Thiago Moises def. Alexander Hernandez via Unanimous Decision
Thiago Moises – Kevin Lee
Heading into 2020 Thiago Moises was potentially fighting for his career against Michael Johnson. He has lost two of his first three UFC bouts and had his back against the wall. Flash forward to less than a year after that bout, Moises has won three straight and could campaign for a ranked opponent next. The American Top Team fighter looked as good as he’s ever looked in the UFC on Saturday night winning comfortably over Hernandez. Kevin Lee is looking to get back into the win column after his loss to Charles Oliveira, and Moises could be the guy the fight to make for him. Both gentlemen would be fighting for a spot in the Top 15.
Alexander Hernandez – Fares Ziam
Alexander Hernandez has been receiving the Darren Till treatment ever since his debut victory for the promotion. He has alternated wins and losses in every performance since that debut against Beneil Dariush. At 28-years-old, Hernandez still has a few years to reach his full potential. The UFC should look to take a step back with Hernandez and match him up with a couple of opponents to help him build back up. One of the few french fighters on the UFC roster, Fares Ziam recently earned his first victory under the banner. For Ziam, Hernandez poses a big step up in competition that would elevate him to the next level.
Alexis Davis def. Sabina Mazo via Unanimous Decision
Alexis Davis – Ketlen Vieira
Alexis Davis came back with a point to prove on Saturday night. The Ontario, Canada native ended a year and a half long hiatus by overpowering the young Columbian over the course of 15-minutes. Davis appeared to be in the best shape of her career physically and it ultimately paid off. With the victory, Davis snapped a three-fight losing skid and cemented her position in the Top 15. I’m expecting her to remain at the 135lb weight class to ease the burden of the weight cut. She will likely be ranked when those are released. Ketlen Vieira recently suffered a defeat to Yana Kunitskaya. Both women would be looking toward a highly ranked opponent if they manage to get their hands raised.
Sabina Mazo – Sijara Eubanks
Sabina Mazo was simply overpowered by the Canadian on the evening. That being said, Mazo is one of the brightest female prospects in the organization and I expect to see her in the rankings sooner rather than later. It was her bantamweight debut, and the strength of her opposition could be a big factor going forward. Although I see her dropping back to flyweight in her next outing, we will match her up as if she chooses to remain a bantamweight. A fight with Catone MMA product Sijara Eubanks would make for a nice clash of styles. Eubanks is a BJJ blackbelt, so it’ll be interesting to see if Mazo can learn from the mistakes she made in the Davis fight. For Eubanks, it’s a must-win matchup as she has now lost back-to-back fights for the second time in her career.
Ronnie Lawrence def. Vince Cachero via TKO (Punches)
Ronnie Lawrence – Tony Kelley
Ronnie Lawrence entered this contest with a ton of hype behind him given Dana White’s love for the bantamweight. Lawrence impressed tremendously on the Contender Series which earned him a UFC contract. On Saturday night, he dominated the full three rounds before overwhelming Vince Cachero late forcing the ref to end the bout. Lawrence now has his first UFC victory under his belt and can begin taking names. A matchup with Tony Kelley would be a fun matchup. Both men love to fight to fight, and Kelley is already the owner of a Fight of the Night award.
Vince Cachero – Domingo Pilarte
Vince Cachero found himself in a very tough spot-on Saturday. Despite showing heart throughout the fight, Lawrence was too much for him on the evening. He has now dropped his first two UFC bouts, and four of his last five. It is important to mention that Cachero made his UFC debut on short notice and up a weight class. Doing a favor for the UFC often earns you an extra fight in the promotion if your back is against the wall. We will likely see Cachero fight again in the UFC, and a fight with Domingo Pilarte may be the fight we see. Both men opened up their UFC careers with back-to-back losses and are in need of a win.
Dustin Jacoby def. Maxim Grishin via Unanimous Decision
Dustin Jacoby – Danilo Marques
Dustin Jacoby entered the bout against Grishin the underdog, and once again showcased why Dana White resigned him. He is one of the few people to go compete in Bare Knuckle boxing and return to the UFC. Even fewer have managed to return successfully like Jacoby has. He is now 2-0 since re-signing with the promotion and is a win or two away from being ranked. Danilo Marques surprised many with his submission victory over Mike Rodriguez and now finds himself in a similar situation as Jacoby. One is high-level grappler and the other is a crisp boxer. It would determine which of the two deserves a step-up in competition.
Maxim Grishin – John Allan
Maxim Grishin had his moments throughout the fight but ultimately fell short to Jacoby. In over forty fights, Grishin has only missed weight three times so I’d expect the UFC will grant him another shot in the light heavyweight division. There a very few fighters with this level of experience in the entire organization. With that being said, he is now 1-2 within the UFC so don’t look for him to be facing a big-name next time out. John Allan is looking for a much-needed victory after losing his last fight via split decision to Roman Dolidze. A matchup between the two will determine who is ready to begin their climb in the division.
