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UFC Vegas 15 held at the UFC Apex suffered a huge blow just hours before it was scheduled to take place as heavyweight main event participant Curtis Blaydes tested positive for COVID 19.
However, the card was still an entertaining one. Several new UFC contenders emerged and we had a few interesting results, which may result in even more interesting fights being made in the future.
Former UFC LHW title challenger Anthony Smith took on Devin Clark in a bout that was kicked up to the main event spot after the cancellation of the Lewis – Blaydes fight. Clark started strong and appeared to have connected with a right hand early on in the fight.
Smith, ever the veteran though, level changed, took him down, maintained his composure from bottom and sunk in a triangle choke for a quick first-round submission victory.
In his post-fight interview, ‘Lionheart’ made it clear that rather than chasing the another UFC title shot, he will fight the next name offered to him. Paul Craig seemed interested in being next for Anthony Smith.
The co-main had welterweights finishers Miguel Baeza taking on the Japanese Takashi Sato.
The fight did not disappoint as the low blow from Baeza to Sato in the first round was the only time the bout ever stopped or slowed down.
The striking exchanges continued in the second round. Baeza landed a neat 1-2 combination dropping the Japanese and soon after it was curtains. The BJJ black belt got his first win via submission in his young MMA career finishing Sato via a slick arm-triangle choke.
Baeza reiterated that his black belt should not be ignored and the UFC must respect his submission credentials.
The Heavyweight bout between Parker Porter and John Parisian – who had appeared both in DWCS and The Ultimate Fighter - was perhaps the sleeper hit of the night.
Both fighters weighed in at the 265-pound limit and looked exhausted by the middle of the first round. However, their output did not decrease one bit as they kept landing punches and attempting takedowns throughout the 15 minutes.
Porter was deservingly declared the winner via unanimous decision.
In another old fashioned scrap, featherweights Bill Algeo and Spike Carlyle went head to head. While Carlyle had his moments, Algeo showed his durability and larger gas tank by staying a step ahead throughout the 15 minutes. He got the nod from the judges in a unanimous decision win.
Algeo called out Georgian featherweight Giga Chikadze, who had fought earlier in the month at UFC Vegas 13
Norma Dumont Viana missed weight by 4 pounds for her women's bantamweight encounter against Ashlee Evans-Smith. The Brazilian however, seemed unfazed by this as she systematically dismantled Evans-Smith in a dominant performance. All 3 judges scored the contest 30-26 in her favor.
In another brilliant fight, featherweight prospects Jonathan Pearce and Kai Kamaka III locked horns to open the main card.
Kamaka started with heavy volume pressure and landed some good strikes. However, Pearce weathered the storm, took Kamaka’s back in the second round after a slick takedown, and finished the fight with stellar ground and pound.
UFC Vegas 15 preliminary card and results
The event began with a 140-pound catchweight bout where Nathan Maness choked out Luke Sanders in the second round after a scrappy first 5 minutes.
Chinese flyweight Su Mudaerji needed just 44 seconds to brutally knockout Malcolm Gordon and earn his second win in the Octagon.
Gina Mazany spoilt Rachel Ostovich’s UFC return after a 20-month layoff with a pinpoint front kick to the body in the third round, handing Rachel her third straight loss.
In the preliminary card headliner, bantamweight Anderson dos Santos proved the importance of experience as he rode Martin Day’s early barrage to end the fight late in the first round with a beautiful guillotine choke. This was dos Santos’ first UFC win in 3 attempts.
While UFC President Dana White did not award any bonuses for the fight of the night, the bouts between Parker Porter and John Parisian and Jonathan Pearce and Kai Kamaka were highly entertaining.
Anthony Smith, Miguel Baeza, Su Mudaerji, and Nathan Maness all took home USD 50000 bonuses for Performance of the night.
