UFC Vegas 79 went down last night (Sat., Sept. 23, 2023) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring a headlining bout between Rafael Fiziev vs. Mateusz Gamrot that ended in anti-climactic fashion as a result of a knee injury suffered by “Ataman.” In the co-main event of the evening, Bryce Mitchell defeated Dan Ige via unanimous decision, while Marina Rodriguez busted up Michelle Waterson-Gomez before eventually finishing her in round two (watch highlights).
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Biggest Winner: Marina Rodriguez
Coming into the event, I felt the rematch between Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson-Gomez was pointless seeing as how Rodriguez had already defeated Waterson two years ago. Furthermore, “Karate Hottie” hadn’t tasted victory since, losing on two more occasions. The rematch proved to be even more one-sided than the original because Rodriguez obliterated Waterson-Gomez, busting her up before putting on the finishing touches via violent technical knockout. With the win, Rodriguez snaps her two-fight losing streak and goes home with an extra $50,000 check.
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Runner Up: Bryce Mitchell
Mitchell may be a character outside the cage (and sometimes inside), but the scrappy Featherweight gets the job done when it’s time to put up or shut up. And he did just that be earning a clear-cut unanimous decision win, improving his record to 7-1 inside the Octagon with his lone defeat coming at the hands of No. 1-seeded contender, Ilia Topuria. And he showed grit, too, because Ige smashed his eye and won a lot of the striking exchanges, but Mitchell turned to his wrestling to dominate the fight when he needed. While I’m not convinced he’ll ever be the “cash cow” for UFC he thinks he’ll be, he will, at least, be a threat to anyone standing in front of him.
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Biggest Loser: Michelle Waterson-Gomez
Let’s keep it real, “Karate Hottie” hasn’t looked good in awhile, with her last win coming three years ago against Angela Hill. Since then, she has gone on to lose four in a row, including last night’s one-sided beatdown at the hands of Rodriguez (her second loss to the Brazilian standout). Overall, Waterson-Gomez has lost six of her last seven inside the Octagon, leaving her fighting future in peril. Whether or not UFC keeps her after her horrid run remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, Waterson-Gomez needs to go back to the lab to see what’s lacking.
For complete UFC Vegas 79 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.