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+ 8 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 BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla.
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Mike Davis
Result: Gilbert Burns def. Mike Davis via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:15
Record: (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: C+
Mike Davis jumped right in the deep end in his UFC debut, stepping in on short notice to face a very dangerous Gilbert Burns. Pulling off the upset would have been an incredibly tall order for “Beast Boy,” but when the UFC comes calling, you certainly have to take that chance.
Despite the challenge in facing a world champion grappler, Davis showed a few positives in the opening round. Comfortable on the feet, Davis did display solid striking skills, stunning “Durinho” briefly in the first round. His wrestling defense looked serviceable, as well, shoving aside a few of Burns’ early takedown attempts. He also was able to peel the grappling ace off his back a few times on the floor.
Of course, Burns’ grappling attacks were relentless, and he eventually got his arm under the neck for the submission finish in the second round. Davis already took to social media to thank Burns for “introducing me to the big league” while declaring he would drop back down a division to featherweight for his next fight, and would have the aid of a full camp, as well. That will be worth paying attention to in order to get a true read of Davis’ immediate potential.
Virna Jandiroba
Result: Carla Esparza def. Virna Jandiroba via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Record: (14-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: C
Former Invicta FC straweight champion Virna Jandiroba was confident her grappling game would be too much for former UFC champ Carla Esparza.
It wasn’t.
Esparza showed little regard for Jandiroba’s submission prowess, willingly taking the action to the floor and enjoying the dominant position. In fairness, Esparza didn’t get to attack much from the top spot, but she also never really had to get herself out of trouble.
To her credit, Jandiroba didn’t seem out of her league with Esparza, but she just didn’t ever really have a second gear or a plan B, both of which are necessary to succeed at the highest level. Perhaps the relatively short notice of the fight had an impact on her performance, but Jandiroba didn’t quite seem like the submission machine that had tapped out 11 of her first 14 opponents.
Takashi Sato
Result: Takashi Sato def. Ben Saunders via TKO (punch and elbows) – Round 2, 1:18
Record: (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A+
A well-respected veteran of the Japanese regional scene, Takashi Sato came to the UFC with a reputation as a knockout artist, and he made an immediate impact in his promotional debut. Facing an established veteran in Ben Saunders, Sato was poised from the start, methodically figuring out the best away to attack his rangy, unorthodox foe.
While Saunders had success in the opening round, Sato never appeared to be too rattled, simply making the needed adjustments along the way to refine his approach. Then, in the second frame, Sato made his move, using the right hand to brush aside Saunders’ defense and the flooring him with a left down the middle. When the opportunity came to finish the fight, Sato swarmed with a devastating barrage of elbows that sliced open Saunders and left him wobbly even after the fight was waved off.
Afterward, Sato made an impression on the mic, as well, taking his moment in the spotlight to remember a fallen teammate, while also promising to learn English for future post-fight interviews. With a performance like this one, there should be plenty of those interviews to come.
Thomas Gifford
Result: Roosevelt Roberts def. Thomas Gifford via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Record: (17-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: D-
When the best thing you can say about a fighter’s performance is how tough they proved to be, you know things didn’t exactly go the right way. Such was the case with Thomas Gifford, who was absolutely overwhelmed in a one-sided decision loss to Roosevelt Roberts.
Gifford showed a heck of a chin, surviving several strikes on the feet that seemed destined to end the fight. He also showed a knack for survival on the floor, as well, fighting out of bad positions and doing his best to simply make things awkward in the exchanges, forcing Robert to slow his offense while he maintained position.
In the end, Gifford proved his heart and will are certainly UFC level. However, he’ll need to show more than that in his next outing if he wants to stick around the promotion for more than just a cup of coffee.
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