The motion at UFC Vegas 110 noticed a number of finishes, a contact of controversy, and an announcement efficiency from its fundamental occasion star.
UFC Vegas 110 Energy Rankings
RDX Sports‘ Editor-in-Chief and veteran MMA author Simon Head casts his eye over the principle card winners, and presents his Energy Rankings for UFC Vegas 110.
1. Steve Garcia
Whenever you’re handed your first UFC fundamental occasion alternative, you understand you’ve been given the proper likelihood to strap a rocket ship to your profession. Steve Garcia understood the task and delivered an excellent efficiency to finish the previously impressive David Onama.
Garcia’s managed strain, sharp placing and refusal to provide Onama a second’s relaxation all got here collectively in a efficiency that confirmed that he’s an actual menace to the division’s larger names at 145 kilos.
Garcia entered the weekend at twelfth within the official UFC featherweight rankings, one spot above Onama, so it’s unlikely his win will catapult him up that listing. Nonetheless, it ought to safe him a matchup in opposition to top-10 opposition subsequent day out.
His callout of Max Holloway for a BMF title combat was optimistic, however confirmed the form of stage he feels he ought to be working at. After the way in which he handled Onama on Saturday night time, a step up at school is a should for “Imply Machine.”
2. Waldo Cortes Acosta
Waldo Cortes Acosta went on a rollercoaster trip within the co-main occasion that noticed him take an eye-poke, appear like he’d been completed with strikes, then come back to knock out one of the most hyped rising contenders within the heavyweight division.
Let’s be trustworthy, issues weren’t going Cortes Acosta’s means early. He seemed hesitant to strike, and Delija appeared very relaxed and assured as he strode ahead trying to land strikes.
However, after the Croatian contender backed Cortes Acosta up in opposition to the fence and unloaded a vicious salvo of punches, it seemed just like the combat was throughout. However referee Mark Smith’s intervention wasn’t to wave off the combat. It was to deal with a suspected eye-poke by Delija. Positive sufficient, the ref acquired it proper, and after replays confirmed the unintended poke, Cortes Acosta was given time to get better.
Extremely, a combat that seemed prefer it was over was then restarted, and Cortes Acosta promptly dropped Delija, then completed him with floor strikes to cap a jaw-dropping comeback win as he confirmed that, in heavyweight MMA, one clear shot in these small MMA gloves may be all it takes to show a combat on its head.
It meant Cortes Acosta efficiently defended his number-six rating spot from a person listed three locations beneath him. However extra importantly, it put him again within the body to combat top-five opposition subsequent day out.
It was a painful night time for “Salsa Boy”, however he ended up getting the win his profession wanted.
3. Allan Nascimento
The primary combat on the principle card produced probably the most spectacular wins, as Brazilian flyweight Allan Nascimento took all of the strain Cody Durden might throw at him, then turned the tables to brilliantly submit him with an anaconda choke within the second spherical.
Nascimento is a wizard on the mat, with 16 of his 22 profession wins coming through submission. Whenever you’re dealing with somebody of that ability stage you’ll be able to’t afford to provide him a gap. Finally, Nascimento discovered one, and took full benefit to halt what was initially a formidable exhibiting from Durden, and switch it into an eye-catching win of his own.
I’d anticipate to see him within the Octagon with ranked opposition sooner reasonably than later. And if he can hold these submission abilities sharp, he’ll be a handful for anybody he faces in that 125-pound division.
4. Jeremiah Wells
Former CFFC welterweight champ Jeremiah Wells couldn’t afford to lose on Saturday night time. The 39-year-old from Philadelphia hadn’t fought since February 2024, and hadn’t gained since April 2023. Heading into Saturday nights return combat on a two-fight skid, his again was up in opposition to the wall.
Fortunately for Wells, he produced a superb efficiency to outwork Themba Gorimbo en route to a unanimous decision victory. His win was made all of the extra notable as he did so after unanimously dropping the primary spherical.
After dropping the opening body to Gorimbo, Wells couldn’t make any errors, and he did what he wanted to do to say Rounds 2 and three to seal a much-needed choice win.
5. Charles Radtke
“Chuck Buffalo” is at all times must-see TV when he pulls on the four-ounce gloves, and the heavy-handed former CFFC welterweight champion confirmed off his submission abilities to finish Daniel Frunza with just 29 seconds left on the clock of their 170-pound matchup.
Radtke’s willingness to get within the cage and throw down with anybody has led to him dropping to the likes of Carlos Prates and Mike Malott, however his victory over Frunza sealed his fourth UFC victory to take his file to 11-5, and 4-2 underneath the UFC banner.
Radtke’s efficiency confirmed that he’s as harmful on the mat as he’s within the stand-up, and together with his tendency to get itchy knuckles fairly shortly after fights, it might come as no shock to see him again in motion sooner reasonably than later.
And when he’s, we’ll be tuning in.
6. Yadier del Valle
Taken at face worth, del Valle’s first-round submission victory over Isaac Dulgarian was actually a formidable one, particularly given Dulgarian’s standing because the betting favourite heading into the bout.
However because the matchup, query marks have been raised after it emerged that sportsbooks had suspended prop bets from their market lists after the chances unexpectedly moved previous to the bout. Some oddsmakers even refunded bets.
Then, final night time, it was reported that Dulgarian had been launched by the UFC.
All of it casts a shadow over what ought to have been hailed as an excellent win by del Valle, who went on the market and did his job. Nevertheless it seems to be just like the story about Dulgarian’s performance, and the betting line moves previous to the matchup, hasn’t fairly run its course simply but.
Simon Head is Editor-in-Chief with famend fight sports activities tools firm RDX Sports.
