Within the two remaining fights of final evening’s UFC Vegas 97 struggle card, two rising fighters handed the UFC matchmakers’ checks, defeating two higher-ranked veterans. These fighters, Sean Brady and Natalia Silva answered some lingering questions surrounding their rise of their respective divisions.

In the primary occasion, Sean Brady confirmed a extra full sport in his first UFC essential occasion than he did in his previous seven UFC outings. Brady, identified for his grappling expertise, fought nicely behind his jab towards former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns, including some combos to his hanging sport whereas choosing up takedowns and floor management at essential factors of the UFC Combat Evening headlining contest.

Silva earned a dominant win over former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade in final evening’s UFC co-main occasion. Her dynamic hanging sport, alongside along with her motion and technical expertise, left Andrade struggling to seek out openings to make use of her energy and energy, one thing the previous champ has been identified for all through her UFC profession.

Each Brady and Silva look able to face fighters ranked of their divisions’ high 5.

Beneath, we have a look at the outcomes, reactions, winners and losers, scorecards, bonus winners and video highlights from final evening’s UFC Combat Evening occasion.

UFC Vegas 97 Winners

Sean Brady: Sean Brady may have fought higher towards Belal Muhammad in 2022. Nonetheless, that knockout loss has aged fairly nicely for the Philly-born fighter. Muhammad has since earned the UFC welterweight title, and Brady has bounced again to beat two former title challengers in his previous two outings. In 2023, he topped ex-UFC interim middleweight challenger Kelvin Gastelum by submission. On Saturday evening, Brady defeated ex-welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns by choice. Extra importantly, Brady seemed higher in every of these outings, which is to say that the 31-year-old won’t have reached the head of his expertise.

Brady, who is an exceptional grappler, added some new wrinkles to his hanging sport at UFC Vegas 97, preventing nicely behind his jab, and even including some combos to his repertoire, when he had time and house to make use of his hanging effectvily. He additionally did a superb job of negating Burns’s hanging, limiting him to simply 47 landed vital strikes on 97 makes an attempt. For his half, Brady racked up 130 vital strikes on 217 makes an attempt.

Brady additionally landed seven takedowns and earned 10:34 of management time.

Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva: The co-main occasion of UFC Vegas 97 was a coming-out social gathering for Natalia Silva. Within the greatest check of her younger UFC profession, the 27-year-old carried out fantastically towards probably the most formidable veterans within the UFC ladies’s divisions in Jessica Andrade.

Silva used her velocity, motion, and technical expertise to defeat Andrade by choice. Andrade did her finest to power Silva to struggle in tight areas through the use of her stress and energy, however Silva’s kicking sport and skill to combine up her targets and methods allowed her to make use of her offense it doesn’t matter what Andrade tried.

Silva has solely been with the UFC since 2022, however the former Jungle Fights champion is 6-0 with the promotion and appears able to face top-five competitors within the UFC ladies’s flyweight rankings.

Steve Garcia: Steve Garcia stumbled early, permitting Kyle Nelson to take benefit, getting his opponent’s again and getting the hooks in early. Nonetheless, Garcia was capable of finding the house to get the reversal; from there, he simply unloaded on Nelson, touchdown punches and elbows to carry the struggle to a detailed within the first spherical.

Garcia won’t be a family identify, however he has 5 straight wins by way of TKO beneath the UFC banner, which is kind of an accomplishment.

Cody Durden: Cody Durden took the struggle towards Matt Schnell on lower than per week’s discover. He opened the struggle with lots of aggression, getting concerned in a firefight on the toes together with his opponent. That call appeared dangerous as Schnell seemed to have the benefit in energy and protection on the toes. Nonetheless, Durden confirmed his submission expertise, capitalizing on an ill-advised takedown try from his foe and rapidly trying up a choke that ended the struggle 29 seconds into the second stanza.

Yanal Ashmouz: Yanal Ashmouz caught to his sport plan and picked up a win over Trevor Peek. That plan was to keep away from Peek’s energy and tendency to aim to entice his foe right into a brawl. As a substitute, Ashmouz used Peek’s aggression towards him, countering and utilizing his wrestling to get the win.

Chris Padilla: Chris Padilla struggled to seek out the timing and vary of Rongzhu within the first spherical of their UFC Vegas 97 preliminary contest, nevertheless it was clear that he was seeking to exploit Rongzhu’s tendency to overthrow. He discovered his alternative to capitalize on that truth within the second spherical. When Rongzhu loaded up, Padilla stepped in and planted an elbow in his opponent’s eye. The blow brought on Rongzhu’s left eye to swell shut, giving Padilla the stoppage win.

Isaac Dulgarian: Isaac Dulgarian began his struggle towards Brendon Marotte by speeding throughout the Octagon and choosing up a takedown. From there, he took again management, seeking to land floor strikes whereas trying to find a gap for a submission. The second spherical began the identical, however Dulgarian discovered the house to lock up the submission win.

Dulgarian was a large betting favourite heading into UFC Vegas 97, and he made simple work of his foe. The win was a bounce-back efficiency following his March choice loss to Christian Rodriguez.

Andre Lima: Andre Lima moved to 10-0 total and 3-0 within the UFC with an excellent win over Felipe dos Santos. He used stress and protection within the hanging division within the first spherical after which picked up greater than 4 minutes of management time in every of the following two rounds.

Gabriel Santos: Gabriel Santos saved his UFC profession with a dominant and thrilling efficiency towards Yizha on the UFC Vegas 97 prelims. Santos opened his UFC run with setbacks to Lerone Murphy and David Onama in 2023. In his first outing of 2024, the 27-year-old Brazilian seemed glorious on his toes whereas additionally exhibiting that he wouldn’t cruise to a victory when forward on the scorecards.

Santos blended his methods and targets nicely whereas having a velocity benefit over his opponent. His entrance kick to the face close to the top of the primary spherical practically completed the struggle. He additionally brought on a lot injury to Yizha within the first two rounds. The third spherical showcased Santos’ grappling expertise as he seemed to remain busy and seek for a gap for a submission.

Santos’ efficiency on Saturday was glorious.

Jaqueline Amorim: Jaqueline Amorim picked up a simple takedown inside the first 30 seconds of her struggle towards Vanessa Demopoulos after which labored to an armbar to complete the struggle. She was in management from the begin to the end of the bout. With the win, Amorim moved to 3-1 within the UFC with three finishes.

There was some controversy to the end as Demopoulos loudly complained that Amorim grabbed inside her glove earlier than locking up the armbar. The digital camera angle through the broadcast wasn’t clear on how true that was, however the referee disagreed with Demopoulos.

Andre Petroski: Andre Petroski cruised to a call win over the overmatched Dylan Budka. Petroski held Budka to 17 landed vital strikes whereas racking up greater than 2:46 of management time in every spherical after a single takedown in every of these stanzas.

Petroski may have been extra aggressive on the mat. He did not have one official submission try, however he dominated the competition, did not put himself at an excessive amount of danger, and picked up the win.

Nathan Fletcher: Nathan Fletcher used his wrestling and grappling expertise to choose up a second-round submission over Zygimantas Ramaska. Fletcher had no issues getting takedowns within the first spherical however struggled to maintain Ramaska on the mat within the first half of the opening stanza. The second spherical was a distinct story, as one other takedown led to Fletcher getting mount. From there, he discovered the house he wanted for an arm triangle that ended the struggle.

UFC Vegas 97 Losers

Gilbert Burns: Gilbert Burns noticed his UFC shedding skid lengthen to a few fights on Saturday evening when he got here up quick towards Sean Brady. Burns put forth a high quality effort within the welterweight scrap, however the 38-year-old could not discover the mark for his energy strikes, nor may he out-wrestle or out-grapple his youthful foe.

Burns stays a troublesome fighter who ought to be capable of give anybody within the UFC’s 170-pound division issues within the cage, however his time among the many division’s elite probably ended on Saturday evening together with his loss to Brady. The altering of the guard is occurring in a number of divisions, and it seems welterweight is a kind of weight lessons.

Matt Schnell: Had Matt Schnell saved his struggle reverse Cody Durden on the toes, he may need had an opportunity to make use of his energy and protection to choose up a win. Nonetheless, Schnell determined a takedown try from distance within the second spherical was sensible. It wasn’t, and that gamble value him the struggle, as he was rapidly submitted.

Schnell left his gloves within the Octagon following the loss, seeming to finish his MMA profession.

Trevor Peek: Trevor Peek is an all-action fighter, and followers love him for that. Nonetheless, that model can be his weak point. If an opponent refuses to interact him in a slugfest, Peek isn’t efficient, particularly if that opponent can use Peek’s aggression towards him. That’s what occurred on Saturday, and that’s why Peek misplaced to Yanal Ashmouz.

Rongzhu: Rongzhu used his velocity and skill to time Chris Padilla to take management of the early moments of their matchup. Nonetheless, Rongzhu didn’t combine issues up nicely. As a substitute, he threw each strike with full energy, which allowed Padilla to seek out his opening and land the struggle ending elbow.

Felipe dos Santos: Felipe dos Santos had a good first spherical towards Andre Lima, however his opponent was capable of defend lots of his hanging makes an attempt. After that, Dos Santos was on the defensive for the remainder of the struggle.

Yizha: Yizha confirmed coronary heart, toughness, and good cardio, however he didn’t have sufficient within the tank to return again from two rounds down towards Gabriel Santos.

Dylan Budka: Dylan Budka missed weight and seemed horrible on the size earlier than this struggle, to the purpose the place he most likely ought to have been pulled from the occasion. When struggle evening rolled round, Budka confirmed that he’s a piece in progress.

Budka has highly effective hanging, however his strikes have been one-and-done. He didn’t throw combos, even when he harm Andre Petroski. However what harm Budka was his incapability to defend takedowns and the truth that he may do nothing off his again or return to his toes.

Zygimantas Ramaska: Zygimantas Ramaska had some early success reversing Nathan Fletcher on the mat, however he ended up there after Fletcher simply picked up a number of takedowns. Ramaska’s luck ran out early within the second spherical when his opponent picked up one other takedown and gained mount earlier than forcing an arm triangle choke submission.

UFC Vegas 97 Combat Card Outcomes

UFC Vegas 97 Essential Card Outcomes

Sean Brady defeats Gilbert Burns by way of unanimous choice (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)

Natalia Silva defeats Jessica Andrade by way of unanimous choice (30-27 x 3)

Steve Garcia defeats Kyle Nelson by way of TKO at 3:59 of Spherical 1 (Elbows to go from half guard)

Cody Durden defeats Matt Schnell by way of submission at 0:29 of Spherical 2 (Anaconda choke on floor)

Yanal Ashmouz defeats Trevor Peek by way of unanimous choice (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC Vegas 97 Preliminary Card Outcomes

Chris Padilla defeats Rongzhu by way of TKO at 4:14 of Spherical 2 (Physician stoppage – eye damage)

Isaac Dulgarian defeats Brendon Marotte by way of submission at 4:19 of Spherical 2 (Arm triangle)

Andre Lima defeats Felipe dos Santos by way of unanimous choice (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Gabriel Santos defeats Yizha by way of unanimous choice (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

Jaqueline Amorim defeats Vanessa Demopoulos by way of submission at 3:28 of Spherical 1 (Armbar from again management)

Andre Petroski defeats Dylan Budka by way of unanimous choice (30-27 x 3)

Nathan Fletcher vs. Zygimantas Ramaska by way of submission at 1:14 of Spherical 2 (Arm triangle from mount)

Video Highlights

Official Scorecards

Combat-Evening Bonuses

Combat of the Evening: Silva vs. Andrade

Efficiency of the Evening: Steve Garcia

Efficiency of the Evening: Cody Durden

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