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Last night’s UFC Fight Night event seemed to be lost in the shuffle somewhat, despite last weekend not featuring a show. In the end, it turned out to be a watchable and exciting series of fights.
UFC Fight Night: Alexander Volkov vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik saw a hell of a lot of action, with nine fights ending before the final buzzer. That meant plenty of fighters could be considered big winners.
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Overall, while not all of last night’s winners will progress into title contention, some may well do so, making this event one that might have plenty of repercussions going forward.
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With that in mind, here are the five biggest winners from UFC Fight Night: Alexander Volkov vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
#5. Karolina Kowalkiewicz – defeated Felice Herrig in a UFC strawweight bout
While her victory didn’t come on the main card of last night’s show in the end, it’s safe to say that Karolina Kowalkiewicz should be considered one of the event’s biggest winners.
Not only did she pick up a slick rear-naked choke finish, but she also snapped a horrible losing streak of five fights dating back to 2018. In that sense, the Polish fighter probably saved her UFC career entirely, as one more loss would likely have resulted in her being cut from the promotion.
Fascinatingly, her win last night came over the last fighter she defeated in the form of Felice Herrig. A fellow veteran, ‘Lil Bulldog’ was on a long losing streak of her own, and after falling to Kowalkiewicz, announced her retirement from MMA.
However, to simply shrug Kowalkiewicz’s win off due to it coming against a fighter past her prime would be unfair. The Polish fighter simply overwhelmed her foe in every area last night, looking better than she’d done in years. The finish, her first in the octagon, was the icing on the cake.
The win won’t move Kowalkiewicz back into title contention, and depending who she’s matched with, she may well come into her next bout as an underdog. However, because she saved her career with the promotion, she almost certainly belongs on this list.
#4. Karine Silva – defeated Poliana Botelho in a UFC flyweight bout
Last night’s show saw the UFC debuts of a couple of interesting-looking prospects. Perhaps the one who could find herself in title contention in no time is women's flyweight Karine Silva. ‘Killer Karine’ made light work of the more experienced Poliana Botelho, dropping and submitting her inside a single round.
This was basically a flawless victory for Silva, who showed no nerves in her octagon debut whatsoever. She looked calm, picked her shots, and once she had Botelho hurt, she hunted for the finish in the form of a brabo choke, forcing her to tap despite their being only seconds remaining in the stanza.
Given that the win was her 15th career victory and she’s never been the distance, it’s safe to say that Silva is a prospect to watch. When you consider that the flyweight division is thin to begin with – and reigning champ Valentina Shevchenko is always looking for potential challengers – then ‘Killer Karine’ could well find herself on the fast track.
If that’s the case, then things won’t get any easier for her from here – but judging on this performance, she could well prove to be up to the challenge.
#3. Lucas Almeida – defeated Michael Trizano in a UFC featherweight bout
UFC debutant Lucas Almeida’s featherweight clash with TUF 27 winner Michael Trizano seemed to be flying under the radar last night. In the end, the two men delivered the goods hugely, picking up the $50k Fight of the Night award in the process.
However, while Trizano definitely played his part in the fight, pushing a hectic pace throughout and leaving Almeida doing the fish dance after stunning him in the first round, it was the Brazilian debutant who came away with the win, marking himself out as a man to watch.
Sure, Almeida probably took more damage than he’d have wanted to in that first round. However, after weathering the storm, he essentially looked fantastic, dropping and busting Trizano up in the second round before finishing him off with a genuinely brutal combination early in the third.
With a record of 14-1, complete with no decision wins on his ledger, Almeida is clearly a capable finisher. The fact that he was able to show so much toughness and durability in his debut bodes well for him, too.
He’s clearly a man to watch, and after a debut like this, he should definitely be considered one of last night’s biggest winners.
#2. Alexander Volkov – defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik in a UFC heavyweight bout
It didn’t come without a little bit of controversy, but in the battle of heavyweight strikers that served as last night’s headline bout, Alexander Volkov came out on top by stopping Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the first round.
Despite the bout lasting a little over two minutes, it was certainly entertaining. The two big men went toe-to-toe from the off, and after Rozenstruik seemed to stun ‘Drago’ with a quick combination, it was the Russian who really opened up.
He staggered ‘Bigi Boy’ with a harsh right hand, and then opened up with a wild combination that looked to have the native of Suriname out on his feet. However, before he could really switch his lights off, referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the bout.
Was the stoppage justified? It’s debatable. Post-fight, Rozenstruik seemed to believe he could’ve continued, but the replays definitely confirmed that he was in trouble. Naturally, we’ll never know the truth, which did take some shine from Volkov’s win.
Despite this, ‘Drago’ will remain part of the UFC’s top 10 at heavyweight, guaranteeing himself another big fight next time out. That means it’s hard not to consider him a big winner overall.
#1. Movsar Evloev – defeated Dan Ige in a UFC featherweight bout
The biggest winner from last night’s event was undoubtedly Movsar Evloev. Not only did the Russian retain his unbeaten UFC run by picking up his sixth octagon win and his 16th MMA victory overall, but he thoroughly dominated the highly-rated Dan Ige en route to a unanimous decision.
Many fans expected Ige, a reliable brawler, to test Evloev, particularly on the feet. In all honesty, that wasn’t the case. ‘Dynamite’ couldn’t get anything of note going, and actually ate the bigger shots standing, including some hefty right hands and a couple of flying knees, too.
While the Hawaiian’s chin held up, he couldn’t stop Evloev’s offense, nor could he prevent his takedowns. In the end, it came as no surprise when the Russian was awarded the win.
Where does Evloev go from here? Given Ige was ranked at No.10 in the featherweight division coming into this bout, the likelihood is that he’ll at least supplant the Hawaiian’s spot there, if not climb a little higher.
That means that a big fight with someone like Chan Sung Jung could beckon. If he can beat an opponent like that, then the sky is genuinely the limit for him.
