SEATTLE – Save for a couple of contests — including the hotly anticipated co-main event — Saturday’s UFC event at the KeyArena in Seattle delivered. It was a fun and entertaining fight card from the opening bout forward, and as always, a handful of fighters stepped out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
Here is a look at the five performers that elevated their profile coming away from UFC on FOX 8:
Demetrious Johnson
The much-maligned and criminally overlooked UFC flyweight champion silenced all of his critics — and challenger John Moraga — with a technically brilliant, flawless effort in the main event that ended with the latest stoppage win in UFC history.
Johnson used his speed to keep Moraga off balance from the outset, darting out of range whenever the Arizona State alum pressed forward, but his biggest weapon in this fight was the takedown. “Mighty Mouse” quickly dropped under and put Moraga on his back at will over the four-plus-round affair, finishing with double-digit takedowns.
The flyweight champ wasn’t content to ride out control positions on the ground either, advancing every chance he had, and hunting for submissions every time they hit the mat. Eventually, Johnson was able to connect on a kimura, transitioned to an armbar, and secured the tap.
This was a breakthrough performance in the biggest way possible — a televised main event that went as close to perfect as possible. While the ratings are bound to be down from the winter events on FOX, upwards of two million people (my guess) watched Johnson put on a clinic on Saturday night, and the “Lord of the Flies” is sure to get more respect moving forward.
Jorge Masvidal
Masvidal is someone hardcore fans have been tracking for years, and a fighter who had success (and a title shot) during his time in Strikeforce, but this was his UFC breakthrough.
After a less-than-stellar first round against Michael Chiesa, “Gamebred” flipped the script in the second, outworking the Spokane, Washington native, and putting him in danger midway through the round. Showcasing his versatile offensive arsenal, Masvidal made the most of a slight opening late, connecting on a D’arce Choke, and drawing a tap from Chiesa with one second left on the clock in the middle stanza.
The American Top Team product is a top 15 lightweight already, and should be in line for a recognizable name next time out. He talked all week about staying busy, and how the best is yet to come. This performance was pretty strong, and if there are still improvements and better performances on the horizon, we’ve just added another potential contender to the mix in the 155-pound ranks.
Melvin Guillard
Yes, Guillard is an established name in the UFC lightweight division, but coming having gone 1-4 over his last five after splitting from “The Blackzilians” and getting turned away at Jackson’s, his second-round knockout win was both impressive and unexpected.
The talent has always been there, but the focus has been lacking at times. Saturday night wasn’t one of those times. Guillard was calm and patient, picking Mac Danzig apart in the first with crisp strikes, using his speed to avoid everything the former TUF winner offered. In the second, Guillard missed with a left, but connected with a right down the middle, dropping Danzig. He followed with one stiff shot, earning the victory and Knockout of the Night honours as well.
Guillard is a long way from contention at this point, but this appears to be a positive first step in the right direction. He’s working with Trevor Wittman and the team at Grudge now, and is still capable of putting together some quality wins and making some noise in the UFC’s deepest division.
Germaine de Randamie
Though it was one of the few that didn’t deliver a ton of action, it was nonetheless a big win for de Randamie as she continues her transition from Muay Thai to MMA.
The multiple-time world champion was able to frustrate Julie Kedzie all night, keeping the Team Jackson-Winkeljohn veteran outside with his length, and doing more damage when the two clinched along the cage. In just her sixth professional MMA bout, “The Iron Lady” showed further improvements, and the potential to be a contender down the road.
With the women’s bantamweight division being so shallow, it’s not going to take much more than a couple wins for de Randamie to put herself into the mix, and now she has one UFC victory under her belt. Kedzie’s a tough, experienced fighter who gave Miesha Tate all she could handle last year, and de Randamie beat her cleanly in Seattle.
Yaotzin Meza
Back down at his natural weight class after losing his UFC debut (on short notice) against top-ranked featherweight Chad Mendes, Meza survived some tense moments to earn a second-round submission win over John Albert in the opening bout of the evening.
Meza, a teammate of Benson Henderson, showed off his grappling skills on Saturday night, winner a series of scrambles against Albert over the course of the first two frames before sinking in a rear-naked choke late in the second to earn the 19th win of his career. As his couch, John Crouch, said as he walked passed press row, “It was close” at times, but Meza was able to survive a few submission scares of his own and hand Albert his fourth consecutive defeat.
There are still holes that need to be filled, but you have to like the fact that Meza capitalized when he ad Albert in bad spots, and kept pursuing the finish. Bantamweight is always exciting, and Meza should only add to that now that he’s joined the 135-pound ranks in the UFC.