For those that are new here, welcome. There is nothing official about these honors, but rather it’s just a great way to shine some light on the standout efforts from the previous month, and while plenty of the recipients end up on year-end lists, some are just personal selections that really resonated with me.
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The selections were fairly straightforward this month, but they were still outstanding and fun to discuss.
Breakout Performance: Lone’er Kavanagh (UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Kavanagh)
What a performance!
Filling in on short notice, Kavanagh ventured to Mexico City, got ahead on the scorecards early, and closed out the final event of February by defeating two-time former champion Brandon Moreno by unanimous decision, earning scores of 49-46 once and 48-47 twice to collect the biggest win of his young career. He looked crisp from the start, bashing Moreno’s lead leg and hurting him with hands in the second before doing a great job of stuffing takedowns, regularly landing the more impactful blows, and staying in the moment the whole way through.
What makes this such an incredible breakout performance and overall win for Kavanagh extends beyond the fact that he beat a former champion in his own backyard on short notice. It’s also that this was his first fight back after getting knocked out last summer, which was the first loss of his career. To have this performance after that result and do it on short notice speaks volumes about the work the 26-year-old and the coaches at GB Top Team have been putting in getting ready for this return and they all deserve heaps of praise for what they executed in Mexico City.
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The flyweight division has been bustling for the last year, and now, you have to add Kavanagh into the mix as another young contender in the thick of the chase. No matter what comes next, the Dana White’s Contender Series grad announced his presence in a major way and should continue to be heard from for the foreseeable future.
Honorable Mentions: Kyoji Horiguchi, Joselyne Edwards, Jacobe Smith, Melquizael Costa, Uros Medic, Damian Pinas, Imanol Rodriguez
Submission of the Month: Jakub Wiklacz completes a Hail Mary (UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira)
Muin Gafurov had one job: avoid the guillotine.
Up two rounds on the scorecards and a minute away from getting his hand raised in the center of the Octagon, the Tajik bantamweight left a little bit too much of his neck exposed and Wiklacz threw up the Hail Mary, jumping gilly and hoping he could squeeze out a tap. Though the choke was deep, it looked like he would simply run out of time, but then, right before the horn, Gafurov tapped.
The officials checked the replay just to be safe, but it was clear: he tapped before the horn sounded, giving Wiklacz a second straight UFC win and Gafurov the heartbreak of knowing that if he had just held on for two more seconds, he’d have won the fight.
UFC MEXICO REWIND: Main Card Results | Prelim Results | Scorecards | Bonus Winners
As much as this is always going to be remembered for Gafurov’s gaffe and him tapping just before the horn, let’s make sure to shout out Wiklacz, who stayed present, remained aware of what he needed to do in order to get the win, and was chasing opportunities right until the very end. There are lots of times when losing fighters don’t go for broke and resign themselves to their fate, but he kept trying to collect the neck and his persistence paid off.
Honorable Mentions: Mario Bautista vs Vinicius Oliveira, Edwards vs Nora Cornolle, Francis Marshall vs Erik Silva
Knockout of the Month: Uros Medic delivers another highlight finish (UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez)
This one was gnarly. One of those knockouts where the person is completely out on impact, meaning they crash backwards to the canvas unconscious, which always has a different feel to it.
The welterweights spent the first minute feeling each other out, throwing a few shots, and generally getting a sense of their timing and range before the output started to pick up a little just before the one-minute mark. Neal was throwing more and looked sharp, while Medic was more methodical and selective, throwing more kicks than punches.
He backed Neal up with a short right hand in tight and pressed forward after him, which led to the exchange that ended the contest. Neal set his feet and started to throw, Medic did the same, and as they traded blows in the pocket, the Serbian finisher connected with a left hand over Neal’s right shoulder that found the chin and instantly halted the action.
Medic knew to walk it off, letting out an exhale as he glanced at his fallen opponent on the canvas before celebrating his third straight first-round stoppage win. Not only did this knockout maintain his 100-percent finishing rate, but it also solidified him as a bona fide threat in the welterweight division.
His last six fights have all ended in the first round (five wins, one loss) and have taken a combined 6:05, with his last three wins coming in 3:25 combined. “The Doctor” does not waste time and should get another marquee name next time out after chalking Neal in Houston.
Honorable Mentions: Nikolay Veretennikov vs Niko Price, Smith vs Josiah Harrell, Costa vs Dan Ige, Sean Strickland vs Anthony Hernandez, Pinas vs Wes Schultz, Rodriguez vs Kevin Borjas, King Green vs Daniel Zellhuber
Fight of the Month: Regina Tarin and Ernesta Kareckaite impress in Mexico City (UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Kavanagh)
This was one of those fights that felt more competitive than the final scores may otherwise suggest because while Tarin absolutely deserved the nod and was the superior fighter of the two throughout, Kareckaite was right there with her, no more than a half-step behind the entire way.
While there were little moments where neither was throwing more than singles, for the most part, this was a bout where the two flyweights were active and landing with various weapons from various ranges. Tarin did good work in the clinch, working knees to the midsection, elbows to the head, and uppercuts through the guard, while Kareckaite worked hard to match her as best she could.
What made the fight even more compelling is that Tarin took the bout on Wednesday of fight week, stepping in for Sofia Montenegro and making UFC debut just a couple days later. Although she was preparing for a Muay Thai bout, that in no way prepares you for the nerves and adrenaline rush of fighting on the biggest stage in the sport, not to mention doing so at home, in front of a packed house, as the first Mexican fighter to make the walk on the evening.
Tarin looked good given the circumstances and is someone everyone should be itching to see next time out, when she’ll have the benefit of a full camp, full focus and be fighting at her natural weight class, rather than a 130-pound catchweight as they did here. Just 21 years old, she’s 8-0 overall and this was the just the second time she’s gone to the scorecards in her brief career.
The future is bright and this was an entertaining scrap.
Honorable Mentions: Wang Cong vs Eduarda Moura, Michal Oleksiejczuk vs Marc-Andre Barriault, Santiago Luna vs Angel Pacheco
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