6 Hits And 3 Misses Of UFC Rio: Charles Oliveira vs. Mateusz Gamrot

The UFC returned to one of many largest cities in South America final night time, as UFC Rio happened from the Farmasi Area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This occasion marked the primary time the UFC has touched down in Rio because it hosted UFC 301 in Could 2024, an occasion that noticed Alexandre Pantoja maintain off Steve Erceg to retain the UFC flyweight title. It was additionally the primary Battle Evening card in Rio de Janeiro since March 2015, which noticed Demian Maia rating a call win over Ryan LaFlare in the primary occasion.

This night time’s important occasion featured the favored former light-weight champion Charles Oliveira, as he took on Mateusz Gamrot. Oliveira had traded losses and wins since dropping the UFC light-weight title three years in the past, and this was his first struggle since getting knocked out by Ilia Topuria for the belt at UFC 317 in June. Gamrot took this struggle on quick discover after Rafael Fiziev fell out resulting from damage. Gamrot had received 4 of his final 5, most lately scoring a call over L’udovit Klein at UFC Vegas 107 in Could.

The bantamweight co-main occasion additionally featured a former Brazilian UFC champion, as former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo took on Montel Jackson. Figueiredo had misplaced two straight, and this was Figueiredo’s first struggle since getting stopped by latest title challenger Cory Sandhagen at UFC Des Moines in Could. Jackson had received six straight, having most lately defeated Daniel Marcos at UFC Des Moines.

Who confirmed out in Rio? Who fell in need of expectation? Let’s go into all of it with the Hits and Misses of UFC Rio!

Miss: Eight-Pound Weight Distinction Is Inexcusable

I don’t wish to take away the credit score from Luan Lacerda. He needed to struggle, he needed the chance to earn his win bonus, and he obtained it. However that doesn’t take away from how inexcusable it was for a fighter, Saimon Oliveira on this case, to overlook weight by eight kilos and put the bout’s standing in jeopardy till the day of the struggle.

Oliveira’s weight was nearer to featherweight than it was to bantamweight. There are some commissions that may have scrapped the struggle then and there. And if that was the case, it might have been freeway theft for Lacerda.

Sure, weight slicing is a harmful side of fight sports activities that should nonetheless be addressed. Sure, the pay construction of the game is one thing that must be addressed. However this sort of weight miss is one thing that may universally be shamed, and may result in concepts for not simply commissions, but additionally promotions, to handle on how such actions must be penalized extra harshly.

Hit: “Woman GOAT” Bia Mesquita One To Watch

Bia Mesquita is a legend of jiu-jitsu. And whereas she could be an MMA rookie, her run up to now has been spectacular, resulting in a extremely profitable UFC debut at UFC Rio.

Mesquita flat out dominated Irina Alekseeva, taking her down early within the first spherical and dominating from full mount with ground-and-pound and prime strain. That continued into the second spherical, the place she shortly locked up a rear-naked choke to attain the submission win.

There’s no assure that Mesquita turns into the highest canine at girls’s bantamweight, however she nonetheless presents, as one MMA media talked about on social media, a wanted shot within the arm for girls’s 135. And perhaps sooner or later, whether or not for a belt or not, we get a unbelievable jiu-jitsu vs. judo battle between her and present champion Kayla Harrison.

Hit: Heavyweight Vitor Petrino

Vitor Petrino was on a formidable run at gentle heavyweight earlier than struggling the primary two losses of his profession final 12 months to Anthony Smith and and Dustin Jacoby. However his victory over Thomas Petersen could have proven that he could have extra alternatives of success competing at heavyweight.

Petrino dropped Petersen throughout the first spherical and utterly nullified his makes an attempt to wrestle. Petrino’s placing gave the impression to be on level till he began to fatigue within the later parts of spherical two. Thankfully for him, he wanted mere seconds of spherical three to land a two-punch mixture to drop Petersen out chilly for the victory.

Petrino clearly must work on his gasoline tank, however with how weak heavyweight is true now within the UFC, he may discover himself within the rankings of that division prior to later.

Hit: Jafel Filho’s Future At Flyweight Shiny?

Often called “The Pastor,” Jafel Filho has put his personal form of blessings on the Octagon. And he did so in emphatic vogue in entrance of a local crowd at UFC Rio, needing slightly below one full spherical to complete Clayton Carpenter.

Filho wobbled Carpenter early earlier than scoring a takedown, controlling the entire struggle along with his top-pressure grappling. Filho labored his option to the again and tried to sink in a rear-naked choke. When he couldn’t do this, Filho transitioned efficiently right into a nasty kimura lock for the win.

Filho strikes to 17-4 as a professional. Although he’s simply 3-2 within the UFC, one among his wins has come in opposition to Ode’ Osbourne, his DWCS win got here in opposition to Roybert Echeverria, and his solely two Octagon losses have come to Muhammad Mokaev and Allan Nascimento. I’d name {that a} sturdy resume, and I wouldn’t thoughts Filho’s subsequent struggle or two coming in opposition to lower-ranked flyweights to offer him a possibility to earn a quantity subsequent to his title.

Hit: Michael Aswell Jr. Silences Brazil Crowd

Discuss leaving folks speechless. The Brazilian crowd and their help was no match for the expertise of Michael Aswell Jr., who shortly put away Lucas Almeida.

Aswell cracked Almeida within the opening seconds and didn’t let up with placing strain, going for the win nearly instantly. Almeida tried to struggle again however ended up seated and slumped in opposition to the fence, the place Aswell completed him off.

This was Aswell’s first win after dropping his UFC debut to Bolaji Oki, and he seemed fairly spectacular. Hopefully he will get the possibility to compete on UFC 323 — even when he did appear to spoil the affirmation of Alexandre Pantoja vs. Joshua Van.

Miss: Horrid Officiating But Once more

Each week there appears to be a minimum of one dangerous case of dangerous officiating by a referee concerned within the motion. And this week, we had been “blessed” to have two such situations.

The primary got here in Kaan Ofli’s win over Ricardo Ramos that opened up the UFC Rio important card. Ramos pressured Ofli to the fence shortly and gave the impression to be trying to find a decent leg lock. However throughout these makes an attempt, Ofli used the fence to achieve leverage and assist himself escape. Not one of the fence grabs gave the impression to be warned, not to mention observed, by a veteran referee like Marc Goddard. Ofli would go on to seek out Ramos’ again and rating a rear-naked choke.

Then got here Joel Alvarez’s victory over Vicente Luque. Through the opening spherical, Alvarez related with a left hand that did injury to Luque’s eye. Luque went down in ache and claimed that he was eye poked. The referee confirmed the shot was a authorized blow and appeared to wave the struggle off.

Then, the physician entered the Octagon. And someway Luque was given the timeout as if he was really eye poked. That is all regardless of the referee’s preliminary ruling being the proper one — with a fight-pausing/ending sequence really coming as the results of a authorized blow being dominated a TKO. This was made worse by the way in which when Luque was saying he was achieved proper earlier than the third spherical, along with his nook having to persuade him to go on the market — which, once more, on the ref noticing ought to have been a TKO ruling.

Thankfully for Alvarez, he managed to win the struggle. However when referees are making errors like this, it simply continues to flabbergast me how we don’t have real-time corrections and accountability for match officers on this sport.

Miss: A Bleak Future For Vicente Luque?

Talking of Luque vs. Alvarez, man, have issues been tough for Vicente Luque.

This loss now marks his fifth loss in his final seven fights. And whereas the losses haven’t come to essentially dangerous competitors, it truly is disappointing when you think about that Luque was as soon as within the combine for a possible welterweight title shot simply a few years in the past.

And this struggle could have been Luque’s worst efficiency but. If he’s fortunate to get one other struggle, he could have fallen up to now that he might combating for his UFC future. It’s a tragic sight to see.

Hit: Deiveson Figueiredo Finds Victory Once more

It feels bizarre to say, however Deiveson Figueiredo hadn’t tasted victory in a bit of over a 12 months when he entered UFC Rio. Thankfully, Figueiredo managed to dig deep and pull off the efficiency he wanted in entrance of a local crowd to attain a call win.

Figueiredo scored an early takedown of Jackson and threatened to make it a fast night time with a number of submission makes an attempt. The previous flyweight champ then managed the motion on the toes and threatened a decent arm-triangle, happening to attain a call win (arguably one that ought to have been unanimous).

Figueiredo had come into this bout off losses to Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen. And now that he’s again within the win column right here, maybe we wait to see how Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista and (if true) Sean O’Malley vs. Track Yadong play out earlier than choosing a kind of names as a subsequent opponent for him.

Hit: Charles Oliveira Sends Brazil Into A Frenzy

Discuss a wanted win. It wasn’t one the place Charles Oliveira wanted to win to point out he was nonetheless related, however after some struggles following dropping the light-weight title on the scales a number of years in the past, Oliveira will need to have felt like a God after popping out on prime in entrance of a local crowd.

Oliveira managed Mateusz Gamrot with grappling all through the primary spherical, threatening each an Omoplata and a choke. Oliveira then pressured Gamrot with each placing and grappling throughout the second spherical, the place he proceeded to finish issues with a choke.

This was Oliveira’s first struggle since getting knocked out by Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, and Oliveira nonetheless has his sights on gold — however not the one you consider. Oliveira despatched out the problem to Max Holloway for a BMF title struggle, and it seems Holloway accepted. And if I can converse for loads of the UFC followers, I believe it is a struggle we’d like to see occur.

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