UFC 172 has come and gone. In its wake it leaves submissions, knockouts, back and forth brawls, and dominant performances by top level fighters. A fight card that, on paper, was not expected to blow anyone away, turned out to be well worth the price of admission. With Jon Jones defending his title for a seventh consecutive time, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson making a dramatic return the octagon, and Luke Rockhold dismantling Tim Boetsch in less than 3 minutes, the UFC scored a knockout of it’s own. But this card wasn’t just about the top talent. This was a card that featured some of UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva’s, finest work from start to finish. With the top of the card being so spectacular it can be easy to miss some of the exciting moments that this card provided. Let’s take a look at my top 3 hidden gems for the night.
Let’s start with the start. The first fight of the night featured two UFC newcomers in Chris Beal and Patrick Williams. Relative unknowns, these fighters came to show the UFC why they deserved the opportunity to be there. This fight was full of fast-paced action from the start. The classic UFC “jitters” seemed to be a non-factor for either fighter as they exchanged shots in and out of the clinch, immediately. Williams used strikes to try and set up takedowns, and unorthodox movement to try and work inside for strikes against Beal. Williams’ wild style was something that I can only described as berserk. Throughout the first round Williams seemed to be the busier fighter but it was Beal who landed more crisp, clean strikes. After a first round that saw no lulls in action the second round started with the same feverish pace. Not wanting to be outdone by the wild punches and movement of Williams, Beal took control. Beal’s head movement and jab were effective and seemed to frustrate Williams. As the two minute mark of the round was approaching, Beal backed Williams into the cage and in one swift motion delivered a picture perfect flying knee that sent Williams falling to the canvas, out cold. While the ending of this fight was dramatic it is likely that the first round alone was enough to secure both fighters a return trip to the octagon. This opener set a tone for the fights following and no two fighters picked up on this cue like Takanori Gomi and Isaac Vallie-Flagg.
In a return bout for Gomi, who had not fought in over a year, the match-up with Vallie-Flagg was one that would, in the end, earn each fighter a $50,000.00 fight night bonus and the praise of UFC president, Dana White. Both of these fighters have been known to participate in fights that many would call wars. Vallie-Flagg’s three most recent wins were all fights that went back and forth and ended in split decision victories. Gomi on the other hand, has a reputation as a finisher. His time in the UFC has seen him earn multiple fight night bonuses in action packed bouts against some of the best the UFC has to offer. This fight saw Gomi start slow and finish strong. Vallie-Flagg tested the cardio of Gomi throughout the fight, landing shots in the first round that seemed to wobble Gomi just a bit. But as the fight went on, Gomi used his jab to make a swollen mess out of Vallie-Flagg’s right eye. Gomi seemed as if he was getting stronger with each passing minute and used the added strength to outduel Vallie-Flagg on his way to a decision victory. Initially it seemed that Gomi’s cardio was not up to par, but he kept his feet moving and his punches coming for the entirety of the bout. This fight showed true resolve on the part of both men, as at times it seemed that either man might finish the fight. This matchup was well deserving of Fight of The Night and hopefully both fighters can make a quick return to the cage to steal the show once more.
The last fight I’d like to discuss features two of the hottest young talents in the UFC, Max Holloway and Andre Fili. Holloway, just 22 years old, already has eight fights inside the octagon and has showed great improvement since his debut with the promotion back in early 2012. Fili, just 23 years old, is still a relative new comer to the promotion with a record of just 1-1. Regardless of having only 2 UFC fights under his belt, Fili has dazzled on the independent circuit and turned heads in both of his UFC fights. In the fight with Holloway, Fili showed a great arsenal of combinations, both with his hands and his feet. Holloway was much more slowly paced and he looked to be trying to figure out Fili’s timing. Fili pushed the pace early in the match up and decisively won the first round. However, round two was just the opposite. It seemed that much like in the Chris Beal versus Patrick Williams fight discussed earlier, Holloway found his rhythm and took control. Fili was quick to change game plans and look for takedowns and showed some good wrestling, but Holloway was displaying excellent takedown defense. As round two ended it appeared that we had an even fight on our hands. In the third and final round, Holloway and Fili went back at it throwing hard back and forth shots until Holloway had Fili in a bad position. Landing a series of heavy blows, Holloway and Fili took to the mat where Holloway applied a powerful guillotine that finished the fight. Not only was this fight exciting it was the first match up of what could go on to be a trilogy between the two young fighters. As young as each of these fighters is it will be exciting to see where they go from here. Holloway and Fili are the future of the featherweight division, and with performances like the one they put on Saturday, it’s hard to not get excited for what lies ahead.
UFC 172 was a phenomenal fight card, but with so many great fights it’s easy to forget about the fights that don’t have the marquee matchups a lot of people are looking for. So remember, the next time you are watching a pay per view keep your eyes peeled for hot young talent and veterans that come to deliver. You never know when you’ll find a hidden gem to share with your friends.
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