The eyes of the combat world were locked in on Las Vegas last night, as UFC 320 and its two title fights went down at the T-Mobile Arena in the UFC home of Las Vegas, Nevada.
The main event saw the UFC light heavyweight championship on the line in a rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira. Ankalaev won the belt from Pereira at UFC 313 in March, making Ankalaev 12-0-1 (1 NC) since dropping his 2018 UFC debut. Pereira had originally claimed the light heavyweight title at UFC 295 and defended the title against Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and Khalil Rountree Jr. during 2024.
The co-main event featured Merab Dvalishvili defending the UFC bantamweight title against Cory Sandhagen. Dvalishvili won the title from Sean O'Malley at Noche UFC 2: UFC 306 last year before retaining the title against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January and in a rematch with O'Malley at UFC 316 in June. Sandhagen had won four of his last five, earning the title shot with a finish of former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueriedo at UFC Des Moines in May.
Who showed out in Las Vegas? Who flopped? Find out as we go through the hits and misses of UFC 320!
Hit: Underdog? No Way, Says Ramiz Brahimaj
Facing off against a notable name and former Bellator title challenger in Austin Vanderford, Ramiz Brahimaj was considered a notable underdog among sportsbooks. Brahimaj's performance, however, showed that sometimes numbers can indeed lie.
Vanderford had control in the opening round thanks to his grappling. But things shifted when Brahimaj pressured with an offensive flurry in the second round. Brahimaj landed a head kick that stunned Vanderford, then, on the ground, locked a guillotine choke in to score a submission victory.
This makes it three in a row for Brahimaj, who is now 5-3 in the UFC. And after besting a former Bellator title challenger, and with his losses coming against a few veteran names in the Octagon, perhaps Brahimaj's next fight is a test against someone else who has been a known, notable face in the Octagon.
Speaking of former Bellator names and titles...
Miss: Patchy Mix Unimpressive, Falls To 0-2 in UFC
Man, remember when people were hyped about Patchy Mix's UFC debut? The former Bellator bantamweight champion's run has been anything but spectacular, as demonstrated in his split-decision loss to Jakub Wiklacz during the preliminary card.
Wiklacz, a former KSW bantamweight champion, overwhelmed Mix with his own grappling pressure during the opening frame. Mix looked to pressure back in the second round, but he still struggled, thanks to Wiklacz's body shots. Mix finally got the better of Wiklacz in the third, but it wasn't enough, as the judges gave the fight to Wiklacz on a split decision.
Even if you want to argue a decision for Mix, how he's looked in the Octagon is far from what he looked like in the Bellator cage while chasing and reigning in their bantamweight division. And when you're already drawing comparisons to Will Brooks' jump to the UFC about a decade ago, that's not a good look for you.
One more loss, and maybe it's time to admit Mix's best days are behind him and he has to consider avenues outside the UFC.
Hit: Don't Mess With Daniel Santos
Daniel Santos got frustrated by Yoo Joo-sang in their prelim bout, but he wasn't to be deterred until he got a finish and -- in his words -- respect on his name.
Yoo showed off some strong striking in the first round, frustrating and confusing Santos by mixing things up with his arsenal. Joo-sang added with a little trolling while using his footwork, demonstrating how Santos was doing a lot of missing.
Unfortunately for him, Santos didn't miss in the second round. While moving backward to avoid a flurry, Joo-sang left his chin open, allowing Santos to tag him with a hard left hand that dropped him. A little ground-and-pound later, and Herb Dean waved off the fight.
Santos, a teammate to Charles Oliveira, has now won four straight since dropping his UFC debut. Another victory like the one he's had tonight, and perhaps it's time to bring him some better competition.
Miss: Yoo Joo-sang Taunting Might Land Him In Viral Infamy
Well, as some people have pointed out, Yoo Joo-sang's actions might have consequences. He'll now probably be brought up in those compilations that show fighters taunting and displaying some overconfidence before getting tagged and knocked out in the end.
"Zombie Jr." just saw his undefeated record go away in this fight. And this comes after an impressive Octagon debut at UFC 316, in which he only needed 28 seconds to put away Jeka Saragih.
Hopefully, Joo-sang can impress in his next fight and make this performance one he can push off to the side.
Hit: Ateba Gautier Is Scary
They don't call him "middleweight Francis Ngannou" for nothing. Ateba Gautier put his frightening power on display once again in the featured prelim of the evening, putting away short-notice opponent Tre'ston Vines in under two minutes.
Vines stayed on the outside, looking to avoid the power while seeking the opportunity for a takedown. Though that chance seemed to come, he paid a dear price. Gautier landed a knee on Vines. Then, while in a clinch against the fence, Gautier landed a pair of defensive elbows that rocked Vines, leading to an easy toss to the ground, where Gautier finished with a bit of brutal ground strikes for the quick finish.
"The Silent Assassin" is now 3-0 in the UFC since earning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series last year. And with three first-round finishes, perhaps it's time to find a little more experienced of a name for him to face off with (or at least re-book him with Ozzy Diaz, the original opponent for last night).
Hit: Believe In Joe Pyfer
It wasn't an intentional strategy from Joe Pyfer, and it was a risky one. But it paid off for him, as his unintended gameplan helped lead him to a finish of Abus Magomedov that kicked off the main card action.
Pyfer found himself in some trouble during round one, getting caught in Magomedov's grasp and grappling prowess, spending a lot of time on the defensive end and fighting off submission attempts. But Pyfer noticed Magomedov gassed during the second round, and he took full advantage. Pyfer dropped Magomedov with a right hand, busted him open with an elbow, and threatened his own submissions before putting Magomedov away with a choke.
Pyfer is now 6-1 in the UFC with four performance bonuses, and his sole loss in that span came against Jack Hermansson. If you didn't believe in Joe Pyfer, it's time to say his name and believe. And it's time for Dana White to give Pyfer a step up in competition again -- perhaps against someone in the lower portion of the middleweight rankings.
Be like Joe Pyfer.
Miss: Abus Magomedov's Gas Tank Is Kryptonite
For all the hype Abus Magomedov gets as a fighter, he won't be able to go very far with the gas tank he's got on him.
Yes, losses to Pyfer, Caio Borralho, and Sean Strickland are far from terrible losses. But when you look at the guys Magomedov has beat, they aren't the kind to offer Magomedov much trouble and/or opportunities to improve his cardio and stamina. And for that, Magomedov doesn't have a lot of credibility for someone White once proclaimed no one was willing to fight before Strickland offered to step up.
If Magomedov doesn't work his area of need, which people have pointed out for nearly his entire UFC tenure now, he's not going to make any progress as a fighter.
Hit: Youssef Zalal Makes His Case For A Top-Ranked Opponent
Don't let the boos from the Las Vegas crowd at the end of the fight fool you; Youssef Zalal put on one of the best performances of the evening -- and probably the best of his career -- with his first-round submission of veteran and former interim featherweight title challenger Josh Emmett.
Despite Emmett's attempts to stalk and flash his power, Zalal barely needed any time to perfectly time a takedown and wrap Emmett up in trouble. Zalal quickly worked his way into an armbar, scoring a verbal submission from Emmett to secure the win.
Zalal asked for a fight with Lerone Murphy next. While that may not happen, given the expectation Murphy will challenge Alexander Volkanovski next after his highlight knockout of Aaron Pico, Zalal has surely made his case now to face a top featherweight contender. The next best options for him should be Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev -- and surely if he beat one of them, he could get the Volkanovski-Murphy winner.
Hit: Jiri Prochazka's Comeback KO Over Khalil Rountree
Jiri Prochazka put a scare into all of his fanbase during his fight with Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 320. But the third round truly presented the action-packed fight we expected, and it was where Prochazka came from behind to drop Rountree out cold for a victory.
Rountree started strong, landing a rocking left hand to stun Prochazka and punishing his body with kicks and combinations. Prochazka tried a jumping knee but struggled to find rhythm, as he appeared to be sliding around and off-balance throughout the fight.
Prochazka, however, turned the tide in the third round by pressuring Rountree and landing punches to damage one of Rountree's eyes. With Rountree's energy fading thanks to his striking, Prochazka was able to land one more flurry, which included a left hand that brought Rountree timbering down for the knockout.
Prochazka's only losses in the UFC have come against Alex Pereira. And now that "Poatan" is UFC light heavyweight champion once again, perhaps a trilogy is next? Or if Magomed Ankalev gets a trilogy bout, perhaps he and Carlos Ulberg battle it out to determine the true No. 1 contender? Or if Ulberg gets the next title shot, perhaps Prochazka battles Ankalaev for the right to secure a trilogy bout?
Hit: Merab Dvalishvili's Record-Breaking Performance In Title Defense
Talk about a legendary performance. Merab Dvalishvili did that and then some as he set both personal bests and UFC bests while successfully retaining the UFC bantamweight championship against Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event.
Though Sandhagen took the first round with sharp striking and takedown defense, Dvalishvili's constant pressure and wrestling took over. Sandhagen managed to survive getting rocked and nearly ground-and-pounded into a finish in the second round, but he was simply no match for Dvalishvili's attacks. It was takedown after takedown and a complete smothering for Dvalishvili en route to an easy unanimous decision win.
Dvalishvili took down Sandhagen 20 times throughout the 25 minutes. In addition to setting a new personal best for him in a UFC fight, Dvalishvili also set a new record for most takedowns in a UFC title fight and became the first UFC fighter to ever score 100 takedowns in their UFC career. He also joins a select few UFC champions in history to retain their title successfully three times in a calendar year -- and now the talks are he might try to become the first for four with a potential quick turnaround to compete in December.
As others have said, even while champion, Dvalishvili continues to get better and better in each fight. This makes him one of the most dangerous fighters, let alone champions, on the UFC's roster. A December title defense might risk status of locking up Fighter of the Year already by this point, but that's only a might. And either way, Dvalishvili's footprint in the Octagon's history books continues to grow with each fight he's in.
Hit: Champ Chama Again -- Alex Pereira Regains
Concerns over a potential demise of Alex Pereira's time on top in the UFC were quickly exaggerated. "Poatan" needed to prove that in only about 80 seconds, as he quickly took the UFC light heavyweight championship back from Magomed Ankalaev in the UFC 320 main event.
Pereira tried to bring forward pressure as the two felt each other out in the first minute. And all it took was one right hand on the side of the head to hurt Ankalaev. Pereira easily took him down and finished the fight with some vicious ground-and-pound, including a few 12-6 elbows, to force the referee stoppage victory.
Pereira now avenges his UFC 313 loss to Ankalaev and starts a third run as a UFC champion, also becoming one of a few UFC fighters to regain their championship after losing it. The win has made some consider Pereira's status among UFC greats, and whatever may come next -- a title defense or a move up to heavyweight -- the combat sports world is Pereira's oyster.
Chama.
Miss: What Now For Magomed Ankalaev?
I have to admit I feel a little for Magomed Ankalev here. He seemed to get the cold shoulder from the UFC for the longest time, and then he goes and beats one of the biggest stars in the sport to finally become champion. And now, it's over just like that in just over a minute.
Those are the breaks in this sport, however. But in the immediate aftermath of the loss, everyone has begun to talk about if Alex Pereira will now face either Carlos Ulberg or Jiri Prochazka next.
What about an immediate rematch for Ankalaev? Unfortunately for him, it's unlikely. The aforementioned Ulberg and Prochazka had some impressive performances over the past week. It seems Ankalaev was taking on a compromised Pereira back in March. And a trilogy fight isn't always guaranteed (Julianna Pena will certainly let you know, guaranteed [Cris Cyborg will also let you know how it feels to not get a rematch despite a number of title defenses and a legendary name after getting run through]).
The worst part? Ankalaev arguably should have been light heavyweight champion after UFC 282, at which he and Jan Blachowicz fought to a lackluster, but controversial, draw. Even Blachowicz said at the time that Ankalaev deserved the gold.
In worst-case scenario, perhaps Ankalaev needs to show another title fight is warranted with a win over whoever doesn't challenge for the title next between Ulberg and Prochazka.