UFC Vegas 50 went down last night (Sat., March 12, 2022) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada which saw Magomed Ankalaev defeat Thiago Santos after five rounds of underwhelming action in the main event of the evening (see it again here). In the co-main event, Song Yadong made quick work of Marlon Moraes by knocking him out in the very first round (highlights).
Biggest Winner: Song Yadong
If you weren’t on the Yadong train, you better hop on before it gets full. The Team Alpha Male (TAM)-trained fighter put on a dazzling performance against former Bantamweight title contender, Marlon Moraes. Indeed, “The Kung Fu Monkey” was absolutely electric from the opening bell before landing a nice three-punch combo which was highlighted by a devastating uppercut that put “Magic” on his back, dazed, confused and seeing stars. There was no need for Yadong to go in for the kill because Moraes was done. The win was Yadong’s third straight, which should give him a huge boost in the Bantamweight standings.
Runner Up (s): Magomed Ankalaev and Drew Dober
It wasn’t the most exciting win, but Ankalaev got the job done after 25 minutes against Santos to pick up his eighth straight win inside the Octagon. It should be good enough to move him into the Top 5 while moving “Marreta” out. Ankalaev has set himself up as a legit future title contender, and another win big or two could see him land in his first-ever UFC title fight.
Things weren’t looking to good for Dober in the opening minutes of his fight against Terrance McKinney because he was getting touched up by “T. Wrecks” early and often, eating several knees for his efforts. Undeterred, Dober remained calm and managed to clip McKinney with a shot of his own, sending him crashing to the canvas, ultimately setting up a first-round technical knockout (TKO) win for him. It was a much-needed win for Dober, who was coming into the fight on the heels of back-to-back losses. With some newfound confidence in his back pocket, Dober can go into his next fight with less pressure on his shoulders.
Biggest Loser: Marlon Moraes
Coming into the fight, Moraes was in search of a much-needed win after losing his last three via technical knockout (TKO). Instead of things getting better for “Magic” they got worse, as he suffered his fourth straight stoppage loss via strikes thanks to Yadong’s precision striking that got the job done in the very first round. It’s a drastic fall for Moraes, who started off his UFC career with a nice 5-2 record, which includes wins over current Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, Jimmie Rivera and Jose Aldo. But the former 135-pound title contender has looked like a shell of his former self since Oct. 2020, dropping all four of his fights, two in the very first round. The future looks grim for Moraes, who will have to assess his future after tonight. As far as UFC matchmakers are concerned, they are now tasked with the tough choice to make regarding “Magic’s” status on the roster.
For complete UFC Vegas 50 results and coverage click here.