Jan Blachowicz reinserted himself into the light heavyweight title picture by earning a much-needed win against Aleksandar Rakic in the main event of UFC Vegas 54. However, the method of victory was probably not what the former champion had hoped for.
In round three, Rakic went down with an apparent knee injury and was unable to continue fighting. The incident resulted in a technical knockout (TKO) win for the Polish superstar, who recently lost his title to Glover Teixeira in his last fight.
In the co-main event, Ryan Spann picked up his first win of 2022 by submitting light heavyweight standout Ion Cutelaba. The American caught Cutelaba in a standing front choke, which he turned into a guillotine choke to seal the victory in the first round.
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In the bantamweight division, Davey Grant and Louis Smolka delivered one of the most exciting bouts of the night. Grant scored an impressive knockout win in the third, snapping his two-fight skid.
Meanwhile, Katlyn Chookagian became the record holder for most wins in the UFC women's flyweight division by notching her ninth victory. 'Blonde Fighter' defeated Amanda Ribas via a split decision to surpass Valentina Shevchenko in the record books.
Manuel Torres made a successful promotional debut on the main card of the event. Looking to make a lasting first impression, Torres took care of business by knocking out Frank Camacho in round one.
Finally, the main card opener saw a flyweight showdown between Jake Hadley and Allan Nascimento. After three rounds, Nascimento convinced all three judges he deserved the win.
UFC Fight Night: Blachowicz vs. Rakic main card results
Main Card
Jan Blachowicz def. Aleksandar Rakic via TKO [knee injury] (1:11 of Round 3)
Ryan Spann def. Ion Cutelaba via submission [guillotine choke] (2:23 of Round 1)
Davey Grant def. Louis Smolka via KO (0:49 of Round 3)
Katlyn Chookagian def. Amanda Ribas via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Manuel Torres def. Frank Camacho via TKO (3:27 of Round 1)
Allan Nascimento def. Jake Hadley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card
Viviane Araujo def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
Michael Johnson def. Alan Patrick via KO (3:22 of Round 2)
Virna Jandiroba def. Angela Hill via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Tatsuro Taira def. Carlos Candelario via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Andre Petroski def. Nick Maximov via submission [anaconda choke] (1:16 of Round 1)