5 biggest winners from UFC Vegas 33: Uriah Hall vs. Sean Strickland

#4. Jason Witt – UFC welterweight

Jason Witt came out on top of a wild fight with Bryan Barberena

Purists would probably say that Jason Witt’s wild fight with Bryan Barberena at UFC Vegas 33 was horrible from a technical perspective, and to tell the truth, they’d be correct. Witt fought well during the first two rounds, but the action-packed third round featured two exhausted fighters exchanging with zero defense.

However, some of the greatest fights in MMA history, Don Frye vs. Yoshihiro Takayama, for instance, were also sloppy, and fighting isn’t always about technique and skill, it’s also about heart, desire and durability, and both Witt and Barberena showed that in spades.

You probably need to rewatch this one 👀💸 FOTN honors earned! #UFCVegas33 [ B2YB @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/SlSWytf2Mf

— UFC (@ufc) August 1, 2021

Of course, when it came down to a decision, Witt secured the victory. ‘The Vanilla Gorilla’ outworked ‘Bam Bam’ in the opening two rounds and build up enough of a lead that he was always going to win unless Barberena knocked him out or secured a 10-8 final round, which many believe he did enough to do, especially considering one judge awarded Witt a 10-8 in the second frame.

The win likely won’t elevate Witt too high up the card, as it only took him to 2-2 in the UFC and he’d lost his last outing by knockout.

However, the quality of the fight suggests that he’s the kind of fighter who could easily carve out a reputation for wild, exciting bouts each time out, similar to someone like Drew Dober, for instance.

And in a promotion that’s willing to cut fighters every week, to have a reputation like that means you’re much more likely to retain your roster spot. That alone makes this win for Witt absolutely priceless.

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#3. Cheyanne Buys – UFC women's strawweight

Cheyanne Buys' knockout of Gloria de Paula took some serious skill and poise

Cheyanne Buys’ fight with Gloria de Paula was always a strange choice for a co-main event, even on late notice, as both women had never won a fight in the UFC and had lost their debuts pretty handily.

However, Buys capitalized massively on the opportunity that was handed to her by knocking out de Paula with a nasty first round head kick.

It wasn’t just your regular head kick, either. Buys caught de Paula as she was attempting to stand, meaning the shot needed absolutely expert timing to land without being an illegal kick to a downed opponent.

It could probably be argued, in fact, that this was one of the most skilled head kicks in UFC history.

And not only did the win net her a $50k bonus, but it should mean that UFC fans are excited to see her next time out and that if her name does appear on the main card of a show, it won’t be greeted with the shrug that it was this time around.

Her face says it all! 👏[ @CheyWarPrincess | #UFCVegas33 ] pic.twitter.com/2BjeJksvIX

— UFC (@ufc) August 1, 2021