With the cancellation of the women’s flyweight bout between No.11 Cynthia Calvillo and No.7 Nina Nunes, UFC Vegas 58 featured just one contest with ranked fighters, and that was in the main event. That meant that UFC fans were in for a card full of athletes with something to prove, and on Saturday night, a number of them did.
From those coming off of losses and looking for a rebound to others hoping to make some noise in their division, many accomplished their goal of generating some buzz around their name. Here’s what other fighters were saying on Twitter as they took in UFC Vegas 58.
With All Love and Respect
Garrett Armfield was the only fighter on the card at UFC Vegas 58 making his debut in the Octagon, and it is a big moment for any athlete. Middleweight fighter Zak Cummings took to Twitter to celebrate Armfield’s accomplishment, despite ending in a loss. With all love to Armfield, Cummings gave David Onama his flowers as well, tweeting, “Love seeing my Springfield Fight Club alumni Armfield make it to the @UFC, but @DavidOnama145 is an absolute animal!!! This kid is a different breed.” Onama got the win in the second round by arm triangle submission.
Love seeing my Springfield Fight Club alumni Armfield make it to the @ufc but @DavidOnama145 is an absolute animal!!! This kid is a different breed. #UFCVegas58
— Zak Cummings (@ZakCummings) July 9, 2022
Accurate and Nasty
Leading up to the fight, no matchup likely had more build-up of aggression in recent days than that between Cody Brundage and Tresean Gore. After things got a bit ramped up at weigh-ins, the two fighters even had to be separated. It should be no surprise then that the actual fight between the two escalated pretty quickly, ultimately being the only first-round finish of the night.
With his back against the fence, Brundage stepped forward with a right-hand blast after Gore brushed him with a leg kick. The shot put Gore on the mat and Brundage pounced, delivering blows to end the fight. Sitting cage-side was bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling who tweeted, “That was accurate and nasty!”
That was accurate and nasty! #UFCVegas58
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) July 10, 2022
Fight of the Night Contender
Michael Johnson may not be the lightweight contender that he was, but at 36 years old, he definitely still brings it. He sure brought it on Saturday at UFC Vegas 58 going against Jamie Mullarkey who needed an opponent like Johnson to give his breakthrough campaign some weight.
Fans saw why Johnson is a strong gatekeeper in the division, landing significant strikes on Mullarkey, and absorbing his own share. Seeing the quality of the matchup, middleweight fighter Ian Heinisch tweeted before ring walks, “This fight could be possible FOTN, let’s go!” Proving to be one of the best bouts of the night, Heinisch was right, and Johnson and Mullarkey each earned $50,000 for their part in the Fight of the Night.
This fight could be possible FOTN, let’s go! #UFCVegas58
— Ian Heinisch (@ianheinischmma) July 10, 2022
Comeback for Sherman in More Ways than One
Just a few months ago, Chase Sherman, on a three-fight losing streak, was out of the UFC when his fight contract ran out. It was only a matter of days, however, before he was back on the roster to fight Alexandr Romanov on short notice. That bout was a late scratch from the card due to “an abundance of caution due to a minor health issue with Sherman“. Making his official return to the Octagon on Saturday, Sherman was an underdog with a lot of outside doubt and nothing to lose.
His fight with Jared Vanderaa was good, and both athletes were shaken at moments. Looking to be another close decision on the scorecards, Sherman quickly took matters into his own hands when he caught Vanderra with a stunning right hand and then rained shot after shot until the official called the fight, giving Sherman a much-needed victory. He also earned one of the two Performance of the Night bonuses, collecting an extra $50,000. Middleweight fighter Derek Brunson noted the accomplishment on Twitter, saying, “Chase Sherman with the come back.”
Chase Sherman with the come back 🔥 #UFCVegas58
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) July 10, 2022
Lightweight Scouting Report from Volkanovski?
Following yet another successful title defense at featherweight at UFC 276 last weekend, Alexander Volkanovski voiced his intentions to pursue the vacant lightweight division belt. It is no wonder then that he was watching the main event at UFC Vegas 58 between former champion Rafael Dos Anjos and rising talent Rafael Fiziev.
The latter of the two could end up being Volkanovski’s introduction to the lightweight division, and he shared his pre-fight analysis of Fiziev, tweeting, “@RafaelFiziev is always a treat to watch, the man can scramble so I expect this to stay on the feet majority of this fight. Should be fun.” The fight was a good one, and Fiziev shined, earning one of the two Performance of the Night bonuses and the victory.
@RafaelFiziev is always a treat to watch, the man can scramble so I expect this to stay on the feet majority of this fight. Should be fun 👏 #UFCVegas58
— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) July 10, 2022
