Yair Rodriguez could be the next big thing.
The UFC touched down for the first time ever in Salt Lake City, Utah. At the top of the card was a fan-friendly throwdown between prospect Yair Rodriguez and Alex Caceres. The event was full of great action which featured some back-and-forth brawls, and some one-hitter quitters.
Yair Rodriguez earns the decision
In the main event, Yair Rodriguez jumped, flipped, and spun his way to a split decision victory. Even though many saw the fight as a clear-cut win for “El Pantera”, opponent Alex Caceres was game throughout. Coming into the fight, we knew both fighters possess a lot of creativity. While neither was able to land anything too significant, Rodriguez’s was the big take away. Caceres was more than happy to trade spinning attack for spinning attack in the early going, but as the altitude kicked in and the fighters began to fatigue, it was Rodriguez who continually pushed the pace.
While it was a sound win for Rodriguez, let’s talk about what his future might look like.
Caceres is a game opponent for anybody, but he’s no world beater. And while Rodriguez’s flamboyant attacks are aesthetically pleasing, they weren’t too effective in this fight. Yair had most of his success with standard attacks. It could be because Caceres is familiar with the unorthodox style and was able to defend, or it could be that we’re seeing Rodriguez’s ceiling. As Rodriguez faces better and better competition, look for his high-octane attacks to be less and less effective.
Dennis The Menace
In the co-main event, Dennis Bermudez gave prospect Rony Jason all he could handle for three rounds. Bermudez overwhelmed the crafty Brazilian with forward pressure, top control, and nasty ground and pound. That being said, Jason had a couple good moments, particularly in round three. Jason rallied, took the back, and put “The Menace” in some trouble. In the end though, Bermudez got the job done.
In the post-fight interview with Jon Anik, a very punctual Bermudez called out Frankie Edgar for UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden. I really like this match up considering there aren’t many fights that make sense for Edgar at 145 anymore. At this point it’s basically drop to bantamweight or take on Bermudez.
Successful Homecoming
Headlining the prelims was Utah-native Court McGee facing off with heavy-hitter Dominique Steele. From the first punch, McGee made it known that he wasn’t backing down from anything. A nonstop assault in the clinch zapped Steele’s gas tank leaving him unable to get back in the fight. McGee put on a “Crusher”-like performance and was rewarded with the decision victory.
Salt Lake City Bitches
Rising talent and potential superstar Teruto Ishihara may have just found a new home away from home. Ishihara knocked out Horacio Gutierrez in the first round with a beautiful counter left hook. Both fighters were happy to exchange hands, but Ishihara showed he packs some absolute dynamite. Anybody who stands and bangs with Ishihara is at serious risk of getting KO’d; Gutierrez found out the hard way. In his post-fight speech, Ishihara made sure to call attention to his Salt Lake City bitches. Something tells me he made a couple new friends Saturday night.
Cub Swanson continues his return
After a year away from the sport, Swanson made a triumphant return last April against Hacran Dias. Last night, Swanson made it two in a row when he took out the game Tastuya Kawajiri. Both fighters had their moments, but Swanson looked sensational when he was finally able to let his strikes flow. He did get a bit reckless, and he paid for it a few times, but that’s what you can expect every time Swanson gets in the Octagon.
Now that he has two solid wins under his belt, one can only imagine that a big test awaits him. Unfortunately, he has fought the who’s-who at 145 pounds. A rematch is almost inevitable. I wouldn’t mind seeing him attempt revenge against Ricardo Lamas. I also could see the UFC giving him an up-and-comer like Yair Rodriguez or Doo Ho Choi. Whoever he fights next, expect fireworks.
That’s it for UFC Fight Night in Salt Lake City. All in all it was an action-packed night that featured a lot of names to keep an eye on. Be sure to check out all of our coverage for UFC 202 which should be starting up some time next week. Thanks for reading!
