5 biggest winners from UFC Vegas 31: Islam Makhachev vs. Thiago Moises

#2 Miesha Tate – defeated Marion Reneau in the UFC Vegas 31 co-main event

Despite not fighting since 2016, Miesha Tate didn't look like she'd lost a step in her win over Marion Reneau

Considering she retired back in 2016, which feels like a lifetime ago now, it was never going to be easy for Miesha Tate to return to the highest level of the UFC.

Somehow though, ‘Cupcake’ made it look easy last night, as she outclassed a tough opponent in Marion Reneau en route to a third round TKO win. It felt like Tate eased through her gears for the most part as she landed the better strikes on the feet, and gradually took over the fight completely before finishing things on the ground.

Sure, Reneau has now retired herself and wasn’t on a good run at all, but to whitewash her like this after five years on the shelf was still very impressive.

"I'm just getting started. This is just the tip of the iceberg."@MieshaTate returns to the Octagon with a win #UFCVegas31🔉⬆️All #UFCVegas31 Results ⤵️:

— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 18, 2021

Where next for Tate? Well, as a former UFC bantamweight champion and a well-known and marketable star, there’s every chance that the UFC looks to fast-track her into another fight with Amanda Nunes, who took the title from her at UFC 200.

That means a big fight next time out, but judging by how ‘Cupcake’ looked last night, she’s more than ready for it.

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#1 Islam Makhachev – defeated Thiago Moises in the UFC Vegas 31 main event

Islam Makhachev is probably ready for a shot at the UFC lightweight title

In many respects, Islam Makhachev was in a no-win situation last night. Faced with a lower-ranked opponent in the form of Thiago Moises, most fans expected a whitewash from the Russian fighter, and anything less than a finish would not suffice.

That kind of pressure is never good, and other fighters have choked under it before. Makhachev didn’t fall into that kind of trap though, and dominated Moises just as much as everyone had been expecting, but still managed to finish the Brazilian off with a rear-naked choke. It was the first time anyone had ever tapped the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.

Post-fight, Makhachev called out Rafael dos Anjos, and while that fight works to an extent, the truth is that the training partner of Khabib Nurmagomedov may even deserve better.

The future heir to the throne? 🤔👑[ @TeamKhabib | @MakhachevMMA | #UFCVegas31 ] pic.twitter.com/8fci7HH3CT

— UFC (@ufc) July 18, 2021

He’s on an eight-fight win streak right now, something that only a handful of fighters in the history of the UFC lightweight division can match. Basically, another win or two should be enough to net him a shot at the UFC lightweight title.

If that win comes against RDA, then so be it, but the UFC should probably consider matching Makhachev with Michael Chandler. If the Russian could defeat the former Bellator champ, then his reputation as the ‘new Khabib’ would be cemented for good.