Check out which fighters won performance bonuses from UFC Vegas 58: Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev.
UFC Vegas 58 on Saturday was a so-so offering. The lightweight headliner ended in sudden fashion, and the middleweight co-headliner saw a Contender Series alum get his second win under the UFC banner.
The preliminary portion of the card saw Saidyokub Kakhramonov dominate Ronnie Lawrence on the ground over three rounds for a unanimous decision. The 26-year-old had a name ready for his next appearance and challenged former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt. Kennedy Nzechukwu threatened Karl Roberson with submission attempt after submission attempt, but the ‘African Savage’ ended up finishing his opponent with ground-and-pound for a third-round technical knockout. That loss to Nzechukwu was the fourth in a row for ‘Baby K,’ who could find himself outside the promotion. David Onama put Garrett Armfield to sleep with an arm-triangle choke in the second round. Fun fact: This was a rematch between Onama and Armfield, who fought on the amateur scene four years ago! The ‘Silent Assassin’ won that fight, too. Antonina Shevchenko snapped a two-fight losing streak with a split decision over Cortney Casey. Cody Brundage added Tresean Gore to his resume with a highlight-reel first-round knockout. The Factory X product caught Gore with a short right hand and followed him to the ground, where he unleashed several punches from mount for the brutal finish.
The main portion of the card started with an all-action affair between Jamie Mullarkey and Michael Johnson. Both men had near fight-ending moments, but it was the Australian fighter who did enough to leave the Octagon with a split decision win. Aiemann Zahabi earned a unanimous decision over Ricky Turcios, a recent winner of The Ultimate Fighter. Chase Sherman and Jared Vanderaa went Rock ‘Em Sock’Em robots on us in a fairly entertaining heavyweight fight. The ‘Vanilla Gorilla’ turned up the heat in the third round, overwhelming Vanderaa for a TKO win. Said Nurmagomedov vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade lived up to expectations! Nurmagomedov won by unanimous decision and said it was time for him to ‘enter the rankings’ at bantamweight. He should be ranked soon. Caio Borralho improved to 2-0 in the UFC with a decision over Armen Petrosyan. The Brazilian set his sights on Dricus Du Plessis next. Not sure he gets that fight, but still a bold callout.
Rafael Fiziev was probably on his way to a win on the judges’ scorecards, but took them out of the equation with a sudden fifth-round technical knockout of Rafael Dos Anjos. Wow! Fiziev asked for someone in the top five, and after a performance like that, it would be difficult to deny him.
Performance of the Night: Rafael Fiziev and Chase Sherman
Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Karl Roberson by TKO (elbows) at 2:19 of Round 3
David Onama def. Garrett Armfield by technical submission (arm-triangle choke) at 3:13 of Round 2
Cody Brundage def. Tresean Gore by KO (punches) at 3:50 of Round 1
Chase Sherman def. Jared Vanderaa by TKO (strikes) at 3:10 of Round 3
Rafael Fiziev def. Rafael Dos Anjos by TKO (strikes) at :18 of Round 5
Fight of the Night: Jamie Mullarkey vs. Michael Johnson
Saidyokub Kakhramonov def. Ronnie Lawrence by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Antonina Shevchenko def. Cortney Casey by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Jamie Mullarkey def. Michael Johnson by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Aiemann Zahabi def. Ricky Turcios by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Said Nurmagomedov def. Douglas Silva de Andrade by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Caio Borralho def. Armen Petrosyan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)