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Last night’s UFC Fight Night event was one of those post-pay-per-view cards that largely flew under the radar. However, despite a lack of name value, it turned out to be an excellent show.
Fans were treated to several great fights and explosive finishes in this UFC event, with some questionable refereeing making some of the stoppages even more brutal.
Will people be talking about this UFC show at the end of 2022? Probably not, but for now, this was a highly enjoyable event overall.
Here are the five most explosive moments from UFC Fight Night: Johnny Walker vs. Jamahal Hill.
#5: Chas Skelly signs off on his UFC career with a nasty knockout of Mark Striegl
Prior to last night’s show, Chas Skelly had already announced that he intended to retire from MMA after one final fight. Thankfully for the veteran featherweight, he signed off in perfect fashion.
‘The Scrapper’ won the first round of his bout with Mark Striegl, but nothing that took place in that round could’ve prepared the fans for such a devastating finish in the second. Essentially, ‘Mugen’ had nothing for Skelly’s clinch and takedowns, and so it looked like the veteran would grind his way to a win.
Instead, though, he came out far more aggressively in the second. Once a brief clinch was broken, he hurt Striegl with a quick combination of punches. With the Filipino fighter clearly on the ropes, Skelly then followed with a heavy right hand and a nasty knee that sent him crashing down.
The fight could easily have been called there. However, referee Keith Peterson allowed ‘The Scrapper’ to basically dribble Striegl’s head off the mat before he finally stepped in.
Late refereeing stoppage aside, this was a tremendous performance from Skelly as he signed off in style by beating his opponent in a truly violent fashion. If this is going to be his final octagon appearance, then it was probably the best possible way for him to go out.
#4: Chad Anheliger destroys Jesse Strader in violent fashion
Last night’s bantamweight preliminary bout between Chad Anheliger and Jesse Strader was flying under the radar. While the two men didn’t quite do enough for a $50k bonus, it’s arguable that they produced the most entertaining fight of the night.
The two fighters went toe-to-toe from the off, exchanging heavy strikes and submission attempts in the first round. The first stanza appeared to belong to Strader, but it looked like he was beginning to fade as the fight went on.
Anheliger then dominated the second round. ‘The Monster’ dropped Strader with a right hand early on and then clearly got the better of the remainder of the exchanges, leaving his opponent bloodied and hurt.
It looked like the fight was heading towards the scorecards in the third round. However, Anheliger clearly wasn’t interested in leaving things to the judges.
Instead, Anheliger leveled Strader with a left hand. He then bounced his head off the ground with punches from the mount for what could’ve been considered a late stoppage, even if Strader protested it afterwards.
Overall, this was a hell of a debut for Anheliger. While he’ll obviously face trickier opponents than this in the future, it bodes well for his UFC career overall.
#3: UFC veteran Jim Miller picks up a tremendous win over Nikolas Motta
Last night marked Jim Miller’s 39th fight in the UFC – a record for the promotion – and while many fans expected dangerous newcomer Nikolas Motta to have too much for him, the New Jersey lightweight instead rolled back the years with a classic performance.
Both men seemed content to exchange from the off, which seemed like a dangerous gameplan for Miller, who was expected to attempt to take the Brazilian to the ground early and often.
Instead, he was forced to absorb a couple of hefty blows from the UFC debutant. Despite his advanced age and lengthy career, he did so impressively.
As the fight went on, ‘A-10’ appeared to be getting more comfortable – and sure enough, he surprised Motta with a brutal right hand early in the second round, dropping him like a ton of bricks.
The fight was almost certainly over, but in a bizarre moment, referee Keith Peterson allowed him to smash Motta’s head with more punches, despite his arm being trapped behind his back due to his unconsciousness.
Terrible refereeing job aside, this was a hell of a showing from Miller. Based on his post-fight interview, it doesn’t sound like he’s done yet.
#2: David Onama claims his first UFC win in devastating fashion
Given that he didn’t show a lot in his UFC debut – a loss to Mason Jones – Uganda’s David Onama definitely had his back to the wall somewhat last night. Thankfully for him, the featherweight delivered the goods in truly devastating fashion to take out Gabriel Benitez in the first round.
Early on, it looked like it wouldn’t be Onama’s night. Benitez – who missed weight for the fight – seemed willing to go toe-to-toe with him, and midway through the round, hurt him badly with a punch that appeared to connect directly with his eye.
Onama hung tough, though, and once he had ‘Moggly’ trapped against the fence, he opened up in devastating fashion. The Ugandan’s hand speed was unbelievable. Channelling a classic UFC knockout in the form of Phil Baroni’s finish of Dave Menne, he just kept on punching until Benitez wilted.
The win was understandably enough to earn Onama a $50k performance bonus. After a showing like this, it’s highly likely he’ll end up in a main card showcase next time out. Essentially, this was the perfect way to pick up his first octagon win.
#1: Jamahal Hill cements his spot as a hot prospect with a nasty KO of Johnny Walker
Last night’s headline bout between light heavyweight prospects Jamahal Hill and Johnny Walker was never likely to go the distance. However, few fans could’ve predicted that it would end in such brutal fashion.
The two went toe-to-toe from the off. They both looked understandably cautious at times, Walker, in particular, was still willing to throw some wild, low-percentage shots.
In the end, the result came down to one moment. In an exchange that saw both men throw shots at the same time, Hill got there a little quicker.
His right hand connected strangely, seemingly hitting Walker on the temple and the top of the head. However, it switched the lights out on the Brazilian instantly, and he stiffened up, falling backwards into the fence in a comical scene.
The fight was clearly over there. However, referee Jason Herzog wasn’t quite quick enough to stop ‘Sweet Dreams’ from landing one more devastating shot to seal the deal.
This was Hill’s second knockout win in a row and the second time that he’s claimed a $50k bonus. While it won’t move him directly into title contention, he should find himself in the top ten next week. If nothing else, this was undoubtedly the most explosive moment from last night’s show.
