UFC Vegas 61 took place at the Apex with zero access to the public. Despite Dana White adamantly denying the rumors of Mark Zuckerberg renting the Vegas arena for the night, it appears as if he did. Zuckerberg could be seen all night, alongside his wife as they sat right next to Dana White, enjoying the cageside seats. The night started off with violent finishes and tons of actions. As the card went on, things began to simmer as the fights went longer.
Mark Zuckerberg’s wife = ?pic.twitter.com/txpeZ1PnZV
— MMA mania (@mmamania) October 2, 2022
Here is the UFC Vegas 61 recap, as well as some interesting bouts that could be made from here.
Mackenzie Dern vs. Yan Xiaonan
Mackenzie Dern looked dangerous as she always does on the mat, but her lack of well-roundedness limited the amount of time she could spend there. Without the ability to land consistent takedowns, Dern was forced to fight a tough fight against a skilled striker in Xiaonan. Yan won a hard-fought battle, keeping things on the feet for long enough and fighting her way out of some dangerous situations on the ground.
With Jessica Andrade looking for a fight, and Rose Namanjunas looking to get back into the mix, Yan Xiaonan has options with both of those opponents. As for Dern, it’s a little disappointing to see her struggle to round out her game. Either way, there are plenty of ranked challengers for her to face, sitting below her in the rankings.
Randy Brown vs. Francisco Trinaldo
After winning the first two rounds of the contest, Randy Brown held on to win at UFC Vegas 61. He utilized his massive height and reach advantage on the feet, keeping Trinaldo at a safe distance for most of the fight. Trinaldo was able to take Brown down and win the last round, but ultimately it wasn’t enough for the 44 year old vet to leave Vegas a win.
This fight honestly does not do too much for either fighter, as both stay mired in the center of the welterweight rankings. Either of these fighters could go on to fight the winner or loser of the Max Griffin–Tim Means fight. Either fighter could fight a guy like Gunnar Nelson or Jake Matthews and I’d be fine as well. A decent showcase from both fighters, keeping them active as UFC welterweight gatekeepers.
Raoni Barcelos vs. Trevin Jones
Raoni Barcelos got back on track, winning his first fight since 2020 and bouncing back from a two-fight losing skid. He was able to do whatever he wanted to Jones all night, no matter where the fight took place. He beat him down on the ground and he outboxed him on the feet, winning every second of the fight.
Of all the other borderline top 15 opponents Barcelos could face, I want to see him fight Jack Shore. Shore may not have the physical gifts that Barcelos possesses, but he’s schooled enough in all areas to test Barcelos wherever the fight takes place. Both fighters are on the outside of the rankings looking in, and would provide each other with a great test.
Sodiq Yusuff vs. Don Shainis
Sodiq Yusuff showed zero mercy to the newcomer on UFC Vegas 61, submitting Shainis in 30 seconds. After a series of knees to the body from the clinch, Yusuff snatched Shainis’ neck with a guillotine choke; the first submission win in Yusuff’s career. Although it was not a hard night for him, it was a good fight for Sodiq to stay busy and remind people how dangerous he can be.
I would not mind it if the UFC attempted to re-schedule Sodiq Yusuff and Giga Chikadze in the near future. Sodiq packs a powerful punch. Giga kicks like a mule. It would be a great test for both fighters at the current stage of their careers. Yusuff also called out Korean Zombie after the fight, but I think Zombie could use a long break after the beating he took in April. Yusuff-Chikaze is the more intriguing bout.
Mike Davis vs. Viacheslav Borschchev
After a 600+ day layoff, Mike Davis returns to pick up a hard-fought decision victory. Despite struggling on the feet against a tricky kickboxer in Borschchev, Davis relied on his grappling advantage to pick up the win. He consistently passed Borschchev’s guard and pummeled him. Outside of some hard shots on the feet and an elbow on the ground that cut him open, Davis stayed in control of the bout.
Considering how long it’s been since his last fight, Davis looked fine. He fought a great gameplan, relying on an obvious advantage and taking the decision. A future bout John Makdessi would be interesting as a crossroads bout. As for another up and comer, Ignacio Bahamondes would put Davis to the test with his dynamic skills on the feet.
John Castaneda vs. Daniel Santos
Daniel Santos put his heart and his conditioning on display, finishing Castaneda in the second round. Despite getting rocked with a head kick and hurt multiple times with punches in the first round, Santos continued to push the pace and keep working. He had to endure a beating early, but eventually broke Castaneda in the second. After a flurry of vicious body punches and knees, Santos got the finish.
After beating a young contender like Castaneda in Vegas, Santos will carry some hype in his next bout. I would love to see him against action fighters like Davey Grant or Raulian Paiva in his next bout. His ability to march forward and push the pace consistently, makes him a tough out for future opponents.
Krzysztof Jotko vs. Brendan Allen
Brendan Allen went out and made a statement in Vegas against an established veteran in Jotko, submitting him in the first round. Allen reversed position after getting taken down early, not looking back from there. He sliced through Jotko’s guard, took his back, and choked him out with relative ease. A massive performance by Allen against a borderline Top 15 contender.
After the fight, Brendan Allen made a couple of great callouts, looking to fight either Andre Muniz or Anthony Hernandez. Out of those two opponents, Muniz strikes me as more interesting due to the threat he imposes on the ground. As for Jotko, there are a long list of 185ers he could fight sitting right around the borders of the top 15. Whether it be the winner of Chris Curtis–Joaquin Buckley, or Gregory Rodrigues after he fights Brad Tavares, Jotko has a lot of options for a rebound fight.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read through this fight card recap. For more sports-related content, head over to Belly Up Sports. We have articles, op-eds, and podcasts available on our website. Want to continue this discussion? You can find me on Twitter @RevKoka.
