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UFC Vegas 30 concluded with the knighting of a new top heavyweight contender. Ciryl Gane extended his successful run with a dominant performance against Alexander Volkov to earn the decisive unanimous decision win in the main event. While the fight may not have seen a finish and received some criticism from fans and fighters alike, it definitely did a lot for Gane's career trajectory.
Tim Means and Timur Valiev also bagged impressive decision victories against formidable opponents to improve their standing in their respective divisions. But what makes UFC Vegas 30 so memorable are the highlight-worthy finishes courtesy of Tanner Boser, Renato Moicano, Kennedy Nzechukwu, and several others.
Overall, UFC Vegas 30 will go down the books as an eventful fight card despite its lack of mainstream stars.
On that note, let's discuss five key takeaways from UFC Vegas 30.
#5 Shavkat Rakhmonov shines at UFC Vegas 30
Hardcore fans have proclaimed Shavkat Rakhmonov as the future of the welterweight division since he first arrived at UFC 254. The fighter from Kazakhstan gained more notoriety when he extended his unbeaten streak to 14 wins after tapping out Michel Prazeres via rear-naked choke.
The 26-year-old utilized his length to perfection as he found a comfortable striking range to tag his opponent from a safe distance. His long limbs also allowed him to defend against Prazeres' takedown attempts and ultimately lock in the fight-ending chokehold.
Rakhmonov, after just his second fight in the octagon, has certainly stood out as one of the most dangerous prospects in a division full of lethal combatants looking to crack the top 15. He proved worthy of all the hype surrounding his budding career by handing the durable veteran his first loss by submission.
On the heels of a spectacular showing at UFC Vegas 30, 'Nomad' is clearly ready for a ranked opponent. Anyone outside of the top 15 would feel like a step back for the surging submission specialist. After all, 14 wins with 14 finishes is no small feat.
Also Read: The positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 30
#4 The eye poke problem needs to be addressed
Andre Fili’s no-contest with Daniel Pineda at UFC Vegas 30 was the latest example of why addressing the eye-poke problem should be deemed a high-priority concern.
Fili seemed to be on his way to a statement win after displaying what looked like his best performance so far. But, unfortunately, 'Touchy' committed a costly error when he inadvertently raked Pineda's eyes, forcing referee Herb Dean to waive the fight off. And just like that, Fili's efforts were all for naught.
During the UFC Vegas 30 post-fight interview, the Team Alpha Male featherweight was evidently devastated by the result. Fili told Daniel Cormier:
“It’s super disappointing. I put everything I had into this. I thought I did everything right except for one stupid slip, I put my hand into his chest and it went into his eye. It was an accident, I would never do that on purpose."
This UFC Vegas 30 incident, of course, is just one incident in a long list of fights getting unceremoniously ended by eye-pokes. For example, a fairly recent showdown between welterweights Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad ended in a no-contest after 'Rocky' accidentally poked Muhammad's eye.
Conor McGregor's FAST Gloves and coach Trevor Wittman's X-Factor Gloves seem to offer a solution to the UFC's persistent eye-poke issue. It doesn't matter what the UFC brass goes with, but they need to come up with a solution.
#3 Never count Kennedy Nzechukwu out
"It isn't over until it's over," the popular sports saying goes. No fighter in the UFC takes that classic motto to heart more than Kennedy Nzechukwu.
At UFC Vegas 30, Nzechukwu was considerably behind on the scorecards after two rounds. However, he was able to weather the early storm and score a timely finish to complete a comeback.
Nzechukwu took matters into his own hands when he unleashed a barrage of punches that put Danilo Marques away in the final frame of their UFC Vegas 30 preliminary card bout.
In Nzechukwu's previous appearance before UFC Vegas 30, he found himself in a similar position when he was picked apart by Carlos Ulberg early on. However, 'The African Savage' rallied back in round two, connecting with a powerful right hand to finish his opponent off.
#2 Ovince Saint Preux isn't as durable as he once was
Tanner Boser's TKO win over perennial light heavyweight contender Ovince Saint Preux at UFC Vegas 30 did not come without controversy. In an unusual sequence of events, Boser was able to get back to his feet after getting taken down, thanks to a suspected cage-grab. Once he got up, 'The Bulldozer' connected with a knee that led to the finish.
But that's not to say that 'OSP' wouldn't suffer the same outcome if Boser had been penalized for the illegal tactic. The Canadian outstruck his opponent in the opening round, and there was little reason to believe that Saint Preux would have fared better if the fight continued.
Throughout his career, Saint Preux was rarely on the losing end of a knockout loss. But things have clearly changed as 'OSP' suffered his second TKO loss in a row at UFC Vegas 30. While it's a natural occurrence for fighters entering their late 30s, Saint Preux needs to reconsider whether he wants to continue fighting in the heavyweight division.
#1 UFC Vegas 30 is Ciryl Gane's coming-out-party
Ciryl Gane has separated himself from middle-of-the-pack contenders such as Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Curtis Blaydes, and, of course, his most recent foe Alexander Volkov.
After dominating a well-rounded fighter in Volkov for five rounds, there's no denying that Gane has emerged as a legitimate threat to UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou. On top of being undefeated, the Frenchman's skill and fighting style could pose an intriguing matchup problem for Ngannou.
As impressive as he was, though, Gane seems a win or two away from securing a title shot. Right now, Derrick Lewis and Jon Jones are presumably ahead of Gane in the heavyweight division's championship queue. Former champion Stipe Miocic is also definitely in the conversation.
With that said, a showdown with Miocic or Lewis (if he loses to Ngannou) seems to be the logical next step for 'Bon Gamin.'
Also Read: What is the nickname of Ciryl Gane's nickname 'Bon Gamin'?
