Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For four athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 17 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 Mexico City Arena in Mexico.
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Tyson Nam
Division: Flyweight
Result: Sergio Pettis def. Tyson Nam via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Record: (18-10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: B
It’s hard to imagine there weren’t at least a few nerves for Tyson Nam, who has been on the verge of a UFC bid for the better part of the past seven years. That said, Nam handled himself well, and the scores of 30-27 across the board weren’t entirely indicative of the competitive nature of the contest.
Nam controlled the center of the cage for nearly the entirety of the contest, but he struggled to string together combinations or open up with his aggression, and that ultimately cost him on the cards.
To his credit, Nam did look comfortable from start to finish, and he had gas in the tank in the third frame, perhaps pressing forward most in the closing stanza. But his clinch work left something to be desired, seemingly more lookin g to go through the motions rather than truly accomplish anything effective.
Nam was simply a bit too cautious, too patient in his debut. A bigger sense of urgency will do a world of good next time out.
Ariane Carnelossi
Division: Strawweight
Result: Angela Hill def. Ariane Carnelossi via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 3, 1:56
Record: (12-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: A-
It doesn’t take an MMA expert to realize Ariane Carnelossi has some physical gifts. The power she brings to the cage is visibly evident, and when you add in her relentless aggression, it’s clear Carnelossi has some real threats to offer. Unfortunately for Carnelossi, she ran into an opponent in Hill who was executing on a very high level.
That said, two of the three attending judges had the fight even heading into the third round, and it was only stopped due to a doctor deciding a cut Carnelossi suffered from a Hill elbow was bad enough to stop the action.
Hill later said her opponent’s power wasn’t as intimidating as she first assumed, so Carnelossi will want to work on making sure her clinch game is a touch more effective, utilizing her physical gifts. But if she can maintain her aggression moving forward, she might find herself very successful in the division. Truthfully, were it not for a single, perfectly placed strike, Carnelossi might have wound up winning her debut, even with Hill clearly in top form. That bodes well for Carnelossi’s future.
Vanessa Melo
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Result: Irene Aldana def. Vanessa Melo via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
Record: (10-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: D
Vanessa Melo deserves a lot of credit for stepping into a nearly impossible assignment: taking a fight on 10 days’ notice against a proven contender in Irene Aldana, and doing in her opponent’s backyard, which, by the way, sits at elevation.
For that, Melo deserves much respect. Unfortunately, not much else would earned Melo praise.
She missed weight, coming in at 140 pounds. It’s not ideal, but on short notice, it might be understandable, at least. But in the cage, it was clear that she was simply overmatched.
Melo was aggressive, but it was clear why she was the biggest underdog on the card. Her power shots struggled to find the mark, and Aldana did a phenomenal job of sticking and moving and delivering crisp punches along with stunning low kicks, as well.
Melo showed heart, refusing to quit in the face of relentless offense, but she was handed a clearcut decision loss, with one-sided scores of 30-25 across the board.
I’ll pause on writing her off just yet, with her circumstances giving her a little bit of leeway. But it certainly wasn’t a debut she’ll want to remember.
Askar Askarov
Division: Flyweight
Result: Askar Askarov vs. Brandon Moreno declared a split draw (28-28, 29-28, 27-30)
Record: (10-0-1 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC)
Grade: B+
Well, at the very least, Askar Askarov is still an undefeated prospect.
After battling to a hard-fought split draw against a very game Brandon Moreno, Askarov didn’t make quite the splash me might have hoped in his UFC debut. But he did get an opportunity to showcase his incredible grappling abilities, which are going to cause the flyweight division problems.
Whether on top or on his back, Askarov shows tremendous levels of activity and creativity, seamlessly lacing in his legs to offer threats at all times. On the feet, Askarov is still a little wild, and his insistence on the takedown nearly cost him, ducking into a knee on his way in for a shot. To his credit, Askarov recovered quickly and showed great awareness at the end of the second round, patiently waiting through a bad position with time winding down and not exposing himself to any further issues.
Askarov clearly lost the final round, which is always a little bit frustrating to see and causing potential concerns with cardio, but in Mexico City, it’s much more understandable, especially against a talented fighter like Moreno, who never should have left the UFC.
Askarov is going to push opponents to the limit with his grappling and looks ready to compete at the UFC level. However, he’ll need to continue to add to his arsenal if he wants to prove himself as one of the division’s elite.
