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Last night’s UFC Fight Night show wasn’t expected to deliver many fireworks, but the event signed off the promotion for two weeks with a bang.
UFC Fight Night: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus featured many entertaining bouts. Naturally, a few fighters took major steps forward in their respective divisions.
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So with at least one or two title contenders likely to be thrown up by this event, it’s one that might have ramifications for a while yet. On that note, here are the five biggest winners from UFC Fight Night: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus.
#5. Bryan Barberena – defeated Matt Brown in UFC welterweight bout
The best fight on offer last night was undoubtedly the back-and-forth welterweight brawl between Bryan Barberena and Matt Brown. Unsurprisingly, the two men claimed the Fight of the Night award, earning themselves an extra $50K each in the process.
Both men found themselves badly hurt at points during the fight. Both ended up coming close to finishes. By the end of the bout, both men were badly bloodied up and looked completely exhausted.
Essentially, while the fight was never going to win any awards from a technical standpoint, it was a reminder of why the UFC is so popular with fans. It’s not just about knockouts, submissions and superhuman skills. It’s also about heart, toughness and a willingness to walk through hell to reach the final buzzer.
The only thing keeping Barberena from being considered higher up on this list of winners is the fact that as per many observers, Brown deserved the nod from the judges. However, it was a close enough fight that neither man felt like a loser.
Either way, Barberena won’t be elevated into title contention with this win. However, ‘Bam Bam’ will maintain his reputation as one of the toughest and most exciting fighters on the roster today. Evidently, the promotion’s matchmakers knew exactly what they were doing when they signed this one.
#4. Manon Fiorot – defeated Jennifer Maia in UFC flyweight bout
Last night’s show featured two bouts in the women’s flyweight division. Both winners impressed hugely, putting them into contention for a shot at reigning UFC flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko.
Of the two, while her performance wasn’t quite as explosive, France’s Manon Fiorot almost certainly picked up the biggest victory. ‘The Beast’ outpointed Jennifer Maia over three rounds. With Maia being a former title challenger who was ranked #4 going into the bout, it’s difficult to downplay Fiorot’s accomplishment.
A noted striker, Fiorot was expected to look to keep the fight on the feet to find her way to victory. However, she basically whitewashed Maia in all areas, even landing takedowns and dominating the Brazilian on the ground at points.
The win was Fiorot’s fourth in the octagon since her debut last January. Given that she hasn’t lost since her MMA debut in 2018, she’s clearly a very dangerous contender at 125 lbs. Considering that, she’s ready for, at worst, a #1 contender’s fight next time out.
#3. Alexa Grasso – defeated Joanne Wood in UFC flyweight bout
Manon Fiorot picked up the biggest win of her UFC career to date, outpointing #4 ranked Jennifer Maia. However, it's arguable that the flyweight who gained the most momentum last night was Alexa Grasso.
She fought through some adversity on the feet to eventually take down and choke out Joanne Wood in the event’s co-headliner. In the process, Grasso picked up her third win at 125 lbs in the octagon.
Of those three bouts, this was definitely the most impressive. Not only did the Mexican deal with Wood in the first round, but she also put an end to the perception that she cannot finish fights.
So how far can Grasso go in this division? Based on her performance last night, she could well find herself in a title bout against Valentina Shevchenko in the near future.
After all, at the age of just 28, she’s probably only just reaching her athletic prime. When you add in her fan-friendly boxing style – as well as her clearly developing submission skills – and her marketable personality, there’s a chance she could develop into a star too.
Essentially, this win should land her a huge fight next time around, perhaps even against Fiorot, with a title shot on the line.
#2. Kai Kara-France – defeated Askar Askarov in UFC flyweight bout
It’s arguable that no fighter on last night’s card took as big a step towards a UFC title shot as Kai Kara-France.
‘Don’t Blink’ was already coming off the biggest win of his career – over former bantamweight king Cody Garbrandt. However, last night, he pulled off an almost more impressive victory, beating the previously undefeated Askar Askarov in a tight call from the judges.
Askarov was ranked #2 in the division, behind only champion Deiveson Figueiredo and former champion Brandon Moreno. So it's difficult not to believe Kara-France should be next in line for a shot at the gold.
Could the New Zealand native pull off a title win? Based on last night, it’s definitely possible. Not only did he use his trademark heavy strikes to hurt Askarov on multiple occasions, but he also fought out of some terrible positions in the first round. Eventually, he wore ‘The Bullet’ out down the stretch.
Given that Askarov took Moreno to a draw in their fight a couple of years ago, at the worst, Kara-France is definitely on that level. Tht means he’d have to be given a chance against the winner of the fourth Figueiredo-Moreno fight later this year.
There’s now no disputing that ‘Don’t Blink’ has come a long way since his TUF 24 stint. So to see him with the gold in the future wouldn’t be a shock.
#1. Curtis Blaydes – defeated Chris Daukaus in UFC heavyweight bout
The biggest winner from last night’s event was undoubtedly Curtis Blaydes. He turned the lights out on Chris Daukaus in the main event in truly devastating fashion.
Had Blaydes lost this fight, he probably would’ve been knocked out of UFC heavyweight title contention for good. With the win, though, not only will he likely regain the momentum he lost when he fell to Derrick Lewis last year, but he might also find himself in an interim title bout next time out.
‘Razor’ had built his reputation on the back of his wrestling skills, becoming the most prolific takedown artist in the history of the heavyweight division. Last night, though, he didn’t shoot for one takedown, instead choosing to stand with Daukaus, eventually knocking him out violently.
Sure, a win is a win in the cut-throat world of the UFC. However, it’s difficult to forget the criticism Blaydes came under from Dana White for his decision wins over Alexander Volkov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Given that he was handed a $50K bonus, it’s difficult to imagine anyone criticizing his work last night.
Given his skills, Blaydes almost certainly has the ability to defeat any heavyweight on the roster right now, particularly with champion Francis Ngannou sidelined indefinitely.
So whether it’s against Stipe Miocic or Ciryl Gane, hopefully ‘Razor’ can fight for the interim title in his next bout. Only a fool would bet against him claiming gold in the octagon for the first time.
