Oh what a night!
It’s certainly not late December back in ’63, but the victorious competitors that stepped into the cage inside the UFC APEX on Tuesday night combined to deliver a spectacular night of action in Las Vegas, leaving Dana White repeatedly mouthing the word “Wow!” after each fight.
The collection of rapid and impressive finishes made it so the UFC President didn’t need much time to deliberate once the final fight ended, as for the second consecutive week, all five victorious athletes were awarded UFC contracts.
Unbeaten prospects Donte Johnson and Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev each earned rapid finishes, officially joining the heavyweight and light heavyweight ranks respectively, though don’t be surprised if Johnson joins Yakhyaev in the 205-pound ranks. Brazilian lightweight Manoel Sousa showed tenacity and drive in collecting a third-round comeback win, while compatriots Marcio Barbosa and Ryan Gandra each earned first-round finishes before being added to the featherweight and middleweight divisions.
That’s 10 contracts in the last 10 fights and a dozen so far in Season 3.
Catch up on what transpired by checking out our recaps below.
Ryan Gandra closed out the night with another first-round finish, bombing his way through Las Vegas native Trent Miller to give Brazilians three wins on the evening.
A former heavyweight who trains alongside Paulo Costa, Gandra came out bombing on Miller, firing heavy shots that repeatedly found a home and left the American stung and trying to cover up. Midway through the frame, Gandra connected with a right hand as Miller exited to that side, sending him crashing to the canvas in a heap to wrap up an explosive night at the UFC APEX.
That’s now seven straight wins and four consecutive finishes for Gandra, who has found a home at middleweight after beginning his career in the big boy ranks. This was an absolute drubbing by the Brazilian, who is on a “Jared Cannonier-like” journey with designs on competing alongside “Tha Killa Gorilla” in the UFC’s 185-pound ranks.
Marcio Barbosa doesn’t particularly enjoy fighting beyond the first round, and made sure not to extend beyond the opening five minutes on Tuesday, dispatching Damon Wilson in the closing minute of the opening round.
The Brazilian, who entered on a three-fight winning streak and brandishing a 94-percent finishing rate, caused Wilson to face-plant early in the contest, though the American somehow popped right back up to his feet. Barbosa never allowed him the space needed to fully recover, and after dropping him late in the first, “Ticotô” pounced and pounded out the finish.
Barbosa is now 7-1 over his last eight fights, with his lone setback coming against compatriot and current UFC featherweight Gabriel Santos. As has been the theme all night, this was another tremendous effort that had Dana White and the UFC brass applauding the performance they just witnessed inside the cage.
Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev stormed through Alik Lorenz, showing why he was a massive favorite while collecting a first-round stoppage win midway through Tuesday’s fight card.
Lorenz closed the distance to start, but the first overhand right Yakhyaev landed backed the MMA Lab representative up. The undefeated Chechen fighter chased him to the cage and continued to unload, sending Lorenz to his knees, where he quickly pounded out the finish.
In the first week, Chechen Baisangur Susurkaev, whose nickname is “Hunter,” scored a victory and made an instant impression on UFC President Dana White. This week, it was Yakhyaev, another Chechen whose nickname is “Hunter” that turned in a dynamic effort that left White gobsmacked.
Manoel Sousa spent the majority of the first two rounds getting out-grappled by Cristian Perez, but the Brazilian navigated his way to the final frame and chased down the finish he needed.
Perez dominated on the canvas in each of the first two rounds, but wasn't able to do any real damage or get Sousa out of there, leading to the Brazilian starting to find success on the feet late in the second. Knowing he needed a finish, Sousa came out attacking in the third and busted up Perez, hurting him and leaving him covering up, unable to intelligently defend himself.
If you want to see a performance that makes Dana White excited, this is it. Sousa knew he was down and pressed to finish, earning a “WOW!” from the UFC President and an impressive come-from-behind victory.
Donte Johnson collected his sixth pro win in just over a year on Tuesday to kick off Episode 3 of Season 9, stopping Darion Abbey with a storm of punches.
Though there was a massive size difference between the two, it didn’t matter. After a brief pause following an accidental low blow, the heavyweights started swinging, with Johnson firing quicker and finding a home for his heavy hands. As he backed Abbey into the fence, he continued to unload, sitting down his adversary and pounding out the finish in just over a minute.
This was a dominant showing for the undefeated prospect from Wisconsin, who came in at 209 pounds, which makes you wonder if a move down to light heavyweight is in his future. Regardless of which division he competes in, Johnson appears to be someone to keep close tabs on going forward.
