What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 10? Here’s a thing or five…
1. RDA gets a win when he needs it most
You know what’s a baller move? Starting a round with a flying knee when it’s getting late in the fight and you know your opponent is feeling it. This turns out to be a great way to show him that you’re not tired, that you’re not going to be tired any time soon, that in fact you’ve got energy to spare, and you’re fine with wasting some of it just to prove this point.
For Rafael dos Anjos, cardio and mental toughness might have been his greatest assets. He knew he could go five hard rounds, and he also knew that Kevin Lee couldn’t stay with him at that pace. This is how RDA managed to wear Lee down before cinching the choke for the finish. The result was a win that dos Anjos desperately needed after a two-fight skid.
Clearly, the former lightweight champ still has a lot to give. Unfortunately for him, he’s already lost to both the current champ and the most recent interim one in his new weight class. That’s a bit of a road block, but maybe not the most pressing concern at the moment. The important thing here was reminding us that he still knows how to win. And a smart, savvy veteran performance like that accomplishes that goal nicely.
2. Don’t look now, but women’s featherweight might be turning into an actual division
Felicia Spencer came in as a nearly 2-1 underdog, looking like potential fodder to help build Megan Andersen back into a title contender at 145 pounds. Then she jumped on Andersen’s back and locked up the rear-naked choke, and now we have ourselves a whole different story.
Granted, with just seven pro fights Spencer is still a work in progress. Talk of her fighting Cris Cyborg next makes me feel … uneasy. But it is reassuring to see that the UFC’s women’s featherweight class is actually doing some business now after struggling to get more than two or three people in it at once. And judging from what we’ve seen so far, Spencer has the potential to be a fun new addition.
3. Can we finally be done with whatever this thing is between Oliveira and Lentz?
I understand why it made sense for Charles Oliveira and Nik Lentz to fight once. I can even see why they needed to fight twice, since the first one ended in controversy. But after Oliveira won that one, I’m really not sure we needed to see it a third time, especially with Oliveira on a long winning streak that would seem to put him out of Lentz’s orbit.
Can you really call it a rivalry when one guy has won none of the fights? Oliveira put the stamp on this one with that straight right to the kisser, so hopefully we’ve all seen what we needed to see out of this pairing. At this point, Oliveira deserves a major step up. He’s looking as good as he ever has at lightweight. It’s time we find out just how far he can go.
4. Ladd stays perfect as a pro after an early test
Sijara Eubanks came out in the first round determined to give Aspen Ladd a real fight. By the third, she had the look of a victim in a monster movie, wondering what it’s going to take to stop the relentless pursuit.
No matter what Eubanks tried, Ladd kept coming. And when you hear Ladd going all Monica Seles with her strikes, you know she’s feeling it. Eubanks couldn’t match that pace and pressure, but maybe it’s a good thing that Ladd didn’t get the bout with Holly Holm. While there are tons of reasons to think Ladd could turn into something special, she’s probably not quite ready for the top of the division. This time next year, however, it could be a different story.
5. Pereira knows how to get our attention
Michel Pereira cried during his walkout, popped some sweet dance moves during his introduction, then flashed a bunch of oddly fancy moves before ending the fight in the first round with a flying knee followed by a killer right hand. He even had enough restraint to hold back at the end, once it was clear that Danny Roberts was done.
That’s one way to get on our radar right away. It’s also going to be a tough act to follow. But after a night like that, one thing Pereira can count on is that we’ll all be paying attention next time.
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