What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in Florida? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s reminder
If there were any doubts about whether Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) was still among the cream of the crop in the strawweight division, she put that to rest with a dominant performance over five rounds against Michelle Waterson.
Three losses in her previous four fights raised questions about whether Jedrzejczyk’s best days were behind her. The pre-fight drama around her weight cut also raised concerns about focus, but the effort on fight night alleviated all those concerns.
Is Jedrzejczyk the best 115-pound fighter out there right now? We’ll find out if she gets a title matchup with Weili Zhang next year. However, there’s not many people who should be the favorite against her at this stage of the game.
2. Michelle Waterson’s heartbreak
It was going to take a real special performance from Waterson (17-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) to defeat Jedrzejczyk on Saturday, and “The Karate Hottie” couldn’t come up with it. Her game was pretty much completely stifled over 25 minutes, bringing a halt to a three-fight winning streak and aspirations of a UFC title shot.
The sheer emotion and disappointment from Waterson in the aftermath of the bout was heart wrenching, especially because this was probably the best chance she’ll get to position herself for a crack at the gold.
It’s difficult to determine exactly what the future holds for Waterson. She vowed to come back stronger and make her dream come true, but at 33 and with the top of the division loaded with terrible stylistic matchups for her, we may have just witnessed the peak moment of her career.
3. Amanda Ribas’ breakout
Amana Ribas (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was relatively unheralded going into fight week, but by the end of it, she found herself right in the spotlight, and for good reason.
The Brazilian out-skilled Mackenzie Dern for all three rounds of their strawweight matchup, dominating the action in every area, from striking to grappling. She was ferocious in the cage, which is the exact opposite of her jovial personality, which shined through every time a microphone was put in her face in the lead-up to the contest.
Ribas appears to have the full package to become a real player in the 115-pound division. Beating Dern doesn’t exactly prove she’s a top contender, but she’s most definitely earned the right to prove that’s where she belongs with a big fight next time out. If she wins that one, the UFC could have someone with real star potential on its hands.
4. Cub Swanson’s rebound
Cub Swanson is one of the genuine good guys in MMA, and it was tough to see him endure such a difficult stretch of losses prior to his bounce-back performance against Kron Gracie.
At one time, Swanson was on the cusp of a title shot in the featherweight division. He seems to be fully aware he’s got a long way to go before getting back to that point, and right now he’s just happy to be back in the winner’s circle.
Swanson is a very talented fighter who is almost always exciting when he steps in the cage. It would’ve been a shame to see him lose again and have his career come into question, but fortunately he was able to get it together against Gracie and take some of the pressure off his shoulders.
5. Niko Price’s upkick
Niko Price (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) is etching out a fun little spot in the sport for himself. His quirky personality and exciting fighting style make him worth following, but add in his ability to score knockouts from seemingly any position, and we’ve got something on our hands with “The Hybrid.”
Will Price ever hold the UFC welterweight strap? That’s difficult to imagine. But if he can continue producing moments like that utterly ridiculous upkick knockout that potentially ended James Vick’s UFC career, this guy is going to have a spot on the roster as long as he wants to be there.
