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+ 9 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 Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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Cole Smith
Result: Cole Smith def. Mitch Gagnon via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Record: (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A
The undefeated Cole Smith kicked off the night against returning veteran Mitch Gagnon in an all-Canadian encounter, and looked absolutely unintimidated by the moment. Calm and confident, Smith used his big frame to dominate on the feet and on the floor, looking every bit the prospect he was promised to be in the bantamweight division.
In the third round, a durable Gagnon was able to land a huge left hand that sent Smith wobbling to the canvas. Gagnon then jumped on top and turned to an armbar that seemed destined to end the fight. Despite being clearly woozy, Smith gathered his wits enough to escape the hold and eventually was able to control the action again, nearly securing his own finish before the final bell. In the end, he had to settle for a decision. In doing so, Smith not only showed his skills in multiple aspects of the game, but also displayed his heart along the way and looks like one to watch at 135 pounds.
Kyle Prepolec
Result: Nordine Taleb def. Kyle Prepolec via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 20-27)
Record: (12-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: C
To be clear, Kyle Prepolec had the deck stacked against him from the start, stepping in on just one week’s notice against a massive Nordine Taleb, who was making his 11th UFC appearance. From very shortly after the opening bell, it was obvious it was not going to be Prepolec’s night.
To his credit, Prepolec never backed down, even as Taleb peppered his legs with quick, powerful kicks. He didn’t necessarily have a backup plan in place, but Prepolec did his best to make it a fight and should be commended for his courage. In his next outing, likely against an opponent closer to his experience level and with the benefit of an actual fight camp, Prepolec may have a better opportunity to show his true skill level.
Marc-Andre Barriault
Result: Andrew Sanchez def. Marc-Andre Barriault via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Record: (11-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: B-
Marc-Andre Barriault and Andrew Sanchez were an absolute study in contrasting styles. Barriault’s heavy strikes were nearly enough to finish the fight in the second frame, but he still came up short on the judges’ cards when his wrestling chops were tested by grappling ace Sanchez, who banked the first and third rounds.
While he ultimately lost the fight, Barriault proved that he can be a problem in the middleweight division and didn’t look entirely like a fish out of water as he defended several takedown attempts and submission attacks from Sanchez, who has a habit of making opponents look bad. If he can find himself matched up with a fellow striker in his next outing, Barriault may become a fan favorite.
Sergey Spivak
Result: Walt Harris def. Sergey Spivak via TKO (knees, punches) – Round 1, 0:50
Record: (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: F
Sergey Spivak’s debut was over so quick, our USA TODAY Sports photographer didn’t even get any shots of him in action. True story. While Walt Harris is a big man, he’s not exactly known as the best striker in the heavyweight division, but he needed just 50 seconds to overwhelm Spivak, first on the feet and then on the floor.
Spivak’s only saving grace may be that at some point during fight week, the UFC changed the spelling of his name to Serghei Spivac, so maybe fans will forget this appearance when we follow suit and change his records at MMA Junkie, as well.
For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 9, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
