5 important things we learned from UFC Vegas 31: Islam Makhachev vs Thiago Moises

UFC Vegas 31 served as a showcase for Islam Makhachev's brilliant dominance. With former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, the Dagestani warrior steamrolled Thiago Moises before forcing him to tap out in the fourth round of the main event.

In the co-main event, Miesha Tate returned and looked like she was never away in the first place. 'Cupcake' will now try to claw her way back to the mountaintop by taking on the division's best contenders.

UFC Vegas 31 might not have been a high-profile event, but it was an all-important exhibit of the promotion's future stars. With that in mind, let's discuss five key takeaways from Saturday night's UFC Vegas 31 event.

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#5 A contender was born at UFC Vegas 31

UFC Vegas 31: Amanda Lemos vs Montserrat Conejo

Amanda Lemos has established herself as a legitimate threat in the UFC strawweight division after knocking out Montserrat Conejo in only 35 seconds. That's the record for the fastest KO in UFC strawweight history.

ON THE BUTTON 🎯Amanda Lemos ended it in the first minute at #UFCVegas31 pic.twitter.com/7BxX326kuM

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 18, 2021

Lemos didn't have the most ideal start to her UFC career. She lost her octagon debut to Leslie Smith in July 2017, before going on a hiatus of two and a half years due to a USADA suspension. But when she returned in 2019, she proved herself to be an absolute powerhouse in the 115-pound weight class.

The Brazilian has dominated the competition in her last four fights and finished three of her opponents along the way. A precise yet powerful striker, 'Amandinha' has the tools to give the likes of Weili Zhang and reigning champ Rose Namajunas a run for their money.

Wallid Ismail's vivid translation of Lemos' post-fight interviews also adds to her potential as a marketable star. They have a shot at becoming the best fighter-manager pairing since Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman.

"I don't know why two top-5 opponents refused to face me, but I'm here, I'm waiting," Lemos said through her translator. "I want to fight. No matter who my opponent is. If they didn't want to face me now, there will be a time when they won't be able to run away from me."

#4 Was UFC Vegas 31 Jeremy Stephens' farewell?

UFC Vegas 31: Jeremy Stephens vs. Mateusz Gamrot

Jeremy Stephens is currently the longest tenured fighter in the UFC. Based on his UFC Vegas 31 performance, however, that could very well come to an end in the near future.

Jeremy Stephens vs. Mateusz Gamrot was a classic MMA tale of a changing of the guard moment. After witnessing the cage veteran get brutally manhandled by the younger Polish native, it's safe to assume that Stephens is no longer the threat that he once was.

🇵🇱 @Gamer_MMA improves to 1️⃣9️⃣ - 1️⃣Who's next for the surging LW?! #UFCVegas31 pic.twitter.com/UZKxVrQM2U

— UFC (@ufc) July 18, 2021

The writing on the wall is clear for Stephens; Father Time has finally caught up with him. 'Lil Heathen' has now lost five of his last six fights (with his fight against Yair Rodriguez ending in a no-contest).

Stephens has been with the UFC since 2007 and he's been an always-entertaining fighter to watch. But at the age of 35, with 16 years of wear and tear on his body, it was too much to ask for Stephens to continue churning out competitive performances against the UFC's young guns.

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#3 Marion Reneau's bitter-sweet swan song

UFC Vegas 31: Marion Reneau vs. Miesha Tate

Marion Reneau hoped that UFC Vegas 31 was to be the fairytale end to her unlikely UFC career. But more often than not in MMA, we know that things don't particularly end on a happy note.

With Reneau's husband and son in her corner, the tough-as-nails fighter from California suffered the first stoppage loss of her career. In the lead up to the finish, her family got to witness her get decimated by the returning Miesha Tate.

Congrats to the always professional @BelizeanBruiser on a great career! 👏 #UFCVegas31 pic.twitter.com/noNqzlt8Rd

— UFC (@ufc) July 18, 2021

Evidently, UFC Vegas 31 was not the last dance that Reneau had hoped for. But looking at the big picture, Reneau's accomplishments are not to be scoffed at. Making it into the octagon is an amazing feat in itself, given that Reneau was allegedly turned away by the UFC brass when she tried out for The Ultimate Fighter.

Reneau was never an elite-level fighter, but the fact she started MMA so late and went on to fight 13 times in the UFC is undeniably inspirational. Not to mention that she did it all while working as a high school teacher.

#2 'Cupcake' Miesha Tate is back in business

Miesha Tate at UFC Vegas 31: Islam Makhachev vs. Thiago Moises [Photo credit: @ufc on Twitter]

The octagon is an unforgiving place, especially for those who spend a long time away from it. But at UFC Vegas 31, Miesha Tate achieved what only a handful of fighters have done. She overcame ring rust and looked sharp as ever against Marion Reneau in the co-main event.

The former UFC women's bantamweight champion had not fought since 2016. On her way out, Tate suffered a lopsided loss to Raquel Pennington at UFC 205. At the time, it appeared that Tate had little left in the tank, like most veterans who have overstayed their welcome.

But that wasn't the case at all. As it turns out, all Tate needed was a lengthy time off to recover and rejuvenate. During her first UFC stint, 'Cupcake' had just one stoppage win and that came by submission. Against Reneau at UFC Vegas 31, she displayed a different dimension to her game and ultimately scored the TKO win via ground strikes.

However, UFC Vegas 31 is not an ideal fight to measure where Tate stacks up in the women's bantamweight division. Reneau, of course, is well past her prime, but that's not to say that Tate's performance wasn't impressive.

To learn how good Tate is at this point of her career, we have to see her compete against formidable contenders – the likes of Yana Kunitskaya and Julianna Pena, perhaps. The good news is: 'Cupcake' seems open to taking on anyone.

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#1 Islam Makhachev is for real

UFC Fight Night: Islam Makhachev vs Thiago Moises

Islam Makhachev put on a masterful beatdown of Thiago Moises in the main event of UFC Vegas 31. It's hard to ignore the similarities between him and former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

As expected, the 29-year-old Dagestani manhandled his opponent with relative ease. He never looked like he was in any sort of trouble and he was always in control. Ultimately, Islam Makhachev scored a submission win against a more-than-competent Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner.

But did we really learn anything new about Islam Makhachev at UFC Vegas 31? Probably not. We were already aware that he's capable of beating anybody in the UFC lightweight division, and we already knew that he's probably a future champ.

If anything, the biggest takeaway from Saturday night's event is that it's probably a wise decision to avoid Islam Makhachev at all costs if you're a 155-pounder on the UFC roster. But the Russian sent a message to the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler at UFC Vegas 31:

“You can run but you can’t hide! I’m coming.”