UFC Vegas 35 Highlights: Giga Chikadze stops Edson Barboza
A truly fantastic striking matchup between Giga Chikadze, and Edson Barbosa helped punctuate a card that also saw a knockout of the year contender from Abdul-Razak Al-Hassan. Check out those highlights and everything else that took place at UFC Vegas 35 after the jump.
Giga Chikadze def. Edson Barboza via TKO (Punches) (Rd. 3 1:44)
Giga Chikadze’s march through the featherweight division continues, as he scored the third round stoppage victory over striking legend Edson Barboza. In a tremendously high level striking battle Chikadze was likely leading on the scorecards heading into the third round, when he scored two knockdowns against Barboza, and after a short grappling exchange where Giga nearly found a D’arce choke, the two fighters returned to their feet where Giga scored the stoppage. A truly excellent fight, that wildly outclassed absolutely everything else on this card. This is truly elite MMA. Chikadze after the fight called to either be the stand in replacement for the title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega, or for a fight against former featherweight champion Max Holloway.
So PUMPED for this one! —@EdsonBarbozaJR vs @Giga_Chikadze
— [ #UFCVegas35 live now on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/NJcwUUlmyt
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Wheww Giga! pic.twitter.com/QQRDJyJh5H
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
GIGA CHIKADZE TKO’S EDSON BARBOZA!! pic.twitter.com/FK75PVe100
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Still UNBEATEN and absolute THREAT! @Giga_Chikadze #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/7iAdKZvzzd
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
The Blessed is…NEXT for @Giga_Chikadze?#UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/sYsI8M8nch
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Bryan Battle def. Gilbert Urbina via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) (Rd. 2 2:15)
Bryan Battle survived an early blitz from late replacement Gilbert Urbina, but surged back to secure the submission victory and earn the title of TUF Season 29 winner. Worth noting that Battle lost his mouthpiece early in the first round, and fought the the majority of the round without his mouth shield in.
Fighting to enter the middleweight division! —
TUF Finalists —- @BryanBattle10 and —- Gilbert Urbina are up NEXT!
[ #UFCVegas35 LIVE on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/ZMCBkdUHeK— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Helluva start for Gilbert Urbina pic.twitter.com/S7Ip28HCPc
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Knee from Urbina sent Battle’s mouthpiece flying out of the octagon pic.twitter.com/xUqJemv0KZ
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Bryan Battle gets the RNC and forces the tap! pic.twitter.com/kD57AMQ97X
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
—- @BryanBattle10 is The Ultimate Fighter! —- pic.twitter.com/wygl5fVW6B
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Ricky Turcio def. Brady Hiestand via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
In a beautiful mess of a fight Ricky Turcio defeated Brady Hiestand to become the Ultimate Fighter Season 29 winner. Hiestand came out looking to control the fight with his wrestling, but Turcio’s relentless scrambling led to him getting the edge in a fight that had an absolutely relentless pace. Great bout
It’s an all #TeamVolkanovski BW TUF finale! Who you got?@RickyHadouken vs @BradyHiestand1
— [ #UFCVegas35 live now on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/WujyvVV0aw
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Cracked ’em pic.twitter.com/Kv3E47yBZ9
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Ricky Turcios drops Hiestand pic.twitter.com/v6WhHm5imu
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
WHAT A FIGHT!! pic.twitter.com/VaaIbjyf7r
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Congratulations to #ReturnOfTUF season winner @RickyHadouken!
— [ #UFCVegas35 live now on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/ktHCokwjKv
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Daniel Rodriguez def. Kevin Lee via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
After surviving being taken down and losing round one, Daniel Rodriguez utilized an effective standup game, and managed to avoid the takedowns for the rest of the fight to earn the victory over Kevin Lee. While Rodriguez looked good filling in on two weeks notice, Kevin Lee looked quite poor, and he gassed in the third. A bad sign for a fighter who once seemed like he had such promise.
A welterweight clash you don’t want to miss —
—- @MotownPhenom vs —- Daniel Rodriguez starts NOW!
[ Watch #UFCVegas35 LIVE on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/gjr6NDWuRE— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Head kick by Kevin Lee pic.twitter.com/p6C6H939Dd
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Daniel Rodriguez cracked Kevin Lee and had him hurt at the end of round 2! pic.twitter.com/v1T6U8YGqy
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
A UD win on 2️⃣ weeks notice! #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/XildwsulSh
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Andre Petroski def. Michael Gilmore via TKO (Ground and Pound) (Rd. 3 3:12)
In yet another middleweight fight, TUF alumni battled and Andre Petroski emerged victorious over Michael Gilmore. Petroski clearly won the first round which was punctuated with a couple loud takedowns, while the second round was much more of a toss-up, in the third Petroski came out fast and took Gilmore down again, and found the finish via ground and pound.
Middleweight newcomers looking to impress in their UFC debut!@PetroskiAndre vs @GentlemanMMA
— [ #UFCVegas35 live now on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/T6SAcDUdFJ
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Petroski ——– pic.twitter.com/tBRVwrx5xX
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Some big shots landed by Petroski & Gillmore pic.twitter.com/8JcekJ9yuf
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Andre Petroski TKO’s Micheal Gillmore with G&P! pic.twitter.com/0xAcDJGlmT
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
“Somebody better call @JeffBezos because the next dude that steps in this octagon with me I’m sending them to orbit” -Andre Petroski pic.twitter.com/pPrKi6aSJA
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Winner via TKO! @PetroskiAndre w/ an impressive showing in his UFC debut!
— [ #UFCVegas35 live now on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/cECS4Of32x
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Gerald Meerschaert def. Makhmud Muradov via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) (Rd. 2 1:49)
Gerald Meerschaert was rocked early in round one, and on the ropes after Makhmud Muradov landed some heavy strikes. However, Meerschaert was able to survive, partially aided by two long breaks from fouls he committed, but it was enough to clear his head, and take over the fight in the second round, and secure the rear-naked choke finish. A very good performance by Meerschaert who’s mixture of toughness and elite grappling make him an ideal gatekeeper in the middleweight division
Kicking off the main card action!
—-@MakhmudMuradov vs —- @The_Real_GM3 is LIVE!
— [ Tune in to #UFCVegas35 on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/WDuoSrA5Yn
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
WHEWW pic.twitter.com/9gZ1XNcZ5A
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
——– pic.twitter.com/upps5Lh0eu
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Gerald Meerschaert with the RNC!!! pic.twitter.com/BHyLQL06Bl
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
WHAT A PERFORMANCE! —@The_Real_GM3 secured the choke and his 8️⃣th UFC finish! pic.twitter.com/ebFj2aFfML
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Abdul-Razak Al-Hassan def Alessio Di Chirico via KO (Headkick) (Rd. 1 0:17)
Abdul-Razak Al-Hassan absolutely murdered Alessio Di Chirico with a head kick. It was the first strike he threw in the fight, and Di Chirico dipped into it. This is a knockout of the year contender.
Middleweight prospects set to close out the #UFCVegas35 prelims! @ManzoDiChirico vs @JudoRazak
— [ #UFCVegas35 prelims LIVE now on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Q9U4PhskSz
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
OH MY GOODNESS! #UFCVegas35 live on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/1dwTFzTfwV
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
HOLY SHIT!!!! https://t.co/uSsE1cFeam pic.twitter.com/P2tYt6X8hO
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
MY GOODNESS! @JudoRazak becomes just the 7th fighter in UFC history to earn three or more knockouts in under a minute each —
[ #UFCVegas35 live on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/rKN58vTyE5— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Wellington Turman def. Sam Alvey via Split Decision (28-27, 28-27, 27-28)
In a boring grinding fight, Wellington Turman almost threw away an easy victory by getting two point deductions in the final minutes of the fight, but still had done enough to secure the split decision over Sam Alvey. Alvey was very upset after the fight, but he definitely didn’t do enough to earn the decision, even tho his opponent had two points taken away.
Entering the Octagon with something to PROVE!
— @SmileNSam vs —- @TurmanMMA starts NOW!
[ #UFCVegas35 LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/4gdJYjONU9— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
An all-out effort to close RD 1️⃣! #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/xhPSCes6wI
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Leaving it all out there! What an ending!! — #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/jdYGZUZGmH
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Win by SD for —-@TurmanMMA!
What did your scorecards look like? — #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/hLEkr8TiXw
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Dustin Jacoby def. Darren Stewart via TKO (Punches) (Rd. 1 3:04)
In a banger light heavyweight matchup Dustin Jacoby dispatched Darren Stewart in an action kickboxing match. Jacoby was able to display his skills as a former Glory kickboxer and was able to rock Stewart and get the finish. Stewart showed impressive toughness refusing to go down, but eventually the stoppage was called by Jason Herzog.
A pair of hard-hitting LHWs take center stage next!@TheHanyakDJ vs @Darren_MMA
— [ #UFCVegas35 prelims LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/owj3nLQUbE
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Dustin Jacoby TKOs Darren Stewart!! pic.twitter.com/rwUFvQ29yN
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
Winner via TKO! @TheHanyakDJ is back in the win column!
[ #UFCVegas35 prelims live on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/EaAa676MCa— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
JJ Aldrich def. Vanessa Demopoulos via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
In a very uncompetitive bout, JJ Aldrich professionally dispatched Vanessa Demopoulos in fairly routine fashion. Demopoulos was making her UFC debut up a division at flyweight, and Aldrich easily controlled the fight regardless of where it was taking place.
#UFCVegas35 action continues with a flyweight bout!
—- @JJAldrich1 and — @Monster_Demo go head-to-head!
[ #UFCVegas35 LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/VOb2WxGCKW— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Wheww Aldrich! pic.twitter.com/xTPPdKqRjN
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 29, 2021
A dominant performance by @JJAldrich1 after 3️⃣ hard-fought rounds! — #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/x26HEZVgVw
— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Pat Sabatini def. Jamall Emmers via Submission (Heel Hook) (Rd. 1 1:54)
In a whirlwind fight, Pat Sabatini emerged victorious over Jamall Emmers via grusome heel hook submission. Emmers knocked down Sabatini early, and wound up in mount dealing damage. However the position was quickly reversed into dueling leg locks, and unfortunately that resulted in Emmers almost certainly tearing his knee ligaments at the hands of Sabatini’s lethal heel hook. Wishing Emmers a quick recovery.
Featherweight prospects set to square-off up next! @PrettyBoyEmmers vs @PatSabatini145
— [ #UFCVegas35 prelims LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/neNvMHMLOn
— UFC (@ufc) August 28, 2021
— Heavy shot followed by the full mount —#UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/mFFhHZyOak
— UFC (@ufc) August 28, 2021
Forced the tap! @PatSabatini145 w/ the impressive submission finish! #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/4oIUoWST8L
— UFC (@ufc) August 28, 2021
Holy shit!! NASTY heel hook by Pat Sabatini! pic.twitter.com/5pk7ne66Yj
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 28, 2021
Winner via heel-hook! Make that 2 straight for @PatSabatini145!
[ #UFCVegas35 live now on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/gP64T12UEb— UFC (@ufc) August 29, 2021
Mana Martinez def. Guido Cannetti via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
In the wake of losing his coach in the lead up, Mana Martinez put on an excellent performance in earning his first UFC win by defeating Guido Cannetti. Cannetti came out strong in the first forcing Martinez back to the cage, and dealing damage with a heavy dose of leg kicks. After that however, he seemed to take his foot off the pedal and Martinez pressured him, consistently out struck him, and even punctuated the fight with a couple takedowns. He broke down in his post-fight interview talking about his coach, and it was good to see him be able to do him proud.
Starting #UFCVegas35 with a BANG —
—- @ManaBoi7 vs —- @NinjaCannetti starts NOW!
— [ #UFCVegas35 prelims LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/lN7Hl9RlEa
— UFC (@ufc) August 28, 2021
WHEWWW pic.twitter.com/FXQko3Pg0G
— (@FTBVids_YT) August 28, 2021
Shots are flying and shots are landing! — #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/DTklJJEtyc
— UFC (@ufc) August 28, 2021
A meaningful win for @ManaBoi7 — #UFCVegas35 pic.twitter.com/o5SVR4Yfha
— UFC (@ufc) August 28, 2021
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