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The UFC continued its stint in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the UFC APEX last night (Saturday, September 12, 2020) for UFC Vegas 10. After a couple of unusually short cards in a row, last night’s 12 bouts were something of a comeback. to form. Of course, the COVID-19 cancellations and weight reduction setbacks still sparked a couple of fights, including the original main event between Glover Teixeira and Thiago Santos.
Fortunately, the little Octagon still hosted some very fun fights. Let’s take a closer look at the most skilled techniques and best performances:
An amazing main event
Michelle Waterson vs. Angela Hill wasn’t the main event anyone asked for, but it exceeded almost everyone’s expectations. It was competitive and technically interesting for all five rounds. There were very few shadows in the air.
I wrote a lot about the main event HERE !, but know this at least: it was really cool.
Moroccan Bulldozer
Ottman Azaitar fights with the mindset of an undefeated bully.
Khama Worthy is a pretty fierce puncher in his own right, but Azaitar showed him little respect. He waited around a minute to find his range and get comfortable, but the second Azaitar scored a clean jaw connection, he immediately delivered a gigantic flurry of punches. Alternating left and right hooks, and mixing an occasional uppercut, Azaitar ignored any threats that came his way.
It worked. Azaitar successfully broke into the clinch distance, where Worthy’s lanky arms were less valuable, and knocked the veteran down hard. It’s another first-round knockout win for the prospect, who didn’t reveal much new information about his game in general … because he didn’t need it!
The dumbest fight in months
MMA is a stupid sport. The results don’t have to make sense. The best man usually loses. Officiating incompetence routinely rears its ugly head.
All of the above was the case in last night’s main undercard fight between Mike Rodriguez and Ed Herman. Rodriguez really beat up “Short Fuse.” On at least three separate occasions, “Slow” nearly killed his opponent. In the second round, Herman dropped Herman with one knee to the chest, but somehow the referee mistook the pectoral muscle for the groin, calling it an illegal punch and giving Herman a five-minute respite and a chance to keep fighting afterward. of basically getting a technical knockout.
In the third, both men were tired, but again, it was Rodríguez who did the damage. He nearly secured a shot with defensive elbows along the fence, forcing Herman to hit his butt. Out of nowhere, Herman wrapped a kimura around his back, flipped his opponent around, and connected the shoulder.
I’m not at all mad at Ed Herman for capitalizing on the strange circumstances – that’s a veteran! But, it’s a bummer for Rodriguez, who largely proved himself to be the best fighter and quite possibly had a finish (and therefore his win bonus) stolen from him.
It’s also a reminder that MMA is … silly.
Betting on the short-term loser
Roosevelt Roberts was a 6-1 favorite last night, and it made sense why. After all, his opponent Kevin Croom accepted the fight on very short notice. It was just a couple of days since Roberts’s original showdown was rocked by COVID-19, and few expected Croom and his relatively average record (21-12) to beat the prospect.
Well, “The Hard-Hitting Hillbilly” did its thing. He immediately dropped Roberts with a strong left and then jumped over the guillotine, forcing his enemy to submit within the first 30 seconds.
These UFC APEX cards are rare events, but this is something of a trend. There have been several higher Annoying victories for fighters who arrive on very short notice, throw caution to the wind, and find success as a result.
Additional thoughts
- Billy quarantillo defeats Kyle nelson via knockout in the third round: Quarantillo’s strategy is no secret. Put great pressure on opponents, both on the feet and on the mat, just by dressing them. Nelson played straight into his hands, loading power shots and looking for the knockout. When that perfect shot didn’t land, Nelson quickly got tired and Quarantillo kept working. By the start of the third, Nelson was exhausted, allowing Quarantillo to feint his way to a hard right hand that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas.
- Alexander Romanov defeats Roque Martinez through the arm triangle of the second round: Romanov was simply one level, or more accurately, several levels, ahead of his opponent on the mat. The rookie heavyweight scored takedowns with relative ease, including a massive belly-to-back suplex. Once up, it flowed quite well, allowing Martinez to burn off energy without gaining much ground. Eventually, one such revolt attempt saw Martinez basically fall into the arm triangle choke, and Romanov quickly capitalized.
- Interlaced turner Defeat Brock Weaver via Second-Round Bare Butt Choke: Turner hit Weaver last night. He was the most accurate and powerful man from the start of the fight, knocking down his opponent in the first. The damage accumulated rapidly, and within a second, Weaver no longer looked very stable in his posture. “The Tarantula” raised the temperature again, forcing his opponent to turn around in the clinch. From there, Turner secured a very nice two-on-one tie on his wrist, using that hold to drag his opponent onto the mat. The submission came moments later, and it will be interesting to see if Weaver remains on the list after a really rough start to his UFC career.
- Sabrina Mazo defeats Justine kish through third round rear naked choke: Kish is a physical talent, one who wins fights through a combination of activity and strength. Even without a great deal of refinement, that can be a tough challenge, but all things considered, Mazo handled it quite well. He kept his feet moving and used straighter punches, which eventually slowed Kish down. In the third, Mazo launched a high kick that sent the guard down, knocking Kish down and setting up the submission shot.
For full UFC Vegas 10 results: “Hill vs. Waterson ”and play by play, click HERE!
