Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was back at the friendly confines of the Apex last night (Sat., April 27, 2024) in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 91. Headlining the event was a Flyweight bout that saw Alex Perez score a second-round knockout (KO) win over Matheus Nicolau (see it again here). In the co-main event, Bogdan Guskov defeated Ryan Spann via via devastating TKO in round number two (highlights here).
Biggest Winner: Alex Perez
When opportunity knocks, you have to open the door. And that’s just what Perez did after he was asked to fill the void left behind by Manel Kape, who bowed out of his fight against Matheus Nicolau with an injury. It was a risky move because Nicolau is the No. 5 ranked fighter in the division, and was hungry for a win after getting knocked out by Brandon Royval in his previous bout. And not to mention, Perez was coming into the short-notice fight having lost three straight. But Perez was on his game all night, eventually scoring a thunderous knockout win to put him back into the win column, which also pocketed himself a cool $50,000 post-fight bonus award. With the win, Perez can expect to get closer to the Top 5.
Runner Up: Jhonata Diniz
The only thing better than scoring a win in your UFC debut, is by doing it in spectacular fashion and earning a $50,000 post-fight bonus award, in the process. That’s just what Diniz did last night, as the former GLORY standout knockout out Austen Lane in round two with a barrage of strikes. In doing so, the heavy-handed Heavyweight made an immediate impact on a division that will give a contender the chance to move up rather quick with a few impressive wins. Diniz got off on the right foot, and has now improved his record to 7-0, 1-0 UFC with all of his wins coming by way of knockout, six of them in the very first round. The 265-pound division has itself a new contender.
Biggest Loser: Na Liang
Coming into the event, Lian was on our list for the fighter who needed a win the most after losing her first three fights inside the Octagon. Unfortunately for “Dragon Girl,” things didn’t get any better against Ivana Petrovic, who eventually sunk in a third-round arm-triangle choke to put an end to the fight. With four straight stoppage losses in four tries under the UFC banner, I feel this is the last we have seen of her inside the Octagon.
For complete UFC Vegas 91 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.