UFC Fight Night once again headed to the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada as Marvin Vettori and the record-breaking Jarod Cannonier faced off in the main event.
The biggest favourite on the card this weekend was the grappling-heavy Arman Tsarukyan- as he made up the co-main event in a clash with the veteran Joaquim Silva.
Armen Petrosyan also faced off against the undefeated former Cage Warriors champ Christain Leroy Duncan in one of the featured bouts.
Granite chin from Vettori as Cannonier breaks record
The main talking point going into this fight was which robust chin would break first. Both Marvin Vettori and Jarod Cannonier have prided themselves on their remarkable resilience inside the Octagon and it came as no surprise to anyone to see this go the distance.
Cannonier went on to break records on the night but could not break the jaw or heart of Vettori who somehow did not get knocked down following an onslaught from his opponent.
Cannonier broke the record for most significant strikes landed in a middleweight bout- smashing the previous record of 186 and placing him 4th in the rankings across all weight classes.
It was a historic accolade for Cannonier, and it stunningly epitomised the grit of Vettori. Ten years separate both fighters and the experience of Cannonier certainly proved decisive as Vettori’s claim to middleweight title contention continues to decline following two other marquee matchup defeats to Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker in the last two years- two fighters who have also handed Cannonier defeats in recent time.
Much speculation still surrounds the legitimacy of both men as title contenders, but Cannonier’s record-breaking performance and the fact that Vettori kept this bout competitive despite receiving an avalanche of strikes from one of the hardest-hitting middleweights reminded everyone of their worth to the UFC.
Current champion Adesanya is rumoured to be defending his crown in Australia in September and Cannonier has said he would happily serve as the back-up fighter for such a bout. At the age of 39, this could be his last opportunity to strike gold.
Vettori at 29 must start winning these elite matchups if he is to come into Dana White’s consideration for a title bout. With years still on his side, Vettori still has a long way to go.
Arman Tsarukyan backs the hype
A stunning win for Tsarukyan matched the hype and expectation that has been pinned on this fighter since he made his UFC debut against Islam Makhachev in 2019.
Since then, Tsarukyan has won seven of his last eight fights and at the age of 26 is quickly emerging as one of the hottest properties in the organisation.
He has built his MMA career off the back of his exceptional ground game but what Tsarukyan has shown in recent years is a credible kickboxing repertoire too.
Following a nasty shot from Silva in the second round, he also showcased his chin- recovering and utilising his superior grappling to toy with Silva and execute him via ground and pound in the third round.
Some are saying this kid has it all and with further experience and the process of time, he could develop into an absolute wrecking ball for the highly stacked lightweight division.
With the BMF belt on the line later this summer, Charles Oliviera’s quick resurgence and Chandler and McGregor still to come- Tsarukyan may be a lesser talking point throughout the next couple of months but his steady rise through the rankings may soon reach its pinnacle.
A rematch with Mateusz Gamrot or an overzealous bout with Beneil Dariush would certainly test how far the youngster has come.
Petrosyan can beat anyone, so he says
Another Armen who is doing the business inside the Octagon, Armen Petrosyan’s unanimous decision victory over Christian Leroy Duncan has led to him demanding a fight with a ranked fighter next time around as he looks to continue his hike up the middleweight mountain.
Petrosyan and Duncan are both regarded as gifted strikers and for most of the bout, we saw that stylistic matchup play out. Despite initially looking even in the stand-up, Petrosyan eventually peeled away through his ability to chain his combinations- landing 89 significant strikes compared to Duncan’s 59 whilst also defending all three of his opponent’s takedown attempts and landing one of his own.
“Dana White I’m ready for the top 15 fighters, give them to me”, Petrosyan told Paul Felder following his victory.
With the demand for middleweight relevance at an all-time high, Petrosyan may need to bide his time, but victory over a ranked fighter next time around would prove to be a huge stepping stone towards an official ranking for the Armenian powerhouse.
