The best and worst from UFC Vegas 31: Islam Makhachev vs Thiago Moises

#4 Best - Rodolfo Vieira redeems himself with superb submission

UFC Fight Night: Vieira v Stoltzfus

Earlier this year, at UFC 258, Rodolfo Vieira suffered the first loss of his professional MMA career. But that doesn't tell the whole story. A decorated exponent of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Vieira was submitted by Anthony Hernandez. It was a massive upset, with 'The Black Belt Hunter' later labeling it 'the worst day of his life'.

Against Dustin Stoltzfus, another grappler, Vieira had his moment of redemption. He came out throwing a snappy jab which hurt Stoltzfus in the first round, and while the second round was more evenly matched, he came into his own in the third.

Vieira appeared to be in decent shape even in the later stages of the fight, in sharp contrast to his loss to Hernandez. The Brazilian landed a few takedowns before pulling off one of the best submissions in recent memory. As Stoltzfus attempted to get to his feet following a scramble, he circled around to his back mid-air and locked in a choke in an instant.

Stoltzfus tapped even before they hit the ground, getting Vieira back in the win column. Importantly, Vieira showed that there's a lot more to his game than jiu-jitsu, and displayed marked improvements in his striking game and cardio. A few more wins like this could make him a genuine contender.

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#3 Worst - Jeremy Stephens' woeful UFC run may have written a final chapter

Jeremy Stephens' 18 losses in UFC competition are the most in history. #UFCVegas31

— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) July 18, 2021

Without a win in his last five UFC fights, Jeremy Stephens had the odds stacked against him ahead of UFC Vegas 31. He even saw a fight canceled after pushing Drakkar Klose at the weigh-ins, rendering him unable to compete. And 'Lil Heathen' showed little remorse for the incident, which was clearly his fault, saying he has 'zero tolerance for that type of behavior'.

Unfortunately for him, Stephens never stood a chance against the wrecking ball that is Mateusz Gamrot. 'Gamer' took him down within seconds before attempting a kimura, eliciting a tap from Stephens after just one minute had elapsed in the fight.

Stephens' defeat was ignominous for many reasons, one of which is the fact that he now has more losses (18) than anyone in UFC history. With a 15-18-1 UFC record and zero wins in his last six fights, the 35-year-old needs a miracle to save his drowning UFC career.