Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For three athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 18 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 Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Jack Shore
Division: Bantamweight
Result: Jack Shore def. Nohelin Hernandez via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:51
Record: (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A+
If you’ve followed the European scene at all in recent years, Jack Shore was unquestionably on your radar, and his debut win should have come at absolutely no surprise. The undefeated Welshman has long been considered a blue chip prospect, and he lived up to the hype on Saturday, throughly dominating all aspects of the game against Nohelin Hernandez before getting a third-round submission win.
Shore expressed some frustration that he couldn’t secure a first-round finish, but in many ways, this result was even better, giving him valuable octagon time but also putting his opponent away in the end.
The UFC’s bantamweight division truly is just getting better and better, but Shore, at just 24 years old, looks like he’s ready to make a real impact in the weight class.
Giga Chikadze
Division: Featherweight
Result (eventually): Giga Chikadze def. Brandon Davis via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Record: (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: B-
Giga Chikadze is a dangerous striker, and the kickboxing had a chance to show that he could fire off powerful blows on the ground, as well, in his decision win over Brandon Davis.
That was the good.
The bad is that while Chikadze’s defensive wrestling is improving, it still leaves a bit to be desired, especially if he were to be matched up with the an elite-level takedown artist. Yes, he has the ability to scramble and recover, but he needs to find a way to eliminate the takedown altogether.
Additionally, while his jab was razor sharp and his punches effective, overall, he doesn’t seem to have the type of one-punch finishing power you might like to see from a striking specialist.
Chikadze’s fight was initially announced as a draw, which seemed somewhat unfathomable given a fairly impressive performance, but the scores were later corrected to award him the win. He deserves the result, but his continued success will be greatly impacted by the type of matchups he’s given.
Mark Madsen
Division: Lightweight
Result: Mark Madsen def. Danilo Belluardo def. TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:12
Record: (9-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A+
Without knowing much about Mark Madsen and his combative sports background, he would seem to have some sort of grappling background.
I kid, I kid.
What Madsen did on Saturday was very impressive, making his UFC debut on native soil and in the co-main event of the first UFC event in his home nation. The Olympic medalist didn’t show an ounce of nerves, and he absolutely tore through Danilo Belluardo, needing just 72 seconds to pick up a debut win.
Madsen’s international wrestling accolades stand as testament not only to his abilities in the ground game but also to the type of work ethic and commitment to excellence that he possesses. At 35 years old, time isn’t exactly on his side, but he’s also keeping a quick pace, picking up seven wins in the past 21 months.
Madsen’s debut didn’t allow him to show much of his game, but his aggression and finishing instinct did impress. How far Madsen can progress in an incredibly deep lightweight division remains to be seen, but for his first appearance, he got to create memories that will certainly last a lifetime.
