5 biggest winners from UFC Fight Night: Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad

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#2. Drakkar Klose – defeated Brandon Jenkins in a UFC lightweight bout

Drakkar Klose returned from a year on the shelf to take out Brandon Jenkins violently

When Drakkar Klose found himself on the shelf in 2021 with some serious injuries, including problems with his neck following an errant weigh-in shove from Jeremy Stephens, he sadly found himself as a punchline of sorts.

How had a tough UFC fighter suffered such injuries from what looked like such an inconsequential moment? A year on, it’s still a mystery – but last night, Klose returned to action and quickly erased the memories of the incident with a truly vicious performance.

Sure, his opponent – late notice replacement Brandon Jenkins – was visibly overmatched, but Klose, who had never finished a foe in the octagon before, clearly had a point to prove. He battered Jenkins with a series of brutal combos from the onset and finally put him away in the second round.

Where does Klose go from here? Unfortunately, he can’t call out Stephens to take his revenge, as ‘Lil Heathen’ is no longer with the promotion. He did call out former Olympic wrestler Mark Madsen after last night’s fight, and that may well be a good match for him.

Overall, despite the way he incurred them, any fighter returning from serious injuries like the one Klose suffered should be commended; and performing like this makes him an even bigger winner.

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#1. Belal Muhammad – defeated Vicente Luque in a UFC welterweight bout

Following his win over Vicente Luque, Belal Muhammad should be considered a title contender

Last night’s biggest winner was undoubtedly Belal Muhammad. Not only did he avenge a loss inside the octagon by outpointing Vicente Luque in the night’s headliner, but he also called out Colby Covington in charismatic fashion and based on his current run, it’s a fight that Muhammad might now get.

It’d be hard to call ‘Remember The Name’ the most entertaining fighter in the welterweight division. After all, he’s only ever finished two opponents during his UFC career, dating back to 2016. However, it’s also safe to say he’s one of the most effective.

The win over Luque last night moved him to 12-3-1 overall, and he should find himself in the division’s top five come next week. Essentially, he defeated ‘The Silent Assassin’ using his trademark gameplan – plenty of takedowns and ground control with some effective striking mixed in.

Sure, he didn’t come close to finishing Luque, but the fact that he was able to clearly shut down such a dangerous opponent who has the reputation of being able to finish opponents from any area was still remarkably impressive.

Muhammad’s style means that he’s always flying under the radar compared to someone like Khamzat Chimaev. Still, he’s definitely one of the most dangerous fighters out there right now, and based on this, he could well push Covington to the limit if they do fight.

If nothing else, he’s now in a bigger spotlight than he’s ever found himself in before, making him last night’s biggest winner by a mile.