The primary card UFC Vegas 111 served up a full home of finishes, with all 5 winners getting the job executed inside the space on an entertaining evening on the UFC APEX in Sin Metropolis.
UFC Vegas 111 Energy Rankings
RDX Sports activities‘ Editor-in-Chief and veteran MMA author Simon Head casts his eye over the primary card winners, and presents his Energy Rankings for UFC Vegas 111.
1. Christian Leroy Duncan
The previous Cage Warriors middleweight champion has been steadily sharpening his abilities on the world stage following his ascent to the UFC, and now he seems to be on the verge of a breakthrough.
Duncan has all the time been a spectacular striker, however over the past couple of years he’s actually leveled up his defensive wrestling and clinch work towards the fence as he’s labored exhausting to create extra alternatives for his bread and butter – his putting.
And the most recent iteration of “CLD” confirmed the most recent stage in his evolution as he handled every part Marco Tulio might throw at him, then completed him in beautiful vogue with a spinning backfist, adopted by an enormous proper hand as he as soon as once more served warning that standing in entrance of “CLD” in a set of MMA gloves is a nasty thought.
Duncan is making all the best strikes, and it won’t be lengthy earlier than he’s knocking on the door of the middleweight prime 15.
2. Joseph Morales
Joseph Morales produced one other spectacular show to defeat former ranked contender Matt Schnell and put himself within the body to face ranked opposition subsequent day trip.
Morales wanted simply two minutes, 54 seconds to complete Schnell by way of guillotine choke as he continued his profitable return to the Octagon after his earlier three-fight stint again in 2017-2018.
Morales went 1-2 contained in the Octagon in that run, however now he’s 2-0 since his return, with each wins coming by submission. And if he can proceed to supply performances just like the one he turned in on Saturday, Morales shall be making a beeline in direction of the division’s elite.
3. Gabriel Bonfim
Some have questioned the style of the stoppage that gave Gabriel Bonfim a second-round TKO victory over Randy Brown, however finally the choice made by referee Mark Smith to step in and wave off the battle should not have any bearing on how Bonfim’s efficiency must be seen.
Bonfim fought well and confirmed wonderful battle IQ as he stayed largely out of hazard, whereas gauging Brown’s timing, earlier than stepping in and touchdown energy pictures to determine his arsenal throughout a cat-and-mouse first spherical.
By Spherical 2, Bonfim had set his sights, and was touchdown good pictures. And when he related with an enormous knee that landed flush on Brown’s chin as he dipped to alter ranges, “Rudeboy” was despatched flying backwards and all the way down to the canvas.
It regarded like Brown was out, and solely woken up by hitting the canvas. Ref Smith dived in and waved it off, and Bonfim claimed a powerful second-round win. Brown’s instantaneous protests recommend he might have continued, however the knee regarded to have flash-knocked-out the Jamaican, so the win appeared honest sufficient.
Bonfim was already within the UFC’s official welterweight rankings, and must be due a bout towards somebody greater ranked. However with the division wanting jam-packed proper now, discovering the best opponent could possibly be a difficult job for the UFC matchmakers.
4. Chris Padilla
It’s time folks stopped sleeping on Chris “Taco” Padilla.
The 30-year-old is 4 fights into his UFC profession, and he’s an ideal 4-0 within the Octagon. He’s additionally coated all of the eventualities in his battle outcomes, too, with one submission, one physician stoppage, one split-decision, and on Saturday evening, one ground-and-pound TKO end.
Towards Ismael Bonfim, Padilla used his protection, and his battle IQ, to absorb the perfect Bonfim might throw at him. Then, maybe realizing that Bonfim is perhaps hurting because the battle wore on after lacking weight by 5 kilos, Padilla went to work as he hammered Bonfim to the physique to sap the fuel tank, and to the pinnacle as he wore down, then completed his Brazilian opponent.
Padilla is now using a seven-fight win streak, and has demonstrated that he has the type of endurance, and the relentless method, that can provide virtually any light-weight bother.
5. Uros Medic
On most different nights, Uros Medic’s efficiency would have positioned him greater up a Energy Rankings record, however on a battle stuffed with finishes, he sits in fifth on our record this week.
The battle itself was over virtually earlier than it had begun, however that was all all the way down to Medic’s razor-sharp work as he established his vary early, then dropped Muslim Salikhov exhausting with a ramrod straight left.
It gave Medic a powerful end to see him spherical out 2025 with a 2-1 document for the yr, and take him into 2026 on a two-fight win streak, with each fights producing finishes.
Simon Head is Editor-in-Chief with famend fight sports activities gear firm RDX Sports activities.
