Article content
It was the UFC’s first trip back to Rogers Place since 2019 and fans in fight-crazy Edmonton got exactly what they wanted — a pair of solid main event scraps and the Canadian contingent coming out on the right side of the ultraviolence.
It wasn’t just a great night of mixed martial arts, it was also the highest-grossing UFC Fight Night in North American history at $2.6 million (US) as Edmonton re-established itself the country’s best fight town and put itself back into the mix for an upcoming pay-per-view event.
Advertisement 2
Article content
In the first of two classic matchups between decorated ex-champions and up and coming challengers, two-time former flyweight king Brandon Moreno showed why he’s regarded as one of the most skilled fighters in the business in solidifying his spot as the No. 2 contender in the flyweight division.
He simply beat up third-ranked Amir Albazi, who came in at 17-1 and on a four-fight win streak. Moreno battered the Iraqi from start to finish en route to a lopsided and seemingly effortless five-round decision.
On the women’s side, third-ranked flyweight contender Erin Blanchfield improved to 13-2 at the expense of another former two-time champion, Rose Namajunas, coming from behind to win a five-round unanimous decision.
Namajunas had a strong first two rounds, controlling the distance, avoiding the takedowns and scoring nicely with her superior boxing skills. But she spent most of the third round and almost all of the fifth on her back trying to fend off Blanchfield’s ground and pound attack.
“I wanted to be patient,” she said. “It was super close but I felt like I really won those last three. I think when I got her down in the third round it took some of her energy away.”
Oil Spills
Article content
Advertisement 3
Article content
CANADIAN CLUBBED
After going 2-6 the last time the UFC came up north (January in Toronto), the Canadians fought back with a vengeance Saturday.
The Canucks won five of seven bouts at UFC Fight Night, lifting the roof off a sold-out and fired up Rogers Place.
It started early and came to a head when St. Catharines flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius, promoted from the prelims after the heavyweight fight between Derrick Lewis and Jhonata Diniz got cancelled, stole the show on the main card against Ariane (Queen of Violence) Da Silva.
Jasudavicius, ranked 14th in the world, came out to the Oilers win song, La Bamba, and lived up to the expectations with a dominant third-round submission win over the 13th ranked Da Silva.
After winning a close first round, Jasudavicius level changed, took Da Silva down and mauled her for all of Round 2. A minute into Round 3, Jasudavicius took her down again and administered more punishment before finally choking her out.
The win earned her a $50,000 performance bonus and will move her up the flyweight rankings.
Asked who she wants next, Jasudavicius said, “Whoever has the smallest number. I want to make my way to that belt.”
Advertisement 4
Article content
KICKING IT
Mike Malott of Burlington put on a kicking display in his unanimous decision win over Houston’s Trevin Giles. Malott was looking to make things right after seeing his three-fight win streak come to an end in his last fight against Brooklyn’s Neil Magny, a fight Malott was winning for most of the way before getting caught.
“I needed to get back on the winning track, get back on that train,” he said.
PICKED APART
In what amounted to a straight-up boxing match, Aiemann Zahabi improved to 12-2 on the strength of a lightning-fast left jab that battered the face of veteran Pedro Munhoz. Munoz had a cut over his right eye and his left one was almost swollen shut as the Laval product picked him apart from distance.
It was a convincing fifth-straight win that he sees as his threshold to getting a number beside his name.
“Hopefully I can fight somebody in the top 15,” he said.
CANADIAN CONTENT
Jamey-Lyn Horth of Squamish got the place rocking up right out of the gate with a split-decision victory over Ivana Petrovic in a back and forth flyweight battle to open the card. She improved to 7-1-0 with the win.
Advertisement 5
Article content
“It’s amazing, I’m so proud to be Canadian,” said Horth, who had 60 or 70 family and friends here from her hometown. “I’m grateful to the UFC to give me an opportunity fight in what I consider my backyard.”
She lost the first round quite decisively but one of the judges still scored it 30-27, which caught most people in the building by surprise.
“Everyone is going to be surprised when they get a 30-27 in a fight that they feel was very close,” she said. “But I put my whole heart and soul into it and in my heart I feel I did enough to win.”
Charles Jourdain kept things rolling, also earning a performance bonus with a second-round guillotine choke over Victor Henry, who had never been finished him in his MMA career.
“I didn’t even know,” said Jourdain, who moved down a division to 135. “I’m the first one to stop Victor Henry so that’s a good way to start my cruise at bantamweight.”
LOSS COLUMN
It wasn’t all cheers and hand-raising for the Canadians, though.
Marc-Andre Barriault got knocked out 4:28 into the first round in a fight that started slowly and got busy in a hurry.
After spending the first few minutes rocked up on the ground they got to their feet and started throwing haymakers and it was Stolzfus who landed the clean right hook on Barriault’s chin to end the fight.
Advertisement 6
Article content
Chad Anheliger of Calgary also came out on the wrong side of things in a grappling battle with American Cody Gibson, losing a unanimous decision.
SPLAT DECISIONS
Serhiy Sidey, originally from Ukraine but now fighting out of Ontario, pulled out a controversial split decision in his bantamweight bout with Garrett Armfield. And by controversial we mean that Armfield got robbed.
On a night when the 30-27 score for Horth already had the MMA world up in arms, this wasn’t a good look for the judges. Even Sidey look shocked when the results came in.
“Personally I thought I lost, I’ll be honest,” he said, adding what goes around comes around. “I was on the wrong end of a split decision last time so it feels good to be on the right side. It is what it is.”
LATE HITS
• Alexandr Romanov of Moldova, the 13th-ranked heavyweight in the UFC, scored a heavyweight decision over Rodrigo Nascimento despite breaking his hand in the first round and taking a hard kick in the groin.
“I broke this hand before but it won’t break me,” he said, adding the groin strike felt exactly like it looked. “I think any man can understand how much it hurts when a 265-pound man kicks you right in the ****.”
• Youssef Zalal of Morocco had no idea about the culture of hockey in Canada, but definitely wanted to get in on the act once he got here.
“I didn’t know it was a religion up here, they lose their minds over it,” he said, adding he had to buy a hockey sweater. “It was $300 and I said ‘I’m not paying that.’ Then I thought. It’s an experience of lifetime. So I got a McDavid, is that his name? I heard he’s supposed to be the best player in the world.”
E-mail: rtychkowski@postmedia.com
Article content