On a UFC 182 main card that was populated by names such as Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier, Hector Lombard and Donald Cerrone, it’s a surprise to many that there wasn’t a Performance of the Night candidate to be found when it was all said and done.
However, it was the fighters in the prelims who had everything to gain and put on a spectacle for those in attendance at the MGM Grand. The debuting Paul Felder and Cody Garbrandt skillfully picked apart their respective opponents before putting a stamp on near-flawless victories. Felder picked up a performance bonus for his spinning backfist knockout of Danny “Last Call” Castillo. Garbrandt, who missed out, should still be feeling pretty good about himself.
Felder, known as The Irish Dragon, continued his undefeated streak and added another impressive knockout to his expansive resume. The 29-year-old former Cage Fury Fighting lightweight champion has seven knockouts to his name including this one. Felder, a longtime friend of fellow lightweight Donald Cerrone, had been training with Cowboy for the latter’s co-main event bout against Myles Jury.
Felder, already 1-0 inside the Octagon, drew Team Alpha Male member Castillo in his second bout. Castillo has been known to wrestle and clinch his way to victory, which he does to compensate for his average boxing skills. The 35-year-old Castillo had his legs battered by Felder‘s kicks; perhaps he could have used those against him by threatening for more takedowns. Instead, that allowed for Felder to continue pushing forward, growing his confidence in time for this beauty.
But before we hand Felder the owner of most vicious knockout of the night, let’s take a look at the fight that preceded his. As one Team Alpha Male fighter fell, one rose, and he goes by the name of No Love. Garbrandt, undefeated like Felder, came into Saturday night’s debut against the Marcus Brimage on a five-fight win streak, winning each fight by knockout or TKO.
For the entire fight, Garbrandt marched forward and was clearly the aggressor of the two. He also seemed to have an answer for everything the American Top Team fighter threw at him and employed an efficient counterstriking attack. But while the 23-year-old Garbrandt landed several counter lefts and punishing hooks, Brimage was quietly making this more of a fight than it may have appeared.
The third round marked a turning point, when Garbrandt was able to put away the stumbling Brimage via several left and right hooks. Garbrandt‘s power went unmatched throughout the entire fight, as the Bama Beast never was able to tee off and put him in danger. If it weren’t for Felder‘s propensity for the unorthodox, UFC President Dana White may be writing a different name on the check.
Garbrandt‘s victory, while it may have seemed one-sided, had the feeling of a somewhat competitive fight. When compared to Felder‘s win, it pails in comparison. The Irish Dragon’s striking was light years better than Castillo’s. He also stuffed two of Castillo’s takedown attempts. Top 15 bantamweights and lightweights have all been put on notice.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com