
Athletes
Saturday’s UFC 255 event is in the books, and now that the dust has settled in the “Fight Capital of the World,” it’s time to go to the scorecard to see who the big winners were at the UFC Apex.
Deiveson Figueiredo is a bad man. Not only did he retain his UFC flyweight title by submitting Alex Perez in less than two minutes in the main event of UFC 255, but he is expected to be back in action in December to defend his crown once again. Yeah, that’s a bad dude, and someone not many people will be lining up to face in the future. And perhaps the scariest part of the champ’s game is that it’s always evolving. He can knock you out or make you tap out, and while he’s got a long way to matching the reign of the division’s first UFC champ, Demetrious Johnson, with this level of activity, he has the tools to get there.
Brandon Moreno wasn’t happy about not getting a shot at Figueiredo last Saturday night, but the number one contender may get his wish sooner than expected, as UFC President Dana White made it clear at the post-fight press conference that he wants to see Figueiredo-Moreno in December. That’s an early Christmas present for fight fans and for “The Assassin Baby,” who appeared to be on his way to a Fight of the Year candidate with Brandon Royval before he finished the bout late in the first round. And if Moreno can become the first Mexico native to win a UFC title, that could open the door for a new wave of MMA fighters to emerge from the fighting-rich nation.
I don’t know if anyone expected Joaquin Buckley to deliver another highlight reel knockout after his KO of the Year over Impa Kasanganay earlier this year, but he did it, halting Jordan Wright in the second round. I told Buckley this after the Kasanganay fight and I’ll put it in writing here – I don’t recall anyone throwing as hard as he does as consistently as he does it. Tyron Woodley landing a right hand on Carlos Condit came close, but Buckley does it every time he lets his hands go. Yeah, I’ll watch this guy fight anytime.
You can’t leave out the champ for her win over Jennifer Maia, which allowed her to retain her flyweight title for the fourth time, but it was Valentina’s big sister Antonina that stole the show on Saturday night with a dominant win over Ariane Lipski. Showing the evolution of her game, Antonina put Lipski everywhere she didn’t want to be over their 9:33 in the Octagon before closing the show, and it’s going to be interesting to see where she goes from here. As for Valentina, winning four out of five rounds against a world-class challenger in Maia is something no one should scoff at, even if “Bullet” wasn’t spectacular in victory. There are going to be those nights, and it shows just how good she is that some look at a 4-1 win as a disappointment.
Coming up on four years in the Octagon, Paul Craig made his statement that he’s ready for the elite at 205 pounds. Sure, he’s had his ups and downs, but since a June 2019 loss to Alonzo Menifield, the Scotland native is 3-0-1 with three finishes, and after halting Brazilian icon Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in their UFC 255 rematch, it’s time to see him in a big fight that could move him into the title picture.