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On Saturday night, the MMA leader returned for its final card of 2022, UFC Vegas 66.
While the promotion closed out its pay-per-view calendar for this year with UFC 282 last weekend, the Octagon offerings weren’t quite finished. And although much of the attention this month was on the T-Mobile Arena-held event, which included a title fight and a host of top names, the year-concluding UFC Fight Night certainly wasn’t short on action and entertainment.
In the headliner, middleweight contenders Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland looked to rebound from their respective losses at UFC 276 this past July. While “The Killa Gorilla” fell short of the title against Israel Adesanya, “Tarzan” was slept by the man who went on to dethrone “The Last Stylebender” four months later.
Elsewhere, rising lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov collided, UFC veterans Drew Dober and Alex Caceres returned, and prospects such as Cheyanne Vlismas and Jake Matthews took to the cage.
So, did all those names come together to create an apt ending to the UFC’s 2022? For the final time this year, let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 66.
Positive – Starboy Continues His Ascent
The flyweight division may be about to have a fourth championship fight between the same two guys in the space of 25 months, but it certainly isn’t short of worthy contenders.
Kai Kara-France showed that he belongs at the top when he met Brandon Moreno, whilst the likes of Alexandre Pantoja, Brandon Royval, and Matheus Nicolau are all circling the title scene like hungry sharks.
We can now add Manel Kape to that group.
The former Rizin bantamweight champion had a tough start to UFC life, falling on the wrong side of decisions against a pair of top-five contenders in Pantoja and Nicolau. Since then, however, he’s looked nothing short of phenomenal.
Whilst a brief USADA scare and late withdrawal of an opponent stalled the momentum he gained from memorable knockouts of Ode’ Osbourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov, “Starboy” picked up where he left off at UFC Vegas 66.
Following a year layoff, Kape returned against top-10 flyweight David Dvo?ák and beat him form pillar to post. From a grimace-worthy kimura in round one to a pair of knockdowns in a dominant round two, the Angolan-born Portuguese star displayed his well-rounded skillset en route to a comfortable decision victory.
With that, the flyweight title picture has a new name. And while his rise towards the top has perhaps taken longer than some predicted, Kape’s arrival in the championship conversation is a welcome addition.
Negative – Matthews Stalls Again
I’ll start by saying that by no means was Matthew Semelsberger’s performance a negative. At UFC Vegas 66, he went out and put his gameplan to work extremely well to secure multiple knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision victory.
But as well as the display from “Semi the Jedi,” the bout also resulted in a talking point on the other side of the matchup, and that’s another setback for Jake Matthews.
It’s crazy to think that the Australian has been in the UFC since 2014 and yet is still just 28 years of age. His career in the Octagon has continuously followed a trend — win streak to rise the ranks, then defeat against higher-regarded fighters like James Vick, Kevin Lee, and Sean Brady.
But after falling against Brady via submission in early 2021, Matthews returned after a 15-month layoff this year looking rejuvenated. Against tough striker André Fialho at UFC 275, “The Celtic Kid” looked the best he ever has, utilizing a polished and slick game on the feet to consistently rock the Portuguese welterweight before knocking him out.
With that, it was a shame to see the Aussie fail to capitalize on an impactful return and once again fall into a pattern of inconsistency. At the age of 28, Matthews still has plenty of time to fulfil his potential, and perhaps he’ll look to make a quick turnaround and rebound in front of his home fans at UFC 284.
For now, though, it’s back to the drawing board.
Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Positive – Dober & Green Go To Battle
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Drew Dober and Bobby Green delivered the goods.
In the first round, Green looked fantastic. With his unique hands-down style and clean counter hooks, “King” displayed the kind of striking that saw him go toe-to-toe with now-#6 lightweight Rafael Fiziev and knock out Al Iaquinta in 2021.
But there were signs of the ultra-aggressive Drew Dober finding a home with his fast straights and looping overhands. And while Green ate them and shrugged them off during a successful first five minutes for him, the same can’t be said for round two.
When a firefight began against the cage, it felt as if Green might be on borrowed time. And in the end, he couldn’t continue slipping punches and ate a brutal left hand to the jaw that spun him around to the canvas.
The fight? Positive. The knockout? positive. The comeback? Positive. The way Green handled the loss? Positive.
Also, a word on Dober. What a win streak he’s now on?!
He’s followed up losses to current champion Islam Makhachev and elite kickboxer Brad Riddell with a trio of knockouts. The first saw him stall the rise of Terrance McKinney with an incredible comeback, while the second saw him deliver some vicious body shots to Rafael Alves for one of UFC 277’s best finishes.
To now add another comeback KO to his résumé, and against a competitor like Green, no less, is it time to add a number next to the 20-fight UFC vet’s name again?
Positive – Bruce Leeroy Does It Again
Alex Caceres really is the gift that keeps on giving.
27 fights and over 12 years into his UFC career, “Bruce Leeroy” is still delivering exciting bouts and highlight-reel finishes. The last time he had his hand raised, Caceres brought both to the table by coming back from major adversity to submit Seungwoo Choi.
With that win, the Octagon vet extended his win streak to five. And while ranked featherweight Sodiq Yusuff put an end to the best run of his career, Caceres returned to winning ways in style at UFC Vegas 66.
Against Julian Erosa, fireworks were promised. But rather than that coming in the form of a full, slow-building display, Caceres skipped to the finale just three minutes into the contest, landing a brutal left head kick to floor “Juicy J.”
After drifting out of consciousness again courtesy of some ground-and-pound, referee Herb Dean brought proceedings to a close. If the magnitude of the head kick and follow-up shots needed context, Erosa’s stumbling attempts to return to his feet did the trick…
Positive – Tsarukyan Back On Track
I’ll preface this by saying that the fight between Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov was a positive in itself. I don’t think it’s a secret that both men are much higher up the UFC’s lightweight ladder skill-wise than their rankings would suggest.
With that in mind, and given Ismagulov’s mammoth 19-fight win streak and unbeaten 5-0 promotional record prior to Saturday night, the grandness of Tsarukyan’s comfortable unanimous decision victory at UFC Vegas 66 should not be understated.
Like many, I believed Tsarukyan should have had his hand raised against Mateusz Gamrot. Because of that, I think his calls for a higher-ranked opponent were justified. But fighting a few spots down the ladder and outpointing a talent like Ismagulov almost acted as such, and got him back on track in a mightily impressive fashion.
With that, the road to Tsarukyan vs. Islam Makhachev 2 continued. Should “Ahalkalakets” get the top-five opponent he’s after, and probably deserves, that rematch may rapidly approach us.
And given both men’s form since their first meeting, the sooner the better.
Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Negative – There Lies The Issue
Are there incompetent judges? Yes. Are elements of the scoring criteria inadequate? Yes. Were the shortcomings on display last weekend at UFC 282 and Bellator 289? Yes. Were the scorecards in the UFC Vegas 66 main event worthy of criticism? No, no, and no.
One of the biggest issues in the growing debate surrounding MMA judging is the perception that every decision and every disagreement equals errors and further evidence that the judges aren’t up to scratch.
It’s mind-boggling that even a bout as uber-close as Sean Strickland and Jared Cannonier’s headliner is being used as a means for many to jump on some sort of judge-bashing bandwagon.
Essentially, after every round, most were edging one way but acknowledging it could go the other. And yet, when two scorecards echoed that sentiment with opposing 49-46s, we saw some attacking Sal D’Amato’s verdict, and others suggesting Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo’s efforts were erroneous.
It shouldn’t need saying, but if there are two differing groups attacking the same score going both ways, doesn’t that say all it needs to?
If we’re going to complain about judging decisions and scorecards submitted by the likes of Doug Crosby, it’s vital that we recognize the real mistakes and don’t attempt to force every legitimate scorecard into a talking point.
Otherwise, the debate quickly becomes a ‘boy who cried wolf’ story.
What were your positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 66?
On Saturday night, the MMA leader returned for its final card of 2022, UFC Vegas 66.
While the promotion closed out its pay-per-view calendar for this year with UFC 282 last weekend, the Octagon offerings weren’t quite finished. And although much of the attention this month was on the T-Mobile Arena-held event, which included a title fight and a host of top names, the year-concluding UFC Fight Night certainly wasn’t short on action and entertainment.
In the headliner, middleweight contenders Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland looked to rebound from their respective losses at UFC 276 this past July. While “The Killa Gorilla” fell short of the title against Israel Adesanya, “Tarzan” was slept by the man who went on to dethrone “The Last Stylebender” four months later.
Elsewhere, rising lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov collided, UFC veterans Drew Dober and Alex Caceres returned, and prospects such as Cheyanne Vlismas and Jake Matthews took to the cage.
So, did all those names come together to create an apt ending to the UFC’s 2022? For the final time this year, let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 66.
Positive – Starboy Continues His Ascent
The flyweight division may be about to have a fourth championship fight between the same two guys in the space of 25 months, but it certainly isn’t short of worthy contenders.
Kai Kara-France showed that he belongs at the top when he met Brandon Moreno, whilst the likes of Alexandre Pantoja, Brandon Royval, and Matheus Nicolau are all circling the title scene like hungry sharks.
We can now add Manel Kape to that group.
The former Rizin bantamweight champion had a tough start to UFC life, falling on the wrong side of decisions against a pair of top-five contenders in Pantoja and Nicolau. Since then, however, he’s looked nothing short of phenomenal.
Whilst a brief USADA scare and late withdrawal of an opponent stalled the momentum he gained from memorable knockouts of Ode’ Osbourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov, “Starboy” picked up where he left off at UFC Vegas 66.
Following a year layoff, Kape returned against top-10 flyweight David Dvo?ák and beat him form pillar to post. From a grimace-worthy kimura in round one to a pair of knockdowns in a dominant round two, the Angolan-born Portuguese star displayed his well-rounded skillset en route to a comfortable decision victory.
With that, the flyweight title picture has a new name. And while his rise towards the top has perhaps taken longer than some predicted, Kape’s arrival in the championship conversation is a welcome addition.
Negative – Matthews Stalls Again
I’ll start by saying that by no means was Matthew Semelsberger’s performance a negative. At UFC Vegas 66, he went out and put his gameplan to work extremely well to secure multiple knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision victory.
But as well as the display from “Semi the Jedi,” the bout also resulted in a talking point on the other side of the matchup, and that’s another setback for Jake Matthews.
It’s crazy to think that the Australian has been in the UFC since 2014 and yet is still just 28 years of age. His career in the Octagon has continuously followed a trend — win streak to rise the ranks, then defeat against higher-regarded fighters like James Vick, Kevin Lee, and Sean Brady.
But after falling against Brady via submission in early 2021, Matthews returned after a 15-month layoff this year looking rejuvenated. Against tough striker André Fialho at UFC 275, “The Celtic Kid” looked the best he ever has, utilizing a polished and slick game on the feet to consistently rock the Portuguese welterweight before knocking him out.
With that, it was a shame to see the Aussie fail to capitalize on an impactful return and once again fall into a pattern of inconsistency. At the age of 28, Matthews still has plenty of time to fulfil his potential, and perhaps he’ll look to make a quick turnaround and rebound in front of his home fans at UFC 284.
For now, though, it’s back to the drawing board.
Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Positive – Dober & Green Go To Battle
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Drew Dober and Bobby Green delivered the goods.
In the first round, Green looked fantastic. With his unique hands-down style and clean counter hooks, “King” displayed the kind of striking that saw him go toe-to-toe with now-#6 lightweight Rafael Fiziev and knock out Al Iaquinta in 2021.
But there were signs of the ultra-aggressive Drew Dober finding a home with his fast straights and looping overhands. And while Green ate them and shrugged them off during a successful first five minutes for him, the same can’t be said for round two.
When a firefight began against the cage, it felt as if Green might be on borrowed time. And in the end, he couldn’t continue slipping punches and ate a brutal left hand to the jaw that spun him around to the canvas.
The fight? Positive. The knockout? positive. The comeback? Positive. The way Green handled the loss? Positive.
Also, a word on Dober. What a win streak he’s now on?!
He’s followed up losses to current champion Islam Makhachev and elite kickboxer Brad Riddell with a trio of knockouts. The first saw him stall the rise of Terrance McKinney with an incredible comeback, while the second saw him deliver some vicious body shots to Rafael Alves for one of UFC 277’s best finishes.
To now add another comeback KO to his résumé, and against a competitor like Green, no less, is it time to add a number next to the 20-fight UFC vet’s name again?
Positive – Bruce Leeroy Does It Again
Alex Caceres really is the gift that keeps on giving.
27 fights and over 12 years into his UFC career, “Bruce Leeroy” is still delivering exciting bouts and highlight-reel finishes. The last time he had his hand raised, Caceres brought both to the table by coming back from major adversity to submit Seungwoo Choi.
With that win, the Octagon vet extended his win streak to five. And while ranked featherweight Sodiq Yusuff put an end to the best run of his career, Caceres returned to winning ways in style at UFC Vegas 66.
Against Julian Erosa, fireworks were promised. But rather than that coming in the form of a full, slow-building display, Caceres skipped to the finale just three minutes into the contest, landing a brutal left head kick to floor “Juicy J.”
After drifting out of consciousness again courtesy of some ground-and-pound, referee Herb Dean brought proceedings to a close. If the magnitude of the head kick and follow-up shots needed context, Erosa’s stumbling attempts to return to his feet did the trick…
Positive – Tsarukyan Back On Track
I’ll preface this by saying that the fight between Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov was a positive in itself. I don’t think it’s a secret that both men are much higher up the UFC’s lightweight ladder skill-wise than their rankings would suggest.
With that in mind, and given Ismagulov’s mammoth 19-fight win streak and unbeaten 5-0 promotional record prior to Saturday night, the grandness of Tsarukyan’s comfortable unanimous decision victory at UFC Vegas 66 should not be understated.
Like many, I believed Tsarukyan should have had his hand raised against Mateusz Gamrot. Because of that, I think his calls for a higher-ranked opponent were justified. But fighting a few spots down the ladder and outpointing a talent like Ismagulov almost acted as such, and got him back on track in a mightily impressive fashion.
With that, the road to Tsarukyan vs. Islam Makhachev 2 continued. Should “Ahalkalakets” get the top-five opponent he’s after, and probably deserves, that rematch may rapidly approach us.
And given both men’s form since their first meeting, the sooner the better.
Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Negative – There Lies The Issue
Are there incompetent judges? Yes. Are elements of the scoring criteria inadequate? Yes. Were the shortcomings on display last weekend at UFC 282 and Bellator 289? Yes. Were the scorecards in the UFC Vegas 66 main event worthy of criticism? No, no, and no.
One of the biggest issues in the growing debate surrounding MMA judging is the perception that every decision and every disagreement equals errors and further evidence that the judges aren’t up to scratch.
It’s mind-boggling that even a bout as uber-close as Sean Strickland and Jared Cannonier’s headliner is being used as a means for many to jump on some sort of judge-bashing bandwagon.
Essentially, after every round, most were edging one way but acknowledging it could go the other. And yet, when two scorecards echoed that sentiment with opposing 49-46s, we saw some attacking Sal D’Amato’s verdict, and others suggesting Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo’s efforts were erroneous.
It shouldn’t need saying, but if there are two differing groups attacking the same score going both ways, doesn’t that say all it needs to?
If we’re going to complain about judging decisions and scorecards submitted by the likes of Doug Crosby, it’s vital that we recognize the real mistakes and don’t attempt to force every legitimate scorecard into a talking point.
Otherwise, the debate quickly becomes a ‘boy who cried wolf’ story.
What were your positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 66?
Click here to view the article.
While the promotion closed out its pay-per-view calendar for this year with UFC 282 last weekend, the Octagon offerings weren’t quite finished. And although much of the attention this month was on the T-Mobile Arena-held event, which included a title fight and a host of top names, the year-concluding UFC Fight Night certainly wasn’t short on action and entertainment.
In the headliner, middleweight contenders Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland looked to rebound from their respective losses at UFC 276 this past July. While “The Killa Gorilla” fell short of the title against Israel Adesanya, “Tarzan” was slept by the man who went on to dethrone “The Last Stylebender” four months later.
Elsewhere, rising lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov collided, UFC veterans Drew Dober and Alex Caceres returned, and prospects such as Cheyanne Vlismas and Jake Matthews took to the cage.
So, did all those names come together to create an apt ending to the UFC’s 2022? For the final time this year, let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 66.
Positive – Starboy Continues His Ascent
The flyweight division may be about to have a fourth championship fight between the same two guys in the space of 25 months, but it certainly isn’t short of worthy contenders.
Kai Kara-France showed that he belongs at the top when he met Brandon Moreno, whilst the likes of Alexandre Pantoja, Brandon Royval, and Matheus Nicolau are all circling the title scene like hungry sharks.
We can now add Manel Kape to that group.
The former Rizin bantamweight champion had a tough start to UFC life, falling on the wrong side of decisions against a pair of top-five contenders in Pantoja and Nicolau. Since then, however, he’s looked nothing short of phenomenal.
Whilst a brief USADA scare and late withdrawal of an opponent stalled the momentum he gained from memorable knockouts of Ode’ Osbourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov, “Starboy” picked up where he left off at UFC Vegas 66.
Following a year layoff, Kape returned against top-10 flyweight David Dvo?ák and beat him form pillar to post. From a grimace-worthy kimura in round one to a pair of knockdowns in a dominant round two, the Angolan-born Portuguese star displayed his well-rounded skillset en route to a comfortable decision victory.
With that, the flyweight title picture has a new name. And while his rise towards the top has perhaps taken longer than some predicted, Kape’s arrival in the championship conversation is a welcome addition.
Negative – Matthews Stalls Again
I’ll start by saying that by no means was Matthew Semelsberger’s performance a negative. At UFC Vegas 66, he went out and put his gameplan to work extremely well to secure multiple knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision victory.
But as well as the display from “Semi the Jedi,” the bout also resulted in a talking point on the other side of the matchup, and that’s another setback for Jake Matthews.
It’s crazy to think that the Australian has been in the UFC since 2014 and yet is still just 28 years of age. His career in the Octagon has continuously followed a trend — win streak to rise the ranks, then defeat against higher-regarded fighters like James Vick, Kevin Lee, and Sean Brady.
But after falling against Brady via submission in early 2021, Matthews returned after a 15-month layoff this year looking rejuvenated. Against tough striker André Fialho at UFC 275, “The Celtic Kid” looked the best he ever has, utilizing a polished and slick game on the feet to consistently rock the Portuguese welterweight before knocking him out.
With that, it was a shame to see the Aussie fail to capitalize on an impactful return and once again fall into a pattern of inconsistency. At the age of 28, Matthews still has plenty of time to fulfil his potential, and perhaps he’ll look to make a quick turnaround and rebound in front of his home fans at UFC 284.
For now, though, it’s back to the drawing board.
Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Positive – Dober & Green Go To Battle
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Drew Dober and Bobby Green delivered the goods.
In the first round, Green looked fantastic. With his unique hands-down style and clean counter hooks, “King” displayed the kind of striking that saw him go toe-to-toe with now-#6 lightweight Rafael Fiziev and knock out Al Iaquinta in 2021.
But there were signs of the ultra-aggressive Drew Dober finding a home with his fast straights and looping overhands. And while Green ate them and shrugged them off during a successful first five minutes for him, the same can’t be said for round two.
When a firefight began against the cage, it felt as if Green might be on borrowed time. And in the end, he couldn’t continue slipping punches and ate a brutal left hand to the jaw that spun him around to the canvas.
The fight? Positive. The knockout? positive. The comeback? Positive. The way Green handled the loss? Positive.
Also, a word on Dober. What a win streak he’s now on?!
He’s followed up losses to current champion Islam Makhachev and elite kickboxer Brad Riddell with a trio of knockouts. The first saw him stall the rise of Terrance McKinney with an incredible comeback, while the second saw him deliver some vicious body shots to Rafael Alves for one of UFC 277’s best finishes.
To now add another comeback KO to his résumé, and against a competitor like Green, no less, is it time to add a number next to the 20-fight UFC vet’s name again?
Positive – Bruce Leeroy Does It Again
Alex Caceres really is the gift that keeps on giving.
27 fights and over 12 years into his UFC career, “Bruce Leeroy” is still delivering exciting bouts and highlight-reel finishes. The last time he had his hand raised, Caceres brought both to the table by coming back from major adversity to submit Seungwoo Choi.
With that win, the Octagon vet extended his win streak to five. And while ranked featherweight Sodiq Yusuff put an end to the best run of his career, Caceres returned to winning ways in style at UFC Vegas 66.
Against Julian Erosa, fireworks were promised. But rather than that coming in the form of a full, slow-building display, Caceres skipped to the finale just three minutes into the contest, landing a brutal left head kick to floor “Juicy J.”
After drifting out of consciousness again courtesy of some ground-and-pound, referee Herb Dean brought proceedings to a close. If the magnitude of the head kick and follow-up shots needed context, Erosa’s stumbling attempts to return to his feet did the trick…
Positive – Tsarukyan Back On Track
I’ll preface this by saying that the fight between Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov was a positive in itself. I don’t think it’s a secret that both men are much higher up the UFC’s lightweight ladder skill-wise than their rankings would suggest.
With that in mind, and given Ismagulov’s mammoth 19-fight win streak and unbeaten 5-0 promotional record prior to Saturday night, the grandness of Tsarukyan’s comfortable unanimous decision victory at UFC Vegas 66 should not be understated.
Like many, I believed Tsarukyan should have had his hand raised against Mateusz Gamrot. Because of that, I think his calls for a higher-ranked opponent were justified. But fighting a few spots down the ladder and outpointing a talent like Ismagulov almost acted as such, and got him back on track in a mightily impressive fashion.
With that, the road to Tsarukyan vs. Islam Makhachev 2 continued. Should “Ahalkalakets” get the top-five opponent he’s after, and probably deserves, that rematch may rapidly approach us.
And given both men’s form since their first meeting, the sooner the better.
Image Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Negative – There Lies The Issue
Are there incompetent judges? Yes. Are elements of the scoring criteria inadequate? Yes. Were the shortcomings on display last weekend at UFC 282 and Bellator 289? Yes. Were the scorecards in the UFC Vegas 66 main event worthy of criticism? No, no, and no.
One of the biggest issues in the growing debate surrounding MMA judging is the perception that every decision and every disagreement equals errors and further evidence that the judges aren’t up to scratch.
It’s mind-boggling that even a bout as uber-close as Sean Strickland and Jared Cannonier’s headliner is being used as a means for many to jump on some sort of judge-bashing bandwagon.
Essentially, after every round, most were edging one way but acknowledging it could go the other. And yet, when two scorecards echoed that sentiment with opposing 49-46s, we saw some attacking Sal D’Amato’s verdict, and others suggesting Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo’s efforts were erroneous.
It shouldn’t need saying, but if there are two differing groups attacking the same score going both ways, doesn’t that say all it needs to?
If we’re going to complain about judging decisions and scorecards submitted by the likes of Doug Crosby, it’s vital that we recognize the real mistakes and don’t attempt to force every legitimate scorecard into a talking point.
Otherwise, the debate quickly becomes a ‘boy who cried wolf’ story.
What were your positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 66?
On Saturday night, the MMA leader returned for its final card of 2022, UFC Vegas 66.
While the promotion closed out its pay-per-view calendar for this year with UFC 282 last weekend, the Octagon offerings weren’t quite finished. And although much of the attention this month was on the T-Mobile Arena-held event, which included a title fight and a host of top names, the year-concluding UFC Fight Night certainly wasn’t short on action and entertainment.
In the headliner, middleweight contenders Jared Cannonier and Sean Strickland looked to rebound from their respective losses at UFC 276 this past July. While “The Killa Gorilla” fell short of the title against Israel Adesanya, “Tarzan” was slept by the man who went on to dethrone “The Last Stylebender” four months later.
Elsewhere, rising lightweights Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov collided, UFC veterans Drew Dober and Alex Caceres returned, and prospects such as Cheyanne Vlismas and Jake Matthews took to the cage.
So, did all those names come together to create an apt ending to the UFC’s 2022? For the final time this year, let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 66.
Positive – Starboy Continues His Ascent
The flyweight division may be about to have a fourth championship fight between the same two guys in the space of 25 months, but it certainly isn’t short of worthy contenders.
Kai Kara-France showed that he belongs at the top when he met Brandon Moreno, whilst the likes of Alexandre Pantoja, Brandon Royval, and Matheus Nicolau are all circling the title scene like hungry sharks.
We can now add Manel Kape to that group.
The former Rizin bantamweight champion had a tough start to UFC life, falling on the wrong side of decisions against a pair of top-five contenders in Pantoja and Nicolau. Since then, however, he’s looked nothing short of phenomenal.
Whilst a brief USADA scare and late withdrawal of an opponent stalled the momentum he gained from memorable knockouts of Ode’ Osbourne and Zhalgas Zhumagulov, “Starboy” picked up where he left off at UFC Vegas 66.
Following a year layoff, Kape returned against top-10 flyweight David Dvo?ák and beat him form pillar to post. From a grimace-worthy kimura in round one to a pair of knockdowns in a dominant round two, the Angolan-born Portuguese star displayed his well-rounded skillset en route to a comfortable decision victory.
With that, the flyweight title picture has a new name. And while his rise towards the top has perhaps taken longer than some predicted, Kape’s arrival in the championship conversation is a welcome addition.
Negative – Matthews Stalls Again
I’ll start by saying that by no means was Matthew Semelsberger’s performance a negative. At UFC Vegas 66, he went out and put his gameplan to work extremely well to secure multiple knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision victory.
But as well as the display from “Semi the Jedi,” the bout also resulted in a talking point on the other side of the matchup, and that’s another setback for Jake Matthews.
It’s crazy to think that the Australian has been in the UFC since 2014 and yet is still just 28 years of age. His career in the Octagon has continuously followed a trend — win streak to rise the ranks, then defeat against higher-regarded fighters like James Vick, Kevin Lee, and Sean Brady.
But after falling against Brady via submission in early 2021, Matthews returned after a 15-month layoff this year looking rejuvenated. Against tough striker André Fialho at UFC 275, “The Celtic Kid” looked the best he ever has, utilizing a polished and slick game on the feet to consistently rock the Portuguese welterweight before knocking him out.
With that, it was a shame to see the Aussie fail to capitalize on an impactful return and once again fall into a pattern of inconsistency. At the age of 28, Matthews still has plenty of time to fulfil his potential, and perhaps he’ll look to make a quick turnaround and rebound in front of his home fans at UFC 284.
For now, though, it’s back to the drawing board.
Positive – Dober & Green Go To Battle
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Drew Dober and Bobby Green delivered the goods.
In the first round, Green looked fantastic. With his unique hands-down style and clean counter hooks, “King” displayed the kind of striking that saw him go toe-to-toe with now-#6 lightweight Rafael Fiziev and knock out Al Iaquinta in 2021.
But there were signs of the ultra-aggressive Drew Dober finding a home with his fast straights and looping overhands. And while Green ate them and shrugged them off during a successful first five minutes for him, the same can’t be said for round two.
When a firefight began against the cage, it felt as if Green might be on borrowed time. And in the end, he couldn’t continue slipping punches and ate a brutal left hand to the jaw that spun him around to the canvas.
The fight? Positive. The knockout? positive. The comeback? Positive. The way Green handled the loss? Positive.
Also, a word on Dober. What a win streak he’s now on?!
He’s followed up losses to current champion Islam Makhachev and elite kickboxer Brad Riddell with a trio of knockouts. The first saw him stall the rise of Terrance McKinney with an incredible comeback, while the second saw him deliver some vicious body shots to Rafael Alves for one of UFC 277’s best finishes.
To now add another comeback KO to his résumé, and against a competitor like Green, no less, is it time to add a number next to the 20-fight UFC vet’s name again?
Positive – Bruce Leeroy Does It Again
Alex Caceres really is the gift that keeps on giving.
27 fights and over 12 years into his UFC career, “Bruce Leeroy” is still delivering exciting bouts and highlight-reel finishes. The last time he had his hand raised, Caceres brought both to the table by coming back from major adversity to submit Seungwoo Choi.
With that win, the Octagon vet extended his win streak to five. And while ranked featherweight Sodiq Yusuff put an end to the best run of his career, Caceres returned to winning ways in style at UFC Vegas 66.
Against Julian Erosa, fireworks were promised. But rather than that coming in the form of a full, slow-building display, Caceres skipped to the finale just three minutes into the contest, landing a brutal left head kick to floor “Juicy J.”
After drifting out of consciousness again courtesy of some ground-and-pound, referee Herb Dean brought proceedings to a close. If the magnitude of the head kick and follow-up shots needed context, Erosa’s stumbling attempts to return to his feet did the trick…
Positive – Tsarukyan Back On Track
I’ll preface this by saying that the fight between Arman Tsarukyan and Damir Ismagulov was a positive in itself. I don’t think it’s a secret that both men are much higher up the UFC’s lightweight ladder skill-wise than their rankings would suggest.
With that in mind, and given Ismagulov’s mammoth 19-fight win streak and unbeaten 5-0 promotional record prior to Saturday night, the grandness of Tsarukyan’s comfortable unanimous decision victory at UFC Vegas 66 should not be understated.
Like many, I believed Tsarukyan should have had his hand raised against Mateusz Gamrot. Because of that, I think his calls for a higher-ranked opponent were justified. But fighting a few spots down the ladder and outpointing a talent like Ismagulov almost acted as such, and got him back on track in a mightily impressive fashion.
With that, the road to Tsarukyan vs. Islam Makhachev 2 continued. Should “Ahalkalakets” get the top-five opponent he’s after, and probably deserves, that rematch may rapidly approach us.
And given both men’s form since their first meeting, the sooner the better.
Negative – There Lies The Issue
Are there incompetent judges? Yes. Are elements of the scoring criteria inadequate? Yes. Were the shortcomings on display last weekend at UFC 282 and Bellator 289? Yes. Were the scorecards in the UFC Vegas 66 main event worthy of criticism? No, no, and no.
One of the biggest issues in the growing debate surrounding MMA judging is the perception that every decision and every disagreement equals errors and further evidence that the judges aren’t up to scratch.
It’s mind-boggling that even a bout as uber-close as Sean Strickland and Jared Cannonier’s headliner is being used as a means for many to jump on some sort of judge-bashing bandwagon.
Essentially, after every round, most were edging one way but acknowledging it could go the other. And yet, when two scorecards echoed that sentiment with opposing 49-46s, we saw some attacking Sal D’Amato’s verdict, and others suggesting Derek Cleary and Junichiro Kamijo’s efforts were erroneous.
It shouldn’t need saying, but if there are two differing groups attacking the same score going both ways, doesn’t that say all it needs to?
If we’re going to complain about judging decisions and scorecards submitted by the likes of Doug Crosby, it’s vital that we recognize the real mistakes and don’t attempt to force every legitimate scorecard into a talking point.
Otherwise, the debate quickly becomes a ‘boy who cried wolf’ story.
What were your positives and negatives from UFC Vegas 66?
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