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UFC Vegas 28 looked like a sneakily good card on paper. And while we were treated to a couple of stinkers, for the most part the show delivered.
UFC Vegas 28 saw a handful of epic knockouts, as well as one of 2021’s best fights to date.
So with this in mind, here are the five most explosive moments from UFC Vegas 28: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Augusto Sakai.
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#5 Jairzinho Rozenstruik unleashes a brutal knockout against Augusto Sakai
The last time we saw Jairzinho Rozenstruik in action in the UFC, it’s probably not unfair to say that he stunk the joint out.
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Rozenstruik couldn’t get anything going in his loss to Ciryl Gane, and wound up on the wrong end of a decision in one of 2021’s worst UFC main events.
Last night, however, Bigi Boy clearly wanted to send a message.
And so the native of Suriname came out far more aggressively than his usual counter-striking style, pressing opponent Augusto Sakai and forcing him back.
The approach didn’t work wonders for the majority of the first round – but in the dying moments, Rozenstruik was able to corral Sakai, landed a barrage of heavy punches to drop him. He then finished him off on the ground.
Was this as explosive as Bigi Boy’s wins over Andrei Arlovski and Junior Dos Santos? Well, no, but it was definitely a great finish, and should put him right back into contention for the UFC heavyweight title.
#4 Marcin Tybura takes his UFC win streak to five fights
Polish heavyweight Marcin Tybura probably won’t be considered a contender for the UFC heavyweight title any time soon, but it’s safe to say that right now, he’s in the best form of his career.
Tybura was on a four-fight win streak coming into last night’s fight with Walt Harris, but early in the fight it looked like that streak might be snapped.
Harris hit the Polish fighter with some heavy strikes, but defying the idea that he’s not durable, Tybura took them well. He then took the Big Ticket down and basically destroyed him.
There’s always something cool about seeing a fighter stop their opponent with strikes from back mount after flattening them out – it’s maybe the most dominant finish possible.
And so while Tybura’s finish at UFC Vegas 28 wasn’t as explosive as his head kick KO of Victor Pesta, it was definitely both memorable and violent.
#3 Miguel Baeza and Santiago Ponzinibbio produce a classic
UFC Vegas 28 only saw four of its 13 fights finish before the final buzzer, but the welterweight scrap between Miguel Baeza and Santiago Ponzinibbio more than made up for that.
This was a stone-cold classic between two of the UFC welterweight division’s most exciting fighters. While Ponzinibbio came away with the win, Baeza hardly looked like a loser either.
The early going saw Baeza taking the fight to his Argentine opponent, using a series of low leg kicks to hurt him badly. In fact, after the first round, it looked like the Argentine Dagger might be toast.
But Ponzinibbio proved to be much tougher than many fans gave him credit for. He begun to wade forward with heavy combinations that soon had Baeza reeling despite his attempts to fire back.
From there, the two men treated UFC fans to a brawl for the ages, with both men landing huge shots – Ponzinibbio knocking Baeza’s mouthpiece out in the dying moments – until the final buzzer.
Whether this fight will go forgotten by the end of 2021 is anyone’s guess given the lower profile of both fighters, but for now, it was filled with enough explosive action to rightfully net both an extra $50k.
#2 Manon Fiorot throws her name into the hat of flyweight contenders
The UFC’s flyweight division is one of the thinnest that the promotion has to offer right now, so any time a prospect shines, it’s worth noting.
Last night, French fighter Manon Fiorot shone brightly, as she violently finished newcomer Tabatha Ricci in the second round.
Sure, Ricci was a late replacement for Maryna Moroz, but a fighter can only take out the opponent in front of them, and Fiorot did that in style.
It was a violent combination that finished Baby Shark off, as Fiorot found her range midway through the second stanza and basically didn’t let up until Herb Dean waved the fight off.
Does Fiorot have enough to trouble UFC strawweight champion Valentina Shevchenko? Perhaps not right now, but the Beast is definitely a prospect worth keeping an eye on based on this explosive showing.
#1 Montana De La Rosa pulls off an upset against the Violence Queen
On paper at least, the flyweight clash between Montana De La Rosa and Ariane Lipski looked like a mismatch.
Sure, Lipski was coming off a loss to Antonina Shevchenko, but her reputation as the Violence Queen tends to precede her, especially when she’s shown herself to be capable of finishes like her kneebar of Luana Carolina in 2020.
Montana De La Rosa, meanwhile, had won just one of her last four fights and hadn’t produced a finish since 2019.
Incredibly though, De La Rosa blew right through Lipski, basically making her look like an amateur on the ground and smashing her to pieces en route to a second round TKO.
The victory wasn’t as highlight-reel worthy as Lipski’s kneebar of Carolina. Due to the sheer punishment absorbed by the Brazilian however, it was probably just as painful. It undoubtedly stands as De La Rosa’s best win in the UFC so far.
