#UFCVegas55 was trending on Saturday night as viewers were treated to a card of great fights that largely went into the final round. When the evening opened up with a pair of third-round TKOs, the stage was set for a great card, and it didn’t disappoint. UFC Vegas 55 will surely continue to be talked about online and offline for some time as the night ended in some controversy. Check out these Twitter highlights from the evening’s card.
Insult or Compliment?
Chase “The Dream” Hooper is just 22 years old and carries a professional MMA record of 10-2-1. The featherweight fought his fifth contest in The Octagon on Saturday night where he collected his second TKO victory. Fellow division fighter Cub Swanson commented on Hooper’s win on Twitter, stating, “As soon as Chase Hooper gets his ‘Man Strength’ he’s gonna be a problem #UFCVegas55”. As a statement that could be taken as a compliment or an insult, the tweet is sure to resurface if the two ever meet as opponents.
As soon as Chase Hooper gets his “Man Strength” he’s gonna be a problem 😳 #UFCVegas55
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) May 21, 2022
Belal Predicted the House Call
Uros “The Doctor” Medic entered his Saturday night contest as an underdog and he finished as an upset. Top-five welterweight contender Belal Muhammad had a feeling of things to come, tweeting before the fight, “Medic[‘s] a beast I predict a finish here”. After a wild end to the first round, Medic went out in the second round and did get the finish. He earned a TKO that was called after landing two strong lefts with medical precision.
Medics a beast I predict a finish here
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) May 21, 2022
Beautiful Knee From Ugly Joe
Both Joseph “Ugly Man Joe” Holmes and his opponent Alen Amedovski entered The Octagon at UFC Vegas 55 looking for their first UFC victories. It didn’t take long for Holmes to emerge the victor, first landing a knee to crimple Amedovski before jumping on top of him to ultimately get the first-round submission. Veteran featherweight Darren Elkins was following the evening’s card and perfectly summarized the bout, tweeting, “Great performance [by] Joseph Holmes! Perfect knee”.
Great performance my Joseph Holmes! Perfect knee
— Darren Elkins (@DarrenElkinsMMA) May 21, 2022
Respect From the Champ for Chidi Njokuani
As UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou is one of the baddest men on the planet. So, when he tweeted “That was brutal” following the elbow shot delivered by Chidi Njokuani to Dusko Todorovic late in the first round, it was quite the statement. The elbow to the left side of Todorovic’s head will be replayed for quite some time. For his display of precision and power, Njokuani was awarded one of the night’s $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses.
That was brutal 😳
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) May 22, 2022
“Holy Hell” Fight of the Night
Nobody steps into The Octagon expecting to lose, but some fights are surely more evenly matched than others. The evening’s co-main event saw the latter when Santiago Ponzinibbio and Michel Pereira touched gloves at near even odds. Despite both fighters landing more than 100 significant strikes, the slug-fest went all three rounds. Middleweight fighter was entertained by the performance from both fighters, tweeting, “Holy hell! That was a[n] intense fight. These boys both wanted to win! #UFCVegas55” Dana White and the UFC agreed, awarding Pereira and Ponzinibbio with “Fight of the Night Honors”. Despite the split-decision victory going to Pereira, both men were winners, collecting an additional $50,000 each for the designation.
Holy hell! That was a intense fight. These boys both wanted to win! #ufcvegas55
— Julian marquez (@JMarquezMMA) May 22, 2022
Holly Holm’s Houdini Act
The main event fight between Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira was a wild affair that ultimately ended in a controversial split decision (below), but it looked to be over MUCH sooner than it was. Late in the second round, Vieira had Holm in an extremely tight vice with her left elbow that had the former champion changing color. “How did [H]olly escape that choke,” lightweight top-five contender Michael Chandler questioned. “Her head was as red as the letters on her shorts. #UFCVegas55”
How did holly escape that choke. Her head was as red as the letters on her shorts. #ufcvegas55
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) May 22, 2022
Controversial Ending
UFC Vegas 55 had some big moments, but at the end of the evening, it was the split decision in favor of Vieira that stole the night. Women’s strawweight fighter Diana Belbita voiced an opinion shared by many on Twitter when she tweeted, “WHAAAAAT?! I thought Holly Holm won that fight 48-47. #UFCVegas55” As a title eliminator bout, this contest is far from over being discussed, especially as Vieira will now likely prepare for a title shot later this year.
WHAAAAAT?! I thought Holly Holm won that fight 48-47
— Diana Belbiță (@DianaBelbita) May 22, 2022
UFC Vegas 55 Results
Main Card
- Ketlen Viera (+190) defeated Holly Holm (-235) by Split Decision
- Michel Pereira (-140) defeated Santiago Ponzinibbio (+120) by Split Decision
- Chidi Njokuani (-250) defeated Dusko Todorovic (+200) by KO – Round 1
- Tabatha Ricci (-130) defeated Polyana Viana (+110) by Unanimous Decision
- Junyong Park (-205) defeated Eryk Anders (+160) by Split Decision
Preliminary Card
- Joseph Holmes (-195) defeated Alen Amedovski (+165) by rear naked choke – Round 1
- Jailton Almeida (-600) submitted Parker Porter (+435) by rear naked choke – Round 1
- Uros Medic (+120) defeated Omar Morales (-140) by TKO – Round 2
- Jonathan Martinez (-240) defeated Vince Morales (+195) by Unanimous Decision
- Chase Hooper (+150) defeated Felipe Colares (-170) by TKO – Round 3
- Sam Hughes (+135) defeated Elise Reed (-155) by TKO – Round 3
