The best and worst from UFC Vegas 13: Santos vs. Teixeira

#2 Best: Barcelos and Taha demonstrate the sheer depth of the UFC’s Bantamweight division

Raoni Barcelos and Khalid Taha put on a fantastic fight at 135lbs.

The debate about which UFC division has the deepest levels of talent has been raging on for years now. So which division is the deepest at the minute? Lightweight and Welterweight both have a claim, but for me, the most talent-packed weight class in the UFC is Bantamweight.

Not only can Bantamweight boast fighters like UFC champ Petr Yan and contenders like Aljamain Sterling and Cory Sandhagen, but last night proved that 135lbs has exceptional talent from top to bottom. The best fight on last night’s show – by some way – was the Bantamweight clash between Raoni Barcelos and Khalid Taha.

The two men – who were unranked prior to the show – went to war for all three rounds. Barcelos was always slightly ahead in all areas and clearly out-fought his opponent. However, Taha hung tough, was never overwhelmed, and managed to draw his Brazilian foe into wild trades at points that made the clash incredibly exciting.

In the end, Barcelos was awarded a unanimous decision. Given he’s now 5-0 in the UFC, it’s clearly time for him to make a step up. And judging on his skills last night, it’s a step he’s probably going to be capable of taking.

Barcelos can add his name to the long list of potential title contenders in an already-packed UFC Bantamweight division.

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#2 Worst: Weird matchmaking mars Chikadze’s first UFC finish

Why was Giga Chikadze matched with an inexperienced newcomer in the form of Jamey Simmons?

Georgian Featherweight contender Giga Chikadze picked up his first UFC finish last night, taking out newcomer Jamey Simmons in the first round with a wicked head kick. It was probably the best finish on view at UFC Vegas 13. So why is it in the ‘Worst’ category here?

Simply put, this was a fight that should never have happened in the first place. Coming into last night’s show, Chikadze was 4-0 in the UFC and had looked better each and every time he’d fought. Why was he facing a newcomer in Simmons rather than climbing the ladder in the division?

It’s not like Simmons was a highly-touted prospect, either. The Afro Samurai came into the fight with a record of 7-3 and had probably earned a UFC opportunity – but against a top, experienced prospect like Chikadze?

If Simmons had been a late injury replacement for another fighter, then it would’ve been more understandable, but that doesn’t appear to have been the case. Instead, this was a rare piece of bizarre and potentially dangerous matchmaking from the UFC.

Hopefully, Simmons can face an opponent more suited to his level next time out, while Chikadze should be able to make the step up in competition that he’s earned.

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#3 Best: Giles returns from serious health issues to pick up a big win

Trevin Giles returned from a serious medical issue to pick up a big win last night.

UFC veteran Trevin Giles hadn’t fought since February coming into last night’s show, and it was with good reason. Giles was supposed to face Kevin Holland back in August at UFC Vegas 5, only for a last-minute health issue to scrap the booking.

The health issue was actually pretty scary, as Giles fainted backstage, and reportedly, his heart even stopped at one point. While Giles made light of the incident in a recent interview, claiming it was just a “weird thing” and an “isolated incident,” it still must’ve been terrifying and could easily have led to him wishing to step away from the sport.

That’s why it was so impressive to see him put on arguably his best UFC showing to date last night. He picked Bevon Lewis apart, standing for three straight rounds, hitting him with some beautiful shots before putting him away midway through the final stanza.

The win was Giles’ second in a row in the UFC, and while he’s not likely to become a title contender at Middleweight, it was still great to see him return from such a frightening incident to pick up a victory.