André Muniz def. Ronaldo Souza via Technical Submission (Armbar)
André Muniz – Omari Akhmedov / Brad Tavares Loser
When Muniz claimed to have a grappling advantage over Jacare Souza, most of us scoffed at the notion. Muniz became the first man to submit the 4th degree blackbelt in mixed martial arts competition. It was an impressive performance which could earn the Brazilian a shot at a ranked opponent in his next bout. The loser of the Tavares vs Akhmedov fight may be a suitable opponent for Muniz to get into the top 15.
Ronaldo Souza – Zak Cummings
It has been a rough year for MMA legends with Weidman, dos Santos and Overeem all suffering defeats. At 41 years old, it may be the end of the line for the former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. If the UFC decides to grant him another opportunity, a fight with Zak Cummings could make sense.
Lando Vannata def. Mike Grundy via Split Decision
Lando Vannata – Gavin Tucker
Since remarkably almost upsetting Tony Ferguson in his UFC debut, Lando Vannata has been given tough opponents in his UFC career. Heading into Saturday, many felt that Grundy’s background in wrestling was going to overwhelm Vannata. He showed improved wrestling defense and emerged victorious as a result. A fight with gavin Tucker would offer him an opportunity to display his striking abilities against one of the toughest featherweights in the sport.
Mike Grundy – Matt Sayles
In his first fight on North American soil, Mike Grundy came up short on the night. Despite winning the bout on one scorecard, the Commonwealth Games bronze medalist came up short on the night. A fight with Matt Sayles would be a fun addition to the rumored card coming to the U.K. this summer.
Jordan Wright def. Jamie Pickett via TKO (Punches)
Jordan Wright – Dalcha Lungiambula
Jordan Wright is one of the most exciting prospects in the entire sport. He has never been in a fight more than six minutes long and has finished every opponent he has beaten. With his win on Saturday, Wright will find himself creeping toward the rankings. A win over former EFC double champ Dalcha Lungiambula would cement his place as one of the brightest prospects in the entire division.
Jamie Pickett – Kyle Daukaus
Jamie Pickett has now slid to 0-2 in his first two UFC fights after his performance on Saturday night. The Contender Series product will surely be in need of a victory in his return to the octagon. Kyle Daukaus has seen mixed results in his three UFC fights so a fight between the two would make sense.
Andrea Lee def. Antonina Shevchenko via Submission (Triangle Armbar)
Andrea Lee – Taila Santos
After three consecutive defeats, Andrea Lee must have felt she needed a win on Saturday. After securing a triangle midway through the first round it looked like the bout was over. It ultimately took her an additional two minutes, but she managed to get it done with a triangle-armbar with seconds remaining. A bout with #12 ranked Taila Santos may be in store next for the Texan.
Antonina Shevchenko – Tracy Cortez
Antonina Shevchenko entered Saturday’s card searching for consecutive UFC victories for the first time. Unfortunately, she came up short on her quest to achieve the feat. She has alternated wins and losses in her six bouts so far. A fight with unranked Tracy Cortez would offer her an opportunity to rebound.
Priscila Cachoeira def. Gina Mazany via TKO (Punches)
Priscila Cachoeira – Gillian Robertson
After opening up her UFC career 0-3, Cachoeira has found her groove going 2-0 in her next two bouts. Once the fight was stood up, the Brazilian was able to overwhelm Mazany with pressure to secure the win. Gillian Robertson is looking to rebound from consecutive losses for the first time. A win for either woman will give them an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Top 15.
Gina Mazany – Victoria Leonardo
Gina Mazany has spent the past five years working at two of the best gyms in the sport at the moment in Glory MMA and Xtreme Couture. She looked to be on her way to a comfortable decision before Mike Beltran ordered the two fighters to get back to their feet. Mazany will likely feel she needs a win in her next fight to remain in the promotion. A fight with Victoria Leonardo would present both women to re-enter the win column.
Tucker Lutz def. Kevin Aguilar via Unanimous Decision
Tucker Lutz – Jonathan Pearce
After earning back-to-back wins on the Contender Series, Tucker Lutz finally earned his shot in the UFC. He picked up a hard fought unanimous decision victory on Saturday extending his win streak to 12. His sole loss came in UFC debut to Alvin Mercer. A fight with Jonathan Pearce could be a nice little bump up in competition for the Baltimore native.
Kevin Aguilar – Chris Fishgold
The defeat on Saturday for Kevin Aguilar must feel gut wrenching. For Aguilar it might be the end of the line after going 0-4 in his last four outings. If the UFC does give another shot, there areplenty of fighters in the division that could be a good test. A fight with Chris Fishgold could be on tap in a bout to determine who stays in the promotion.
Christos Giagos def. Sean Soriano via Technical Submission (Brabo Choke)
Christos Giagos – John Makdessi
Christos Giagos’ career seemed to be revitalized since the lockdown. He has looked as impressive as ever in his two most recent bouts with Carlton Minus and Sean Soriano. In both performances, he either stepped in on short notice or had an opponent fall out. It would be nice to see Giagos have a full training camp to prepare for one opponent. A fight with John Makdessi would be a fun fight between two veterans of the sport.
Sean Soriano – Shane Young
Sean Soriano earned his well deserved call to return to the UFC after going 6-3 since his release in 2015. Unfortunately for Soriano, his UFC record now sits at 0-4 across both stints in the organization. He will likely return to his natural weight class of 145lbs where a meeting with New Zealand’s Shane Young could make sense.
