
Best Of
Saturday’s UFC Fight Night event is in the books, and now that the dust has settled in Las Vegas, it’s time to go to the scorecard to see who the big winners were at the UFC APEX.
If you’re walking around with the nickname “50K,” there are certain things expected. Well, Dan Ige delivered with a 22-second knockout of Gavin Tucker. It was perfect timing for Ige, and not just due to the punch that caught the Canadian flush. But with Ige and his wife expecting their first child any day now, getting the job done quickly and going back to the mom-to-be was the ideal scenario. Oh yeah, an extra $50k doesn’t hurt either.
UFC Vegas 21 Rewind: Scorecards | Final Results
When Ryan Spann was stopped by Karl Roberson in July 2017, many wondered how the Texan would rebound. He won eight in a row, earning a UFC contract and a ranking at 205 pounds in the process. Then he lost to Johnny Walker last September and the questions began again. Well, Spann answered them with a 71-second stoppage of Misha Cirkunov, showing that in a wide open 205-pound division, he has the tools to make a run at the belt.
Davey Grant is one of the most likable people in this sport, and after years of turmoil while dealing with a laundry list of injuries, he’s finally able to make his move in a crowded bantamweight division, which should make anyone feel good for the Brit. On Saturday, the ground ace delivered his second consecutive knockout win, this one over top prospect Jonathan Martinez, and we just may see him in with a ranked foe next.
I’m paraphrasing here, but before the third round of an ultra-close bout against Marcelo Rojo, Charles Jourdain said something along the lines of wanting to be a world champion, so he needed to finish his foe in the final frame. And he did it, not only returning to the win column but proving that in a tough fight where he had to dig deep and find another gear, he has that championship heart.
Angela Hill needed this win over Ashley Yoder. And it wasn’t because she needed to snap a two-fight losing streak, though that was nice. No, what “Overkill” needed was a dominant victory where she didn’t need to hold her breath as the judges’ scorecards were read. And she got it, showing off her ever-evolving game, and in doing so, she sent a message to those above her in the 115-pound top15 that she’s coming for them in 2021.