Bloody Elbow recaps the first four main card fights from UFC Fight Night: Mendes vs. Lamas card on Saturday afternoon in Fairfax, Virginia. Here, we look at the main card bouts, including a fight between The Ultimate Fighter winner Julianna Pena and Milana Dudieva.
While Saturday night's main event provided the fans with a fight between two of the featherweight divisions top ranked fighters, the main card fights featured a mix of veterans and a number of lesser known prospects, all of whom were eager to impress. Here we recap the first four fights of the main card, which featured a nice mix of quick finishes, as well as some great displays of grappling prowess.
Diego Ferreira vs. Dustin Poirier
Official result: Dustin Poirier defeats Diego Ferreira by TKO (punches) R1 3:45
What was the high point of the fight?
Dustin Poirier raised some eyebrows when he announced his intent to move back to the lightweight division after losing to Conor McGregor, but after his performance yesterday, he has proved a lot of people wrong.
Poirier put on an exciting (albeit short) performance, but the definite high point was his striking, in particular the killer instinct he showed once he rocked Ferreira.
Where do these two go from here?
The date of Dustin Poirier's next fight has already been announced. Poirier will return to his home state of Louisiana on June 6th. While his opponent has yet to be announced, I think it is fair to assume he will be matched against a fighter on the fringe of the Top 15.
Ferreira shows a lot of similarities to his countryman Carlos Eduardo Rocha. Like Ferreira, Rocha had an amazing submission game but just couldn't put all the other pieces together to become an elite mixed martial artist. I personally hope Ferreira gets another shot with the UFC, but I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up getting cut.
Watch now, later, or never?
This is a must watch. Poirier looked great and dispatched Ferreira in style.
Clay Guida vs. Robbie Peralta
Official result: Clay Guida defeats Robbie Peralta by unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)
What was the high point of the fight?
Clay Guida did what Clay Guida does best and put on a gritty, relentless, wrestling clinic. Guida looked back to his best and completely outclassed Peralta from start to finish.
Where do these two go from here?
Clay Guida seems intent to move back up to lightweight where he had a successful career, which included wins over Anthony Pettis and current champion Rafael dos Anjos. While a move to lightweight must be tempting for Guida, I feel that his career longevity would be best served if he remained a featherweight.
Peralta has dropped three of his last five fights and has been soundly dominated in his last two outings. I feel it could be the end of Peralta's UFC tenure.
Watch now, later, or never?
Later. If like me you're a fan of Guida and other top heavy grapplers, this fight is fun to watch.
Milana Dudieva vs. Julianna Pena
Official result: Julianna Pena defeats Milana Dudieva by TKO (forearms) R1 3:59
What was the high point of the fight?
While the fight was very sloppy, Pena's aggression was most certainly the high point. Once she mounted Dudieva, Pena displayed great ground and pound and never gave Dudieva a second to recover.
Where do these two go from here?
After Pena won The Ultimate Fighter, many expected her to be placed on a fast track to a title shot against Ronda Rousey, but unfortunately a nasty knee injury derailed her career for over a year. Expect Pena to climb up the division quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if the UFC put her in there with Liz Carmouche next.
Dudieva was outclassed in every aspect of the fight and will need to work on her ground game, as she seemed to be clueless once mounted. Expect her to face Lauren Murphy next.
Watch now, later, or never?
This fight was sloppy -- really sloppy and not very technical, but it is worth a watch just for the raw aggression displayed by Pena.
Michael Chiesa vs. Mitch Clarke
Official result: Michael Chiesa defeats Mitch Clarke by unanimous decision (29-26 x 2, 29-28)
What was the high point of the fight?
Chiesa's grappling looked on point during this fight. He was able to take Clarke down with ease and, more impressively, was able to take Clarke's back and control him there for almost two whole rounds. While Chiesa was unable to get the rear-naked choke, just the ability to easily control Clarke was impressive enough.
Where do these two go from here?
It is time for Chiesa to try and string together a few wins and make a run for a place in the top 10. A fight with submission specialist Leonardo Silva would be a good test to see just how good his grappling is.
It is likely that Jorge Masvidal will be looking to get back into the cage quickly after his controversial loss against Al Iaquinta and Mitch Clarke would be the perfect opponent for Masvidal to showcase his technical striking against.
Watch now, later, or never?
This one is really not worth watching. The third round was mildly fun but in all reality this fight isn't worth 15 minutes of your time.
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