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#2. Daniel Rodriguez – defeated Kevin Lee on the UFC Fight Night main card
Despite having an impressive UFC record of 5-1, Daniel Rodriguez came into last night’s fight with Kevin Lee as a sizeable underdog in the eyes of most fans.
Sure, Lee hadn’t fought since March 2020, while Rodriguez had been in the octagon on five occasions since then, but ‘The Motown Phenom’ was still by far the more proven fighter.
However, ‘D-Rod’ showed excellent skills in all areas throughout the fight. He landed the heavier strikes during the exchanges on the feet, most notably stunning him in the second round. And he was also able to stop the majority of Lee’s takedowns – something few of his opponents have really done in the past.
Had Rodriguez been able to finish Lee, then he’d probably be getting much more coverage than he is right now, but in all honesty, that doesn’t really matter. ‘D-Rod’ is now 6-1 in the UFC and is clearly a handful for any welterweight on the roster.
And in one of the UFC’s most packed divisions, that means there are plenty of intriguing fights for him to take down the line. Fighters like Muslim Salikhov, Sean Brady, and Li Jingliang, for instance, are all ranked right now – and Rodriguez would probably fancy his chances against them.
Even if he isn’t able to climb to that level, last night’s win should at least give him the opportunity – making him one of this weekend’s big winners.
#1. Giga Chikadze – defeated Edson Barboza in the UFC Fight Night main event
The biggest winner from last night’s UFC Fight Night was definitely Giga Chikadze. Handed a main event opportunity for the first time against a very tricky opponent in Edson Barboza, the Georgia native not only came through, but he did it in style.
After two rounds that were tight to call, ‘Ninja’ simply took over, forcing Barboza to wilt with absolutely ruthless and relentless striking pressure. And when a D’Arce choke attempt failed to end the fight, Chikadze didn’t slow down, instead continuing to pour on the punishment until Barboza could take no more.
When you consider that Barboza had only ever been knocked out twice in the UFC previously – most notably by Justin Gaethje – then you simply can’t play down Chikadze’s achievement. He’s almost certainly a title contender at 145 pounds.
So who is next for him? In his post-fight interview, Chikadze called out Max Holloway. That fight isn’t likely to happen if we’re frank, as Holloway is probably next in line for the winner of the upcoming UFC featherweight title bout between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega.
However, fights involving Chikadze and Chan Sung Jung, Zabit Magomedsharipov or Calvin Kattar – all of whom are ranked above the Georgian – sound like absolute fireworks. Either way, Chikadze is now a bonafide UFC star – making him last night’s biggest winner.
