Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For five athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 14 event marked that special moment in their career.
Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression those fighters made on the sport’s biggest stage from Antel Arena in Montevideo, Uruguay.
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Kazula Vargas
Division: Lightweight
Result: Alex da Silva def. Kazula Vargas via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 20-27)
Record: Kazula Vargas (11-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: D-
Hailing from Mexico, Kazula Vargas showed the type of aggression and intensity you’d expect from the country’s long line of fighters. Unfortunately, he didn’t show much more.
The wild forward movement was on display from the start, but he lost his footing and slipped to the floor, where it quickly became apparent he didn’t have the ability to get back to his feet. Alex da Silva made some technical mistakes on the floor, but Vargas didn’t seem to pick up on them because he never threatened in the proper fashion.
Vargas was unable to stay on his feet in the 15-minute contest, and once on the floor, he was too willing to work from his back, where he didn’t seem to have any real weapons, and he handed away a one-sided decision, 30-27 on all three cards.
If Vargas is paired with a pure striker in his second effort, perhaps he’ll be able to impress a little more, but after this debut effort, it’s clear opponents will likely be looking to take him to the floor every time out, so he’ll need to improve in this area.
Ciryl Gane and Raphael Pessoa
Division: Heavyweight
Result: Ciryl Gane def. Raphael Pessoa via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:12
Record: Ciryl Gane (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: B+
Record: Raphael Pessoa (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: C+
As the training partner of vaunted striker Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane entered Saturday’s card with a considerable amount of hype, and with a first-round finish, he proved he is certainly worth keeping an eye on moving forward. Meanwhile, Raphael Pessoa made it clear he wouldn’t be intimidated simply because of who his opponent works with in the gym, and the Brazilian delivered on his word.
Gane is clearly the more promising fighter of the two, and not just because he proved victorious. Despite being early in his career, Gane has faced some quality competition already, and his confidence is evident. Gane moves well for a man of his size, and he isn’t wasteful with his energy. Seeing him finish a fight via submission despite being a vaunted striker is also promising, as well.
There are things he can do to improve. It seemed the Frenchman was intent on delivering a Ngannou-like one-punch finish when he would have been much better off linking together combinations and letting the action unfold. His power is clear, and he doesn’t need to headhunt. Had he not seemed so reliant on the one-punch finish, immediate expectations might be much higher. Still, Gane has time to develop.
Meanwhile, Pessoa, a self-described “fat guy with skinny legs” actually seemed more athletic than his frame might suggest. Nothing he did screamed “future star,” but there did seem to be some tools with which to work moving forward. Perhaps not being matched up with an uber prospect in his next outing will allow for a more clear evaluation.
Rodolfo Vieira
Division: Middleweight
Result: Rodolfo Vieira def. Oskar Piechota via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 4:26
Record: (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: B+
Listen, Rodolfo Vieira has the potential to be a real problem, and his grappling skills are well documented on the international. And submitting a fellow jiu-jitsu black belt in his UFC debut may seem worthy of an even higher rating, but I still see opportunities for improvement.
Piechota was able to defend an initial takedown, even with a deep entry from Vieira. When a second attempt got the action to the canvas, Piechota did stay alive despite spending several minutes on the bottom, so the Brazilian isn’t the complete unstoppable force one might expect. That said, Vieira sure didn’t allow much time for Piechota to fight back.
Vieira did look a bit winded in the second, but he readily admitted to nerves before the fight, and an adrenaline dump surely factored into his relative fatigue. Nevertheless, Vieira got the fight to the canvas again relatively early in the second, but he would allow a few escapes back to the feet before finally getting in position to cinch up a beautiful arm-triangle choke in the final minute of the frame.
Vieira’s skills are undeniable, but he’s likely burdened by the expectations that surrounded his UFC debut. His future does look bright, but some development will need to take place before he’s ready to tangle with the division’s elite.
Eduardo Garagorri
Division: Featherweight
Result: Eduardo Garagorri def. Humberto Bandenay via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 20-27)
Record: (13-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: B
I still don’t understand how a fighter who was born in Brazil and still lives there came to be known as the hometown hero in Uruguay, even if the place he lives is right on the border. But hey, we’ll leave that for someone else to figure out.
Eduardo Garagorri was treated as the sole representative of the gathered crowd at Saturday’s event, and that certainly came with some pressure. He handled it well – never looking rattled by the enormity of the moment. The Brazilian (yeah, I said it) showed a well-rounded game, defending takedowns well and showing firm strikes to al levels when the opportunity presented itself.
Garagorri had his chin tested a few times by Humberto Bandenay, but he never looked rattled. Overall, there weren’t many spectacular moments, but it was a solid overall performance, especially given the circumstances. I do have questions about the level of competition faced, with Bandenay now on a three-fight slide, but Garagorri certainly did enough to at least garner some excitement in his next outing.
