What Happened At UFC ‘Tampa’ Last Night?!?!?!?!?!

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) made its presence known to Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla., last night (Sat., Oct. 12, 2019) for UFC Fight Night 161. With all the weigh-in controversy settled, all that was left to due was fight! On the whole, the event in Tampa was one of the more exciting “Fight Night” events in recent months, so let’s take a closer look at the best performances and techniques of the night!

Vintage Joanna Violence

We may be unable call her Joanna “Champion” right now, but Jedrzejczyk was in prime form last night.

From the first bell, Jedrzejczyk’s pace was furious. Early on, she began setting the pace with low kicks. Her jab connected cleanly. Each time Waterson tried to throw something her way, Jedrzejczyk returned fire with multiple strikes. By the end of the fight, Jedrzejczyk had landed over 200 significant strikes.

Jedrzejczyk simply had an answer to everything. When Waterson attempted to kick high or chain kicks together, Jedrzejczyk leaned back and chopped her leg. Whenever Waterson looked to drag the fight into the clinch, Jedrzejczyk would reverse her foe, drive her forehead into the jaw, and then rip knees and elbows. Even when Waterson managed to take the back on two occasions, Jedrzejczyk defended expertly and went right back to doing damage.

At this point, Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Weili Zhang is the clear next step, and that’s an excellent title fight.

Killer Cub Returns!

Kron Gracie was determined to win last night, and his toughness forced greatness from Cub Swanson.

Early on, Swanson did everything right and made it look easy. He was the vastly superior striker and looked the part, moving incredibly well and making Gracie swing at air frequently. All the while, Swanson stuck his opponent with hard strikes, really ripping into the mid-section and chopping at the leg while he danced around his foe.

Usually, that works pays off later. When Swanson got a little too tired to keep dancing, Gracie should have been feeling the pain in his legs and having a difficult time getting a full breath. Somehow, Gracie marched forward unbothered, continuing to throw punches in bunches — he went full Diaz brother.

Swanson could not keep up the movement, but he could stay smart. Forced to plant his feet more often, Swanson did not give up an easy takedown or succumb to pressure. He kept moving his head, kept attacking the body, and pivoted out when the opportunity presented itself.

It was a hard-fought win, one Swanson desperately needed.

Florida Man Strikes Again … From The Bottom

Certain fighters have a unique gift for violence.

It’s a hard attribute to pin down with words, but like the famous phrase goes, “I know it when I see it.” There are several of them at Welterweight, men like Robbie Lawler, Mike Perry and Vicente Luque, among others. Fighters comfortable in the madness of a brawl, always keeping their eyes open for a chance to deliver the hurt.

Niko Price may not be the best of them overall, but his prowess in this specific asset is unmatched. “The Hybrid” lands weird strikes with an incredible amount of force behind them. Against James Vick, Price made a bad mistake that saw him land on his back, but he immediately landed a devastating upkick to score the knockout. It’s his second knockout victory from his back, which is absolutely absurd in modern UFC.

Price is no technical marvel, and he’s unlikely to break into the title mix. At the same time, the Floridian could genuinely knock out anyone at any time given the smallest opportunity.

Comeback King

Marlon Vera is one of the best examples of a fighter growing more dangerous over time.

“Chito” has an earned reputation for starting slow, but that wasn’t really the case here. He was dangerous early and nearly finished the fight via submission, but he also struggled with the absurdly long arms of Ewell, which allowed Ewell to land jabs and crosses that surprised Vera. As a result, Vera likely lost the first round.

However, Vera pushed an exhausting pace. As Ewell’s feet slowed, he found himself along the fence more often. This is where Vera’s experience and toughness really shined, as he’d eat a punch or two but stay in the pocket. Once then, Vera put together combinations and picked targets expertly, digging lots of body shots and finding moments to jack the jaw cleanly. In addition, Vera’s clinch work and kicks at range were damaging as well.

The technical knockout finish didn’t come until the third round, but that was more of a credit to Ewell’s toughness than anything else.

Additional Thoughts

• Ryan Spann defeats Devin Clark via second-round guillotine: Clark tried to fight like Tyron Woodley. The powerful wrestler backed himself into the fence repeatedly and stayed there, occasionally exploding into a combination or double leg. There’s a reason “T-Wood” is generally alone in that strategy though: Spann eventually got his opponent’s timing down and unleashed a big flurry along the fence. Clark was trapped in a bad spot and ducked down, exposing his neck in the process.
• Mike Davis defeats Thomas Gifford via third-round knockout (HIGHLIGHTS): Davis completely destroyed Gifford, to the point where the fight should’ve been stopped arguably after the first round. He landed a half-dozen jump knees, ripping punches to the body and head, and a few low kick knockdowns for good measure. Gifford just kept pushing forward into punishment, resulting in a massive faceplant knockout with just seconds remaining. It was pretty brutal to watch, but Davis secured his first UFC victory.
• Deiveson Figueiredo defeats Tim Elliott via first-round guillotine choke (HIGHLIGHTS): Everything was going perfectly for Tim Elliott. He was moving well and making the big swings of his Brazilian foe miss. The calf kicks and snap kicks up the middle were landing. Elliott was even landing at a better clip with his punches. Then, Elliott attempted a powerful takedown, landed directly into a guillotine, and was forced to panic tap moments later. Figueiredo is a dangerous, dangerous Flyweight.
• Miguel Baeza defeats Hector Aldana via second-round technical knockout (HIGHLIGHTS): It’s somewhat rare when a fight that never really leaves first gear ends in a finish, but that’s precisely what happened here. Baeza made the most of his height and reach advantages patiently, circling the Octagon, kicking the calf, and landing a few counter right hands. Aldana kept it competitive, at least until a calf kick in the second send him crumbling to the mat and forced referee intervention. Baeza may still have a long way to go before he’s a contender, but the Welterweight is an impressive physical talent.

For complete UFC Fight Night 161: “Joanna vs. Waterson” results and play-by-play, click HERE!