5 biggest winners from UFC Fight Night: Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker

#4. Douglas Silva de Andrade – defeated Gaetano Pirrello in a UFC bantamweight bout

Douglas Silva de Andrade pulled out last night's best finish

The night’s most explosive finish belonged to Douglas Silva de Andrade, who picked up his first UFC win since 2019 in brutal fashion over Gaetano Pirrello.

‘D’Silva’ hit his opponent with a left hook in the first round that was so hard, it outright took Pirrello off his feet. It was the best finish of Silva de Andrade’s UFC career, and has every chance of going viral.

The Brazilian has been around the UFC for a surprisingly long time, seven years to be exact. While he’s never really made his way into title contention, he’s always been a reliable action fighter to watch.

However, his loss to Lerone Murphy in January suggested that ‘D’Silva’ had perhaps moved past his prime. It also implied had probably lost a lot during 2020, a year in which he failed to compete inside the octagon.

This win last night showed that he’s still got a lot to offer at 135lbs, though. Even if he can’t move too highly up the ladder, his previous wins over the likes of Marlon Vera and Renan Barao show that he’s more than capable of bothering the division’s better fighters.

If nothing else, a knockout like this should guarantee ‘D’Silva’ a shot on the main card next time around, making him one of last night’s biggest winners.

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#3. Niko Price – defeated Alex Oliveira in a UFC welterweight bout

Niko Price got back in the winners' circle last night with a victory over Alex Oliveira

Like last night’s main event, nobody really expected the welterweight bout between Niko Price and Alex Oliveira to go the distance. The fight surprisingly did reach its final buzzer, but unlike Santos vs. Walker, it was hugely entertaining.

‘The Hybrid’ and ‘Cowboy’ threw everything they had at one another for fifteen minutes. While neither man came razor-close to finishing the other, it was Price who ultimately had his hand raised. Essentially, he had too much in the tank in the final round and forced Oliveira to tire.

It’s hard to dispute the importance of this win to Price’s UFC career. While he had carved a reputation as one of the most exciting fighters on the roster, to remain in the UFC you have to win fights, and ‘The Hybrid’ hadn’t actually done that since October 2019.

A loss here may well have left him clinging to his UFC career by his fingertips. Despite not picking up his customary explosive finish, this win proved that he still belongs at the top level in MMA.

Will he return to his finishing ways in his next trip to the octagon? Hopefully, but for now, last night’s win will do just fine for him.