Very interesting event that took place in Anaheim last night. We saw several awesome main card bouts including the return of the 209’s finest Nate Diaz. We also have ourselves a new or should I say once again Heavyweight champion in Stipe Miocic. All in all this was one of the biggest UFC cards of the year, and the fights added to the marquee certainly delivered. This article will break down what’s next for the winners and losers.

Losing Fighters:

Shana Dobson: Polyana Viana or Released from UFC
Dobson is almost too tough for her own good. Shana was absolutely lit up in this fight from the opening bell. She was badly hurt with strong body shots early on, and Mazo refused to quit working the body. Dobson also had issues stopping the powerful takedowns from Mazo, and an even tougher time getting back to her feet. Dobson showed a lot of toughness and heart, but she was absolutely dominated in this fight. Dobson may get another shot in the UFC based on her toughness alone.

Brandon Davis: Jin Soo Son or Released by the UFC
This was a really close fight that could have gone either way. Davis’s best rounds were one and two. He used his leg kicks throughout the fight that greatly affected the mobility of Kang. He was lighting the legs up, and landed a couple of clean shots with his hands as well. Davis struggled at times with his takedown defense, and this could have been his undoing on the judges scorecards. He also was dropped by a big right hand in the first and hurt badly. That was likely the reason he lost the first round after dominating most of it with leg kicks. This was a good performance by Davis, but another tough loss for the former Dana White’s Contender series competitor.

Jodie Esquibel: Released from the UFC
Esquibel just seemed to be a step behind Hannah Cifers in this fight. Jodie had success with the takedowns, but was unable to stay active enough to keep the position. She had problems connecting on the feet, and Cifers did a great job of landing from the outside. Jodie tried to push forward and land, but Cifers was just too slick on the feet. I think if Esquibel could have been more active after her takedowns she could’ve stole this fight. This is another loss in the UFC putting her at 0-4. I don’t think there is any way she will get another fight.

Manny Bermudez: Geraldo de Freitas or Mario Bautista
This was a very technical close fight between two young UFC prospects. Bermudez had some really solid takedowns in this fight. He had moments of control on the ground especially in round three. He landed a couple of good combinations on the feet as well, but seemed to be more focused on making this a ground fight. I think Bermudez was surprised by the athleticism of Casey Kenney. Kenney did a great job of out scrambling Bermudez several times. I think Bermudez underestimated his ground game as well, Kenney nearly finished him with a rear naked choke in round two. This was a really fun, grappling heavy match up and both guys performed well. Bermudez was right there but just a little behind on the scorecards.

Christos Giagos: Devonte Smith or Kharma Worthy
This fight was an absolute war with neither man willing to give up. Giagos had some early success with his kicks, and landed a couple of clean shots with the hands. His best success came early in round two. He was able to use his takedowns, and sink in a deep rear naked choke from the back position that nearly got a tap. However, he seemed to struggle with the pressure and non stop pace that Klose began to use as the fight progressed. Giagos is tough as nails, and somehow survived after being badly beaten late in round two. He showed his resiliency by continuing to fight after getting dropped several times by Klose.

Raphael Assuncao: Jimmie Rivera or Cody Stamman
The veteran struggled to compete against the larger opponent in Cory Sandhagen. Assuncao had a real problem with the non stop pressure of Sandhagen, and was constantly missing with counter shots. He had a hard time fighting at Sandhagen’s range, and was stuck swinging wild shots with nobody home. Assuncao was able to land a couple of takedowns late in the fight, but was unable to make them count. He also took the back of Sandhagen a few times in some weird scrambles, but once again found himself on the wrong end in the majority of these exchanges. Assuncao did not perform badly, I just feel Sandhagen had a perfect gameplan. He was actively moving on the mat, and kept Assuncao missing on the feet.

Devonte Smith: Christos Giagos or Luis Pena
This was a case of a fighter simply getting caught by some hard shots. Both fighters were tentative from the start, and Smith was having some success with leg kicks. Smith was in a tough spot to begin with given the last minute opponent change. However, he was cracked with a big left hand, and floored by a follow up uppercut. Worthy wasted no time following up with ground and pound to seal the deal. This is a tough lose for Smith, but he is young and certainly talented. He simply got caught with a big shot and you just have to tip your cap to Worthy.

Ian Heinisch: Krzysztof Jotko or Gerald Meerschaert
Ian nearly finished the fight right away with a head kick that clearly wobbled Brunson. As the fight progressed you started to see Heinisch start to fade. He struggled with the patient and technical striking of Brunson. He also was worn down with the clinch and chain wrestling techniques implored by Derek. I feel like Heinisch was trying to land that one big strike too much instead of attacking with combinations. This was also the most well-rounded opponent he has faced on a big time pay per view. Heinisch had his moments, but to me Brunson simply fought a smarter fight. He forced Heinisch to chase him, and did a solid job of landing counter shots.

Gabriel Benitez: Bobby Moffett or Chris Fishgold
Benitez fought well for the short time he was in there against Sodiq Yusuff. Benitez landed some hard kicks that hurt Yusuff. He also caught him a couple of times when Yusuff was moving forward cutting Yusuff with one of the strikes. It looked like Benitez was about to take control before getting dropped with a brutal right hand. Yusuff quickly followed up and the referee has not choice but to stop the fight. I was impressed with Benitez’s striking, and he certainly has his moment against Yusuff. However like Devonte Smith, he simply got caught by a guy with a ton of power.

Yoel Romero: Ronaldo Souza or Derek Brunson
This was a hell of a fight, and could be a candidate for fight of the year. Romero seemed to start slow, and had some real problems with the pressure of Costa. They actually dropped one another in the first round, and constantly threw in the pocket to the fans delight. Romero seemed to be a little less aggressive than we have seen in the past, and used the jab much more in this fight. I thought Romero spent too much accepting being against the fence against Costa.  I was also surprised he didn’t try to use his wrestling more against the unproven ground game of Paulo. I think Romero was loving the back and forth fight and tried to win a war of attrition against Costa. The only clear round for Romero had to be round three where he hurt Costa multiple times. This was a tough fight to judge, but after rewatching the fight I believe the judges made the right call. Romero is still an absolute beast, and is a problem for anyone in this division.

Anthony Pettis: Robbie Lawler or Neil Magny
“Showtime” had some good moments last night, but just came up short on the scorecards. Pettis landed some really good shots early on, and seemed to be so much faster than Diaz. However, yet again Pettis’s weakness in the clinch and takedown defense was exposed by Diaz. He found himself pressed against the fence gasping for air as Diaz kept pushing forward using punches and brutal knees to hurt Pettis. It doesn’t help that Pettis broke his foot in round 1 or 2 after Diaz checked a kick. This makes sense because Pettis seemed to struggle with his mobility as the fight progressed. This is another tough loss for Pettis who is so talented, but just seems to be super inconsistent and constantly getting injured in fights.

Daniel Cormier: Stipe Miocic or Retire from the UFC
DC was ahead in the scorecards, but ended up getting caught and finished in round 4. Cormier showed no fear of Miocic’s power, and was able to land some nice combinations on the feet. He also landed a powerful takedown in the first round, and Miocic was stuck on his back. As the fight moved on it seemed that Cormier started to fade, and the body shots started to add up for Stipe. Daniel was almost too confident in his ability to take a big shot from Miocic. He fought with his hands down, and did not showcase high level striking defense. I’m surprised DC didn’t try to wrestle more after taking down Miocic relatively easy in round one. I think Cormier wanted to send a message that the first fight wasn’t a fluke, and ended up getting caught with some powerful shots. It will be interesting to see what Cormier decides to do from here.

Winning Fighters:

Sabina Mazo: Veronica Macedo or Miranda Granger
This was a brilliant performance by the Colombian fighter to pick up UFC win number one. Mazo looked fantastic in a multitude of areas within this fight. She worked the body with hard kicks, landed shots with her hands, and easily landed multiple big takedowns. She also brutalized Dobson in the clinch with a flurry of knees in the third trying to finish the fight. Mazo steamrolled Dobson who is better than her record actually shows. If Mazo keeps putting out work like this she could be a future champion.

Kyung Ho Kang: Chris Gutierrez or Ray Borg
Another win for one of South Korea’s finest in the Bantamweight division. Kang overcame some early troubles with the leg kicks by stealing the round with a big right hand dropping Davis. Kang then switched his strategy later in the fight, and started forcing Davis to grapple. Kang never threatened Davis on the mat, but was able to control the fight and recover. This was a really close fight, and in terms of damage I feel Davis won that battle. However, in terms of the round by round scoring Kang gets the edge in my opinion. Kang has been impressive since entering the UFC.

Hannah Cifers: Randa Markos or Ashley Yoder
This was a solid, intelligent performance by Hannah to extend her UFC winning streak to two. She fought from the outside landing good combinations with her hands, and mixing in the kicks as well. She landed to the head, body, and legs simply out pointing Esquibel on the feet. When she found herself on the mat, she did a solid job of tying up Jodie, and forcing the referee to stand them up. It wasn’t the most electrifying performance, but was a solid win over a proven veteran in Jodie Esquibel. Cifers has underrated striking, and could be a problem if her takedown defense improves.

Casey Kenney: Ricky Simon or Merab Dvalishvili
This was a solid performance for Kenney against a really good grappler. Kenney was not afraid to engage on the mat, and actually beat Bermudez to a spot on the ground several times. He landed his own takedowns, and nearly finished the grappler with the RNC in round two. Kenney fought a very smart fight, and when he was taken down refused to settle for that position. He was always looking to scramble and beat Bermudez to the punch. Kenney wasn’t able to strike as much in this fight, but did a good job of adjusting against a different style. Kenney has already impressed in his young UFC career, and has a real opportunity to build himself up into a contender.

Drakkar Klose: Nasrat Haqparast or Drew Dober
Klose put on a phenomenal performance against the very tough Christos Giagos. He used his punching power, pace, and forward pressure to swarm Christos. Drakkar nearly closed the show several times badly hurting his opponent. Klose has always been aggressive, but he was much more effective in sticking and ripping to the body and head of Giagos. He was able to overcome a serious submission attempt, and turned the fight around by forcing Giagos backwards. Klose just overwhelms his opponents at times because of how aggressive his striking style is. He also showed he has a non stop gas tank being able to push the pace the length of the fight. His hands looked sharp last night, and his kicks were a nice touch as well.

Cory Sandhagen: Marlon Moraes or Petr Yan
The prospect continues to impress as he beat the #3 ranked Bantamweight in the world. Sandhagen showed slick defense on the feet not allowing Assuncao to connect with any solid strikes. He used his height, reach, and pressure to just touch Assuncao up on the end of his punches. He used his kicks to soften the legs as well, and just put on a technical striking clinic. He was able to win the scramble game when the fight hit the mat. He never settled in a bad position, and was always looking for a way to escape. Even when he was taken down Sandhagen was able to get right back to his feet. Sandhagen showed just how well-rounded he is with this performance. His unique size at 5’11 gives him an advantage in the Bantamweight division. He is slowly making his way up into title contention.

Kharma Worthy: Christos Giagos or Jared Gordon
What a UFC debut for the massive underdog Kharma Worthy. Worthy started out very slow and tentative after stepping in as a last minute replacement against Smith. He ate a couple of leg kicks, and then landed a huge left hand followed by the uppercut to drop Smith. Worthy showed great finishing ability by swarming on his former training partner and closing the show. This was a huge upset, and Worthy punched his ticket to a UFC contract after finishing the top rated prospect in Devonte Smith.

Derek Brunson: Kelvin Gastelum or Yoel Romero
Switching camps to Hard Knocks 365 under Henri Hooft seemed to greatly benefit Brunson. Other than the early head kick, Brunson was able to control this fight from that moment on. He showed a much more measured approach with his striking looking to counter instead of rushing in. He also used the clinch and shot a few takedowns to keep Heinisch guessing. Brunson in the past was too aggressive and paid the price for his recklessness. In this fight he was calm, and landed some really solid boxing combinations that rattled Heinisch. He forced Heinisch to chase him looking for that one big shot. This was not a brilliant performance, but a much improved showing compared to Brunson’s last outing against Elias Theodorou. If Brunson can continue to become a more technical striker along with his wrestling he will be at the top of the division once again.

Sodiq Yusuff: Enrique Barzola or Hakeem Dawodu
The Nigerian born fighter was able to overcome some early attacks to get the win. Yusuff came out looking to force the issue backing Benitez up. He was hurt by a couple of kicks and cut open by a hard punch from Benitez. Sodiq refused to take a back step however, and eventually landed a big time right hand to drop Benitez. He followed it up with some ground and pound as he continues to impress in his young UFC career. I think this was a good test for Yusuff, and he needs to clean his defensive striking up a little bit. However, this was a big time performance on a big stage. Yusuff has the tools to be a future contender at Featherweight.

Paulo Costa: Robert Whittaker or Israel Adesanya
This was an awesome performance by Costa, and furthur solidified his position as a top contender. Paulo showed a solid chin after taking some massive shots from the 42 year old Cuban. Costa impressed me with his willingness to exchange and his forward pressure. He forced Yoel to fight off the fence for the majority of the fight, and controlled the fight with some heavy power boxing. We also saw a new wrinkle to Costa’s game which was using body kicks. These shots helped slow down Romero, and forced him to be a little more tentative than usual. If Costa improves his cardio this guy has the style to eventually be a UFC champion.

Nate Diaz: Conor McGregor or Jorge Masvidal
This was a classic Diaz performance, and it seemed like he never left after three years of being away. Diaz struggled with the speed of Pettis early on, but was able to use the clinch to sap his energy. Diaz controlled Pettis on the ground, and was able to take his back on several occasions. Diaz kept pressing forward, and started to wear on Pettis allowing himself to open up his striking. Diaz nearly finished the fight in the third after landing some brutal knees to the head of Pettis. Pettis had no answer for the pace, pressure, and clinch work of Nate. Diaz showed he still can compete with the best in the world with this performance. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here after admitting he wants to fight real competition, and isn’t interested in fighting for a belt.

Stipe Miocic: Daniel Cormier or Francis Ngannou
The city of Cleveland has a Heavyweight champion again! Stipe found himself on the wrong end of some exchanges early in the fight. He also was taken down pretty easily, and was behind on the scorecards entering round 4. His corner switched strategies, and this decision paid off with rewarding dividends. Miocic started to dig to the body, and was hurting Cormier with every shot. Cormier was breathing heavily, and actually kept his hands down trying to see where the body shots were coming from. He got clipped over the top after Stipe landed a big right hand and eventually was finished with ground and pound. Stipe showed great resiliance by not giving up after being behind on the scorecards. He took advantage of defensive errors by Cormier, and at Heavyweight all it takes is one big shot. This was a big time victory for Stipe, and he is able to take back his UFC title belt in no time. The difference in this fight was the body work by Stipe to set up the kill shot, and also the lack of wrestling implored by Cormier. Stipe better get ready for a rematch whether it is against Daniel Cormier or Francis Ngannou.

Photo Credit: https://www.mmaweekly.com/ufc-241-results-stipe-miocic-takes-the-heavyweight-belt-back-from-daniel-cormier