Biggest Winners, Loser From UFC Vegas 73

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC Vegas 73 went down last night (Sat., May 20, 2023) in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a main event bout that saw Mackenzie Dern defeat Angela Hill via unanimous decision i…


UFC Fight Night: Ferreira v Johnson
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

UFC Vegas 73 went down last night (Sat., May 20, 2023) in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a main event bout that saw Mackenzie Dern defeat Angela Hill via unanimous decision in what was a “Fight of the Night”-winning performance from the talented strawweights. In other action, Anthony Hernandez knocked out Edmen Shahbazyan (see it here), while Joaquin Buckley scored his own knockout win over Andre Fialho (highlights).

UFC Fight Night: Dern v Hill
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Biggest Winner: Mackenzie Dern

Dern promised some newfound aggression in her comeback fight, and she delivered it in spades after putting in on Hill in their 25-minute war. The victory put the jiu-jitsu ace back in the win column after a tough year that saw her lose to Yan Xiaonan and go through a messy divorce. Nevertheless, Dern was able to put all of that to the side to deliver one of her best performances to date. She looks to ride this momentum moving forward as she eyes a climb into the Top 5.

UFC Fight Night: Dern v Hill
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Runner Up: Diego Ferreira

There were several fighters that could’ve gotten this spot, including Viacheslav Borshchev, Anthony Hernandez and Joaquin Buckley, but I am going with Ferreira here. And that’s because not only did he score a spectacular “Knockout of the Year” candidate over Michael Johnson, but the victory may have very well saved his UFC career. Prior to his highlight reel win, Ferreira had lost three straight fights and hadn’t tasted the sweet taste of victory in over three years. Coming back to win in exciting fashion that collected him an extra $50K is a great way to end a 17-month layoff.

UFC Fight Night: Shahbazyan v Hernandez
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Biggest Loser(s): Edmen Shahbazyan and Andre Fialho

We are going with two this week because both Shahbazyan and Fialho’s knockout losses are crucial for their respective UFC careers. Fialho has now lost three straight and is just 2-4 in his young UFC run, putting him in danger of getting cut. As for Shahbazyan, gone are the days when he was really considered “The Golden Boy” as a once-promising prospect. But his UFC career has been anything but stellar, going 1-4 in his last five fights. I don’t anticipate him getting released following his latest knockout defeat, but he will definitely go into his next fight with immense pressure knowing that one more loss could be the end of the road for him inside the Octagon.


For complete UFC Vegas 73 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.