1. Gilbert Burns: For the first time since July 20, 2016, nearly four years, Tyron Woodley is more than one spot away from the UFC Welterweight championship. After losing the title to Kamaru Usman last March, and then getting thoroughly outclassed in the main of UFC’s debuting APEX show by Burns, Woodley relinquished his #1 contender spot, and almost four years later, is no longer within one grasp of the title again. Now it’s Burns who might be in line for a title shot.
2. Craig Jones: It took overtime, but Jones is still the kingpin of Submission Underground, with a submission over Vagner Rocha in the main event of Submission Underground 14.
3. Gesias Cavalcante: Credit to Titan Fighting Championship for changing on a dime with the times and turning their card into a part-grappling/part-MMA event, with JZ earning a grappling decision win in the main event over Raush Manfio.
4. Augusto Sakai: Overcame an absolutely bonkers 30-27 Ivanov scorecard to claim a split-decision win over Blagoi in the co-main of the UFC’s Saturday ESPN card.
5. Roosevelt Roberts: Any time you can submit a dog-kicker and take 20% of his purse that’s a goddamned good day.
6. Billy Quarantillo: He and Spike Caryle put on a helluva show on the main card on ESPN’s Saturday offering with Billy Q coming out a little bruised, a little battered, but a victor.
7. Katlyn Chookagian: In the featured prelim on ESPN, the Blonde Fighter bounced back from a title loss to Valentina Shevchenko by beating the living hell out of her sister, Antonina, in one of the most dominant bouts I’ve seen, earning three 30-25s.
8. Gabriel Checco: In the co-main of Submission Underground 14, Checco earned a tapout of Austin Vanderford of Bellator.
9. Rami Hamed: Defeated Frank Carillo by UD in the co-main of Titan FC 60.
10. Mackenzie Dern: Dern made history over the weekend, notching the first-ever leg submission in UFC women’s history. It’s a fact that sounded so odd as it was being read, but it makes sense, as few high-level female BJJ athletes have made the full-time transition to the UFC. Mackenzie Dern is one of the best of all-time, so it makes more sense. Still, history!
11. Brent Primus: Nice feather in the cap of the former Bellator lightweight champion with a submission of Jake Shields at Submission Underground 14.
12. Brandon Royval: Put on the fight of the night with Tim Elliott, having a bonkers grappling match at UFC on ESPN, earning a win and an extra 50K.
13. Dany Gonzalez: Pulled off the biggest upset of the weekend, as a +240 underdog, defeated Sal Guerrero at Titan 60.
14. Chris Gutierrez: Earned the ever-rare and much-acclaimed leg kick TKO victory after kicking off (….) Saturday’s UFC card on ESPN, felling Vince Morales.
15. Casey Kenney: Three minutes and three seconds into the first and a guillotine later, and Kenney walked away with a victory over Louis Smolka.
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