UFC Vegas 21 provided fight fans with an entertaining night of fights last night (Sat., March 13, 2021) in Las Vegas, Nevada, which saw the main event bout between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad end early due to an inadvertent eye poke from “Rocky” (highlights). As a result, the bout ended in a no contest (NC). In the co-main event, Ryan Spann knocked out Misha Cirkunov very early in the first round of their Light Heavyweight fight (see it again here).
Winner: Ryan Spann
Who He Should Face Next: Nikita Krylov
After taking out Misha Cirkunov rather quickly, Spann could be ready to make a quick turnaround. And if Krylov is ready to fight against after losing to Magomed Ankalaev in Feb. 2020, that is the fight to make next. Krylov currently owns the No. 9 ranking, but he is just 1-2 in his last three fights, so he is in desperate need of a big win. If he can stop Spann’s momentum, he can start his own and find his groove back in the process. For Spann, taking out a fighter ranked in the Top 10 is a one-way ticket for him to break in.
Winner: Dan Ige
Who He Should Face Next: Chan Sung Jung
During his post-fight interview, Ige called for a fight against “Korean Zombie,” and it’s actually a great idea. Jung is currently ranked No. 5, while Ige should improve from his current spot at No. 9 this coming week. “Korean Zombie” was last seen losing to Brian Ortega in Oct. 2020, so he is need of a win. If he can get that over “50K,” it will put him right back in the mix. For Ige, a win over a former title contender could be his pass to sneak into the Top 5, getting him closer to his championship dreams.
Winner: Davey Grant
Who He Should Face Next: Rani Yahya
Grant picked up his third straight win after scoring an impressive knockout win over Jonathan Martinez. Yahya, meanwhile, scored an impressive submission win (triangle choke) over Ray Rodriguez on the “Prelims,” giving him his first win in nearly two years (see it here). If both men can make a turnaround soon, I wouldn’t mind this matchup next. Yahya has been fighting for the promotion for eight years, while Grant has been around for seven so now is as good as time as any to finally meet inside the Octagon.
Winner: Matheus Nicolau
Who He Should Face Next: Tyson Nam
Nicolau picked up a huge win in his return to the promotion after nearly three years away by defeating former RIZIN Bantamweight champion, Manel Kape. Nicolau is 4-1 inside the Octagon, so I would love to see him face off against Nam next. Ranked No. 15 on the official UFC rankings, Nam is coming off a tough split decision defeat to Matt Schnell in Jan. 2021. Tyson hasn’t exactly been the poster boy for consistency during his time inside the Octagon. While he is ranked, Nicolau has actually been doing better over their last five because Nam is just 2-3 compared to Nicolau’s 4-1.
For complete UFC Vegas 21: “Edwards Vs. Muhammad” results and play-by-play, click HERE!