There have many fighters who have stepped on short notice to get themselves into the UFC. There haven’t been many who won. Saidyokub Kakhramonov bucked that trend, as he looked excellent in a grind of a fight. Trevin Jones looked far from the guy who’s power stunned and finished his two previous opponent. Instead, Jones spent the fight pushing Kakhramonov down, looking to take him down. Only in the later part of round two did he succeed. In round three, near the end, Kakhramonov locked in a guillotine choke that put Trevin Jones to sleep. The victory marked three straight for the Uzbekistan native.
-
Embed from Getty Images -
Embed from Getty ImagesIn what turned out to be a fifteen minute battle, Vinc Pichel prevailed in the war of nutrition against Austin Hubbard. While the judges awarded Pichel all three rounds, it was much closer than that. Regardless, the right man was awarded the victory, which was his third straight. At 38 years of age, Pichel seems to be on the cusp of cracking the Lightweight’s division’s top fifteen rankings.
-
Embed from Getty ImagesIn what was expected to be a high paced fight, entertained to the very end as Alexandre Pantoja submitted Brandon Royval. It wasn’t easy though, as Royval’s constant movement proved to be problematic early for Pantoja. However, in round two, Pantoja was able to secure in hooks and thereafter the fight ending rear naked choke. The victory marked two consecutive wins for the Brazilian, who certainly has a case for a title shot. After all, he has two wins over current Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno.
-
Embed from Getty ImagesThere was no quit in Austin Lingo, as he turned around a tough first round, by taking the next two rounds – and subsequently the fight. It appeared that Luis Saldana may have hurt his foot some point in the first round, as his movement was considerably less there on after. Lingo though kept the pressure on and in round three, dropped Saldana with a body shot. It was exactly what the doctor ordered, as the third round was a close one before the knockdown. The victory Lingo’s second in a row.
-
Embed from Getty ImagesBrian Kelleher skipped the firefight he is so accustomed too, using his wrestling and top control to pick up a decision victory over Domingo Pilarte. Kelleher was dominate, as he nearly controlled Pilarte for thirteen of the fifteen minutes of the fight. Kelleher didn’t just smother Pilarte, as he landed over 230 strikes. The victory was Kelleher’s first of 2021and fourth since 2020.
-
Embed from Getty ImagesJosiane Nunes debut couldn’t go any better, as she knocked out Bea Malecki in the the opening round. While both had their moments, it was Nunes who landed more often. Using pressure, Nunes easily entered the pocket. From there, she showed off her power – eventually knocking Malecki out. The victory was Nunes seventh in a row.
-
Embed from Getty ImagesWilliam Knight rebounded in big way, as he landed a short right cross that sent Fabio Cherant to another realm. Prior to the knockout, each traded shots, but it was Cherant who kept lunging forward with strikes. Unfortunately for him, it cost him. The victory was Knight’s second inside the octagon and I have a feeling, he’ll be back inside the octagon sooner than later.
-
Embed from Getty ImagesIgnacio Bahamondes might have earned himself a UFC Performance bonus, as he pulled off a spinning back kick knockout with seconds left in the fight. The knockout will be in UFC promo packages to come, as well is a sure fire candidate for ‘KO of the Year’. Prior to the knockout, Bahamondes looked excellent. Using pressure and volume, he outpointed Roosevelt Roberts every round. Bahamondes showed excellent takedown defense, as he stuffed all twelve of Roberts takedown attempts. The victory was the Chilean’s first inside the octagon. With an exciting style, expect fans to be glued to the action the next time the Chilean steps inside the octagon.
-
Embed from Getty ImagesUnlike his debut, Ramiz Brahimaj wrestled. In a matter of fifteen seconds, Brahimaj was in on a takedown. He would go on to complete two, the last of which kept Sasha Palatnikov grounded on the mat for good. Brahimaj worked to mount, where he lured Palatnikov to give his back. From there, Brahimaj sunk in what would eventually be a fight ending rear naked choke – one that saw Palatnikov go to sleep. The victory was Brahimaj’s ninth professional win and first inside the octagon. The submission also ninth, which keeps his finishing rate at 100%.
-
Quick Picks* Will add predictions later.
UFC on ESPN 28 Main Card On ESPN/ESPN+ (9 p.m. ET):
185 lbs.: Uriah Hall vs. Sean Strickland
115 lbs.: Cheyanne Buys vs. Gloria de Paula
170 lbs.: Bryan Barberena vs. Jason Witt
155 lbs.: Rafa Garcia vs. Chris Gruetzemacher
145 lbs.: Collin Anglin vs. Melsik BaghdasaryanUFC on ESPN Prelims Card On ESPN/ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET):
145 lbs.: Danny Chavez vs. Kai Kamaka
125 lbs.: Zarrukh Adashev vs. Ryan Benoit
115 lbs.: Jinh Yu Frey vs. Ashley Yoder
170 lbs.: Orion Cosce vs. Phillip Rowe
The MMA Daily 