jiu-jitsu. Finally, he is a former Pan-American runner up in wrestling, so going to the ground with him is also dangerous. Add to that newfound five-round cardio, and he could become a middleweight title threat in no time, especially with many of his peers going 20 lbs. north.
In a way, Rodrigues is a bigger version of Tony Ferguson: versatile in all aspects of MMA. The likes of Dricus du Plessis and Brendan Allen may have to be cautious before agreeing to fight him…
To end August, the UFC visits Shanghai for a double treat.
Friday, August 28 will see the semifinals of the Road to UFC feeder program. Sixteen of Asian MMA’s best prospects across four divisions will clash for a chance to compete for a contract. Meanwhile, the following day sees the main course: a Fight Night.
Former title challengers Umar Nurmagomedov and Xiaonan Yan will be in action as they face Yadong Song and Denise Gomes, respectively. Elsewhere, Ce Liu makes his promotional debut; Kai Asakura continues his quest for a bantamweight ranking; and Jingnan Xiong seeks her first Octagon win.
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