UFC bantamweight Tony Kelley has spoken out following his knockout loss to Adrian Yanez at UFC Austin this past weekend. Kelley made himself an adversary of many UFC fans following his controversial remarks while cornering UFC flyweight Andrea Lee last month. He was overheard referring to Lee’s opponent, Viviane Araújo, and her kind as “dirty…
UFC bantamweight Tony Kelley has spoken out following his knockout loss to Adrian Yanez at UFC Austin this past weekend.
Kelley made himself an adversary of many UFC fans following his controversial remarks while cornering UFC flyweight Andrea Lee last month. He was overheard referring to Lee’s opponent, Viviane Araújo, and her kind as “dirty f**king Brazilians”.
Kelley’s remarks caused quite the uproar from the fans as well as some of his UFC fighting colleagues. But, he denied any wrongdoing, citing ‘cancel culture’ as the reason for people being upset about his comments.
Despite his disappointing loss to Yanez, Kelley remains unaffected by his recently-grown base of haters.
In a recent Instagram post, Kelley hit back at his detractors following the first-round knockout loss.
“At the end of the day….it’s still F*** youuuu haterrsss Who’s next ?!” Kelley posted. “Lot of context for what happened last night.. but shit it is what it is, you simple mfers couldn’t begin to understand.”
Before his loss to Yanez, Kelley earned back-to-back wins over Randy Costa and Ali AlQaisi. He made his UFC debut against Kai Kamaka III at UFC 252 following brief stints in Legacy FC and WFF.
Kelley will look to get back in the win column in his expected return to the Octagon later this year. While he’s rubbed a good portion of the UFC faithful the wrong way, he appears to be embracing the role of a heel following his recent comments.
What are your thoughts on Tony Kelley’s post-UFC Austin comments?
UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley is open to a future fight with fellow up-and-comer Adrian Yanez following Yanez’s win at UFC Austin. O’Malley is slated to face Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 on July 2nd. It is one of the toughest tests of his young career after fighting a few lower-level opponents since a loss to…
UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley is open to a future fight with fellow up-and-comer Adrian Yanez following Yanez’s win at UFC Austin.
O’Malley is slated to face Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276 on July 2nd. It is one of the toughest tests of his young career after fighting a few lower-level opponents since a loss to Marlon Vera at UFC 252.
Yanez earned a first-round knockout over Tony Kelley at UFC Austin this past weekend. He and O’Malley are both on the hunt for bantamweight contention after recent winning streaks.
“Adrian Yanez has sick boxing,” O’Malley said. “I think Tony Kelley said he’s a wannabe Masvidal. He definitely has that similar Masvidal style, kinda looks like him too… but he has sick boxing. He’s fun as fuck to watch, has a bunch of good finishes, called me out after the fight.
“That’s a fight that definitely will happen in the future, that’s a sick fuckin’ fight.”
O’Malley went on to clarify that a fight with Yanez may not happen right away if he can get past Munhoz.
“I’m gonna beat Pedro and then I’m gonna fight someone in the top, probably 7?” O’Malley said.
As of the writing of this story, Yanez has yet to crack the Top 15 in the UFC bantamweight division. However, he may be on his way to a spot in the rankings with another win.
O’Malley is listed at No. 13 in the latest UFC rankings (as of 06/20).
O’Malley and Yanez may be on different paths for their next UFC appearances, but a fight between the two dynamic strikers may happen sooner rather than later.
Do you want to see Adrian Yanez fight Sean O’Malley soon?
Welcome to this week’s edition of MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the week! Every week there’s highlight-reel finishes all across the MMA world, and we’ve found some of the absolute best ones to showcase. The UFC’s card in Austin tied a promotional record for the most KO/TKO stoppages at a single event, but only…
Welcome to this week’s edition of MMA News’ Top 10 Finishes of the week! Every week there’s highlight-reel finishes all across the MMA world, and we’ve found some of the absolute best ones to showcase.
The UFC’s card in Austin tied a promotional record for the most KO/TKO stoppages at a single event, but only a few of those managed to make the cut in a week full of impressive finishes.
The return of the PFL provided several candidates, but promotions from Europe and Mexico also managed to produce everything from head kicks to one-shot counters for this week’s list.
#10: Roman Dolidze Sets The Tone In Austin
The first of 9 stoppage victories at UFC Austin also serves as the first finish for this week’s list, courtesy of Georgian middleweight Roman Dolidze.
Dolidze pressed Kyle Daukaus to the fence just over a minute into their fight before throwing up a knee that dropped “The D’Arce Knight” and had the ref jumping in after a few follow-up punches.
#9: Itzel Padilla Impresses In Pro Debut
Debuting atomweights opened the night at Lux Fight League 23 where Itzel Padilla set a high bar for the rest of her career.
High kicks are definitely trending. Itzel Padilla just scored another in her pro debut on the LUX prelims earlier. pic.twitter.com/nJhfhLynfG
Padilla landed a head kick that sat Tania Tapia down on the canvas and provided the first of three head kick finishes included on this week’s list.
#8: Adrian Yanez Puts On A Show
The bad blood between bantamweights Adrian Yanez and Tony Kelley was a major talking point ahead of UFC Austin, and Yanez rose to the occasion in his home state of Texas.
Yanez pushed the pace for as long as the fight lasted before finally dropping Kelley with a series of punches that had the fans in Austin roaring.
#7: Omari Akhmedov Books A Playoff Spot
Omari Akhmedov put in an impressive performance that guaranteed him a spot in the 2022 PFL playoffs, but he also got a little help from the referee to earn a place on this week’s list.
Akhmedov locked up an arm triangle choke on Teodoras Aukštuolis that put the Lithuanian unconscious as the PFL’s “Ref Cam” gave fans a close-up of Aukštuolis’s face.
#6: Kacper Formela Defends FEN Title
This week’s second head kick finish comes from featherweight Kacper Formela’s main event victory at FEN 40 in Poland.
And if you wanted more, this head kick by Kacper Formela. The hell is going on https://t.co/cF1QxmPybT
Making the first defense of his FEN featherweight title against Aleksandr Gorshechnik, Formela landed a head kick just before the end of the first round and followed-up with a few brutal hammer fists for good measure.
#5: Jeremiah Wells Flatlines “The Crusher”
Jeremiah Wells managed to deliver a highlight-reel KO on a night where the crowd at UFC Austin had already witnessed several fantastic finishes.
The 35-year-old welterweight flattened Court McGee with a left hook and handed the longtime veteran just the second stoppage loss of his MMA career.
#4: Joseil Silva Counters Off The Back Foot
Time was winding down in a flyweight bout at ACA 140 until Josiel Silva turned defense into offense with just over a minute remaining.
After a 14 minute beatdown, Josiel Silva faceplants Goga Shamatava with a left hook in the final minute of R3. Vicious KO#ACA140pic.twitter.com/Hx6mLBaf73
The Croatian claimed the FNC heavyweight title when he dropped Oli Thompson and walked away before his opponent even hit the mat.
#2: Alan Castro Refuses To Let Go
Mexican flyweights Alan Castro and Osovaldo Gonzalez managed to fit an entire bout’s worth of action into just over a minute of fight time at Naciones 7.
Alan Castro chokes Osvaldo Gonzalez unconscious in R1. He didn't go easy. Castro was COMMITTED to that triangle. #Naciones7pic.twitter.com/ubwerWQkbL
After the two traded on the feet and engaged in several scrambles on the ground, Castro locked up a triangle choke that eventually put Gonzalez unconscious.
#1: Ricardo Ramos Flashes Back To 2017
On a night where the UFC handed out bonuses to every fighter that earned a finish, Ricardo Ramos stole the spotlight be recreating a knockout he scored nearly 5 years ago.
The 26-year-old landed a spinning elbow that had Danny Chavez slumped against the cage just over a minute into their bantamweight bout on the UFC Austin prelims.
What do you think of this week’s list? Are there any finishes you think should have made the cut that didn’t? What about ones you think should have been ranked higher or lower?
After the excitement of the promotion’s first Singapore-held PPV, the UFC returned to US soil on Saturday for another on-the-road fight night in the form of UFC Austin. The second of a still-rare two-week trip away from the Apex facility saw the MMA leader land in Texas, where the Moody Center played host to a…
After the excitement of the promotion’s first Singapore-held PPV, the UFC returned to US soil on Saturday for another on-the-road fight night in the form of UFC Austin.
The second of a still-rare two-week trip away from the Apex facility saw the MMA leader land in Texas, where the Moody Center played host to a 13-fight card. While the event didn’t pose the immediate title implications and drama that UFC 275 did, the headliner did promise to shake things up at the top of the featherweight division.
While top-five contender Calvin Kattar battled #7-ranked Josh Emmett at the top of the slate, exciting welterweights Kevin Holland and Tim Means provided the appetizer. Elsewhere, the likes of Adrian Yanez, Joaquin Buckley, Guram Kutateladze, and Gregory Rodrigues all took to the Octagon on the main card.
With entertaining fighters like Cody Stamann, Roman Dolidze, and Ricardo Ramos also in action on the prelims, the event looked to be one of the stronger UFC Fight Night cards in recent memory, on paper at least.
So, did it deliver? Let’s find out with the positives and negatives from UFC Austin.
Carlos Candelario vs. Tatsuro Taira – UFC Vegas 53
Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon – UFC 274
Manel Kape vs. Rogério Bontorin – UFC 275
It’s safe to say we’ve had our fair share of disappointing fight cancelations in recent weeks and months. And not just any cancelations, fight week/day disappointments. In a case of déjà vu, we can add Cerrone vs. Lauzon to that list again, this time for UFC Austin.
Like last month in Arizona, the pair made it to the event location, completed their media duties, and successfully weighed in. But once again, Saturday’s event went down without the presence of the the two veterans inside the Octagon.
If Tony Ferguson’s ruptured LCL, which was caused by him tripping over an electrical cable prior to one of many planned matchups with Khabib Nurmagomedov, taught us anything, it’s that freak incidents like this usually means a matchup is cursed.
With that said, it doesn’t seem that the MMA gods want to see Cerrone vs. Lauzon. While the UFC hasn’t addressed whether or not a third attempt at pitting the two vets against each other will be made, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the promotion move both men on to other things.
The tone was set nicely at UFC Austin courtesy of Roman Dolidze, who was making his first appearance since a June 2021 victory over Laureano Staropoli. Against Kyle Daukaus, the Georgian was looking to return to a win streak having had his initial 2-0 start in the Octagon blemished by Trevin Giles last March.
Dolidze accomplished his goal about as viciously as he could have, finishing Daukaus with a truly brutal knee to the head against the cage. Having debuted in the UFC by stopping Khadis Ibragimov with a knee, it’s clear that Dolidze knows how to put the dangerous weapon to good use.
The only negative here was that more people weren’t in attendance to see it. Perhaps my expectations are too high, but the arena seemed remarkably empty, even for the opening bout of the night, which was actually one of the more intriguing matchups on the card.
Nevertheless, that certainly didn’t take away from Dolidze’s performance and brutal finish. Violence, violence, violence!
In the second fight of the night, Phil Hawes delivered one of the most one-sided beatdowns in recent memory, piecing Deron Winn up right from the word go. From effective jabs and cutting lead-in elbows to flush high kicks and cross-rights, everything “Megatron” threw, he did so with vicious intent, and usually landed.
Given Hawes’ striking talent, which was evident last time out before he got caught by Chris Curtis, Winn’s gameplan was a confusing one. Despite being thoroughly dominated, the elite wrestler didn’t even feint a takedown once.
The aesthetic of Winn bloody and beaten in his corner after round one made it pretty clear where the bout was headed. And despite some resistance in the form of a few overhand rights, it remained one-way traffic right up until a standing TKO stoppage. The “standing” is credence to the Missouri native’s toughness.
The beatdown maybe went on longer than it should have, with referee Herb Dean stepping in as the contest had gone beyond the ‘yep, this is done’ stage, something that was clear when Winn’s swings went from low power to no power.
When the UFC heads to Texas, one narrative is inevitable, and it surrounds the expectation for some horrific judging catastrophes.
While not a total disaster given that it had no influence on the result, the first-round scoring for Hawes’ utter demolition of Winn was concerning. If that five minutes of action, which included a knockdown and a host of wobbly moments for Winn, as well as practically nothing in return, wasn’t worthy of a 10-8, then quite frankly, I don’t know what is.
Sal D’Amato awarded Hawes a 10-8, but judges Joel Ojeda and Jason Stafin did not. D’Amato gets a lot of stick, much of it unnecessary, but what does it say that he, the one experienced and renowned judge on that fight’s selection, got an obvious call correct, while two local officials somehow missed it?
I wrote the above section expecting something else to crop up throughout the night, and that it did.
On the main card, Damir Ismagulov and Guram Kutateladze battled in a highly technical and highly entertaining lightweight contest. While it was undoubtedly a close fight with a few acceptable scorecards, Jason Stafin’s 30-27 certainly wasn’t one of them.
Once again, the seasoned judges scoring this fight, Chris Lee and Doug Crosby, turned in opposing 29-28s that were certainly acceptable. The dissenting, and clearly incorrect scorecard, once again came from the mind of Stafin, a local judge.
Given that Stafin’s experience amounts to two UFC Fight Nights and one Bellator event since 2016, his presence cageside can certainly be questioned.
The group of 2022 Knockout of the Year contenders is beginning to get a little crowded, and a little dizzy.
While the standout is perhaps Michael Chandler’s front-kick knockout of Tony Ferguson, Molly McCann and Weili Zhang have both span to disable their latest opponents, the former via elbow and the latter with a backfist. Joining good company, then, is Ricardo Ramos.
UFC Austin had already started fantastically, but the featherweight contest between Ramos and Danny Chavez brought a new level of violence. Just over a minute into the fight, “Carcacinha” shut the lights out in some style.
As Chavez backed up towards the fence, Ramos dipped to his right and feinted a left jab. When “The Colombian Warrior” bit and dropped his hands to parry, the Brazilian threw a remarkably quick spinning back elbow up top, connecting clean with Chavez’s temple.
The 35-year-old was propped up by the cage, staring into space. Ramos quickly changed that, completing the knockout with a left hook that slumped his rival to the ground.
Having delivered a similarly brutal spinning back elbow against Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 217 in 2017, it’s clear that Ramos has nailed the art of eccentric and unique striking. When he returns to the Octagon, there’ll be no prizes for guessing what move most will be waiting for, including his opponent…
DJ Khaled references are cliché and overused when it comes to instances of repetition, but I’d estimate that it came to the minds of at least half the fans watching UFC Austin.
No sooner had the echo of Ricardo Ramos’ elbow stopped ringing around the Moody Center, Jeremiah Wells gave the Brazilian a run for his money on the brutality meter. The victim this time was Court McGee. Given that “The Crusher” had only been finished once in the UFC prior to Saturday night, the image of him unconscious on the canvas wouldn’t have been in many prediction pieces.
So how did he get there? A highlight-reel left hook from hell. After having a right hand parried, Wells threw a looping left hand that came from so far back, it’s understandable it went unnoticed from McGee.
After a sickening thud to the ground and some savage ground-and-pound shots, the fight was over, and Wells had followed up his memorable stoppages of Warlley Alves and “Blood Diamond” with a third equally devastating finish.
It’s safe to say that Natália Silva’s fanbase got a whole lot bigger on Saturday.
It’s hard to recall a debut as technically sound, impressive, and dominant as Silva’s. Closing out the UFC Austin prelims, the Brazilian faced Jasmine Jasudavicius. While the Canadian’s walkout and song choice cemented her as the fan favorite early on in this one, that didn’t last long at all.
Who’d have thought a Brazilian debutant would have a Texas crowd chanting her name? Silva earned that acclaim with a flawless performance.
From her fluid movement and takedown defense to her lightening-fast kicks, both to the head and body, and including spins, everything that the 25-year-old attempted came off, and ended up making Jasudavicius look rather amateur, and even like a punching bag at times.
To make the performance that much more impressive, it marked Silva’s first outing since 2019. With the display, Silva has made an immediate impact in the Octagon, and will likely find herself with an elevated rise towards the rankings.
A new flyweight threat has emerged, and her name is Natália Silva.
The biggest takeaway from UFC Austin was that bigots get their comeuppance, and in MMA, that means they get knocked out.
Opening the main card was Tony Kelley (not a bad position for someone who was supposedly ‘canceled’) and rising prospect Adrian Yanez. Delivering a finish for himself, his home state, the Moody Center crowd, and the country of Brazil, Yanez showed his class, and the gulf in it between himself and Kelley.
It took just minutes to see which of the two was sharper and slicker with their movement. And after surviving one hairy moment, Kelley met his end to the clearly superior Yanez less than four minutes into the opening round.
The ferocious KO brought a rowdy reaction from the crowd, as well as a big response from all corners of social media.
As it turns out Kerry Hatley might not be the biggest Kelley fan either. The ref decided against stepping in as the dazed 35-year-old sat clueless on the ground, resulting in three more shots that ensured Kelley went all the way to sleep.
Hatley also gave him an inadvertent kick to the head as he leapt over him in what was certainly a messy stoppage. Although you’d be hard-pressed to find too many complaints about it online.
I think most acknowledged that Yanez had earned a better opponent with his impressive run, but it seems many were okay with this matchup so that, well, what happened could happen…
With that out the way, though, it’s time for Yanez to fight a more notable name and begin facing bantamweights with numbers next to their names.
Positive – Main Card Violence Continues
When the prelims deliver such an entertaining set of fights, the main card often struggles to reach the same heights. At UFC Austin, that wasn’t the case.
After Adrian Yanez set the tone, the rest of the main card fighters took up the mantle and matched the efforts of their predecessors.
The first to do so was Gregory Rodrigues, whose fists did a surreal amount of damage to Julian Marquez. From the moment he rocked “The Cuban Missile Crisis,” the Brazilian smelt blood and went to work, consistently knocking down and wobbling Marquez. Eventually, a stiff right hand penetrated the Missouri native’s defense and ended his night.
After “Robocop” added a seventh finish of the night, Damir Ismagulov and Guram Kutateladze delivered their own dose of violence, but in the form of a technical and enthralling three-round battle. In the boxer vs. kickboxer contest, it was the former who came out victorious, with Ismagulov extending his win streak to 16.
The action certainly wasn’t done there.
Next up to have his Austin moment was Joaquin Buckley, who put in a striking clinic en route to a TKO victory in-between rounds two and three. The doctor’s stoppage came when it was clear that Albert Duraev couldn’t see out of a massively swollen left eye.
Giving us another look on the violence front was Kevin Holland in the co-main. Giving further evidence that his decision to drop to welterweight was a good one, “Trailblazer” moved closer to the 170-pound top 15 by snapping the three-fight win streak of Tim Means.
After showing his slick striking game on the feet, Holland capitalized on an opportunity to lock in his second UFC submission, forcing Means to tap-out to a tight D’Arce choke in the second round.
A submission was perhaps the only thing left on our UFC Austin bingo cards heading into the top-two bouts on the card. That was quickly rectified courtesy of Holland’s handiwork.
Positive – A FW Title Contender Emerges
Not many sentences get MMA fans as excited as, “ranked featherweights fighting.” The UFC Austin headliner showed why.
For five rounds, Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett went toe-to-toe, with both looking to secure their place opposite the Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 3 victor. In the end, after a remarkably-close fight, it was the #7-ranked contender who secured his ascension into the top five and into the championship conversation via split decision.
With Brian Ortega, who has lost to both Holloway and Volkanovski, and Yair Rodriguez, who fell to “Blessed” last November, set to collide next month, it seems that Emmett represents the kind of fresh blood that the champion will be looking for, whoever that may be after UFC 276.
At 37 years old, UFC Austin was a crucial moment for Emmett’s title charge. And against one of the division’s best, the 145-pound powerhouse shone bright.
Adrian Yanez has now accepted Gilbert Burns’ money for KOing Tony Kelley at UFC Austin last night. Yanez got revenge for Burns and the rest of Brazil with a first-round knockout of Kelley on the UFC Austin main card. This came after Kelley made controversial remarks about Brazil while cornering Andrea Lee last month. After…
Adrian Yanez has now accepted Gilbert Burns’ money for KOing Tony Kelley at UFC Austin last night.
Yanez got revenge for Burns and the rest of Brazil with a first-round knockout of Kelley on the UFC Austin main card. This came after Kelley made controversial remarks about Brazil while cornering Andrea Lee last month.
After the clip of Kelley’s comments went viral, Burns offered a cash prize to Yanez if he could finish Kelley at UFC Austin. After Yanez successfully passed the test, Burns appeared to keep his word.
My guy @yanezmma representing DM me your Zelle or cash app! CONGRATS!! #UFCAustin
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) June 18, 2022
“My guy [Adrian Yanez] representing [Brazil],” Burns tweeted. “DM me your Zelle or cash app! CONGRATS!!”
But Yanez appeared to be taking a more humble approach to his win over Kelley following their heated buildup. He allegedly declined Burns’ offer, as Burns shared in a follow-up tweet.
Come on my guys! Make sure you push @yanezmma to accept the money he don’t want it! It’s been a fight #UFCAustin
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) June 19, 2022
“Come on my guys! Make sure you push [Adrian Yanez] to accept the money he don’t want it! It’s been a fight,” Burns said.
Alas, Yanez would ultimately give in and has big plans on how he’ll be spending Durinho’s money.
Big thank you to @GilbertDurinho definitely spending that on my son!! I greatly appreciate it
“Big thank you to @GilbertDurinho definitely spending that on my son!! I greatly appreciate it.”
Yanez got the chance to fight in his home state this past weekend in Texas. He also garnered a big Brazilian fanbase entering his fight with Kelley and gave them plenty to celebrate.
Burns demanded an apology from Kelley following his comments, but Kelley instead blamed ‘cancel culture’ for the strong reaction to his corner advice.
Yanez is one of the most impressive bantamweight prospects in the UFC and will look to continue his climb in the division later this year.
Do you think Adrian Yanez should accept Gilbert Burns’ offer?
UFC Austin delivered for a raucous crowd at the city’s Moody Center, tying a record for the most KO/TKO finishes at a single UFC event. The promotion decided to mark the occasion by handing out extra bonuses for the second-straight week after 7 different fighters took home an extra $50k at UFC 275 last week….
UFC Austin delivered for a raucous crowd at the city’s Moody Center, tying a record for the most KO/TKO finishes at a single UFC event. The promotion decided to mark the occasion by handing out extra bonuses for the second-straight week after 7 different fighters took home an extra $50k at UFC 275 last week.
The UFC topped that number this week and gave 11 different fighters a $50K bonus. The promotion elected to hand out Performance of the Night bonuses to every fighter that won by finish, plus the usual pair of bonuses for Fight of the Night.
Things got off to a fast start in the middleweight division, as Roman Dolidze stopped Kyle Daukaus just over a minute into the night’s opening fight. The Georgian landed a knee that sent Daukaus to the canvas and only required a few half-hearted follow-up punches before the ref had seen enough.
The action continued at middleweight with the night’s second bout. After battering him for large portions of the fight, Phil Hawes landed some standing elbows on an already comprised Deron Winn to earn a stoppage at the end of the second round.
The event ended up with three-straight finishes before seeing the judge’s scorecards. Cody Stamann needed less than a minute to stop veteran Eddie Wineland with a combination of knees and punches against the fence.
The first decision of the night did nothing to halt the card’s momentum, as Ricardo Ramos delivered arguably the most impressive finish of the evening in the following bout. Already known for his spinning elbow KO of Aiemann Zahabi at UFC 217, the 26-year-old landed the technique a second time to set up a finish of Danny Chavez.
Not to be outdone, Jeremiah Wells delivered his own offering for the night’s best finish in the next fight. Matched with The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 winner Court McGee, Wells pressed forward and landed a huge left hook that starched “The Crusher” just over a minute and a half into the fight.
The event’s second decision provided a brief respite from the violence of Ramos and Wells’ finishes, but Adrian Yanez got things back on track with the third first-round finish of his UFC career. The Texas-native clearly fed off the energy of his home fans and battered Tony Kelley until the ref stepped in with just over a minute left in the first round.
The next fight between Gregory Rodrigues and Julian Marquez ended in the event’s sixth and final first-round finish. Rodrigues established a striking edge early, and despite a valiant attempt from Marquez to fire back he ended up on the canvas after a right hand from “Robocop”.
Middleweights went 4 for 4 on finishes when Joaquin Buckley earned a victory over Albert Duraev via doctor stoppage in the third round of their fight. While Buckley couldn’t dictate exactly when the fight ended, Duraev had no answer for the offense that closed the Russian’s left eye to the point where a doctor deemed him unable to continue.
The welterweight co-main event between Kevin Holland and Tim Means provided the final finish of the evening and night’s only submission. “Trailblazer” managed to catch Means in a d’arce choke for Holland’s second-straight victory since moving to the welterweight division.
The main event bout between featherweights Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett had a lot to live up to considering the action that preceded them entering the cage. Both men delivered in a Fight of the Night performance where Josh Emmett walked away with a narrow split-decision win and his fifth-straight victory.
All in all, 9 different fighters walked away from UFC Austin with Performance of the Night Bonuses in addition to Fight of the Night going to Kattar and Emmett.
What do you think of the bonuses for UFC Austin? Should the UFC continue this trend of handing out extra bonuses for exceptional events?
Amazing performance by Natalia Silva! 
DM me your Zelle or cash app! CONGRATS!! 
HOLLAND BY SUBMISSION, WE REPEAT, HOLLAND BY SUBMISSION