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UFC beauty battered at Fight Night

PAIGE VanZant wanted to make a statement in front of her home fans, but it was another fighter who stole the show in Sacramento.

Adam Santarossa
8 min read
December 18, 2016 - 9:07PM
A tough night for VanZant.
A tough night for VanZant.

UFC Fight Night Sacramento promised fireworks and it certainly delivered, although with mixed results for the home town heroes Paige VanZant and Urijah Faber.

Michelle Waterson (14-4-0) defeated Paige VanZant (7-3-0) via rear naked choke (3:21 into the first round)

Michelle Waterson has announced herself on the UFC stage with a dominant submission win over MMA glamour girl Paige VanZant.

VanZant was never in the contest in front of a vocal crowd in her adopted Sacramento, with Waterson submitting her midway through the opening round.

Waterson, a former Invicta FC champion, took control from the outset, utilising sidekicks to maintain the distance and preventing VanZant from gaining the clinch advantage. VanZant was quickly becoming frustrated with her inability to close the distance and was caught with a number of shots as she rushed forward.

That was the opening Waterson needed and the “Karate Hottie”, used dirty boxing, before taking VanZant down, trapping her in a body lock. The 22-year-old beauty showed tremendous heart in fighting the choke, but there was no escaping it.

Transitioning well on the ground,VanZant continued to fight it, but the more she struggled, the deeper Waterson would sink in the choke.

Eventually referee John McCarthy was forced to stop the contest, before VanZant was rendered unconscious. Waterson submitting the young star with 1:39 left in the first round.

Coming into the fight, Waterson had missed substantial time out of the sport with injury. She had not set foot in the Octagon since July 2015, and it seems she’s ready to make up for lost time.

UFC analyst Brian Stann heaped praise on the No. 11 ranked strawweight, in particular her grappling ability.

“You don’t see anyone have that long out and be that on point,” Stann said. “A star was just born in Michelle. This is not always an effective takedown, but she executed it perfectly. She got both hooks in, transitioned to the body lock.”

“Everyone wants to talk about striking, but look at her grappling game. It is so effective. Huge win for Michelle Waterson.”

Waterson is expected to take a significant step inside the top 10 of the women’s strawweight division as a result of her impressive display.

30-year-old Waterson said she is ready for whatever the UFC wants to send her way.

“I just wanted to show the world what I can do in the UFC,” Waterson said.

“We worked really hard on chain submissions and staying tall while she’s trying to scramble. Whoever the UFC gives me, I’m ready.”

Mickey Gall (4-0) defeated Sage Northcutt (8-2) at 1:40 round number two, via submission due to rear naked choke.

If there was any doubt before, Mickey Gall is the real deal.

The 24-year-old confirmed his star status, winning his highly anticipated battle against fellow young gun Sage Northcutt.

Gall’s superior wrestling dominated the contest throughout, with the New Jersey native putting the exclamation mark on the fight, submitting Northcutt with his familiar rear-naked choke.

Two men taunted each other verbally throughout, with Northcutt wanting to make it a stand-up fight, while Gall wanted to keep it on the ground. But it was Gall who had control of the contest, taking ‘Super’ Sage down once in each round.

The undefeated fighter wasted little time post-fight in naming his next victim, with Gall angling for a shot with veteran Dan Hardy.

Gall also said he would step down to the lightweight division, saying a world title was in his future.

“I think at 155 pounds, I’ll be a champion in a couple of years,” said Gall. “As for the next name, Dan Hardy, I heard you want to come back. He’s a legend it would be an honour to fight him.”

Gall, seen as a sideshow since his win over former professional wrestler CM Punk, the youngster has now shown his true ability. UFC commentator Brian Stann praised Gall for his slick display, saying he was a true commodity in the organisation.

“Excellent fight IQ by Gall, only his fourth professional fight. Big win on his biggest stage yet,” Stann said

Urijah Faber (33-10) defeated Brad Pickett (26-12) via unanimous decision (all three judges scoring the fight 30-26)

As soon as Urijah Faber walked to the Octagon, you got the sense it was only going to end one way for the hometown hero.

Rarely are fairytale farewells afforded in the Octagon, but such a moment was reserved from a man who helped put UFC on the map.

The California Kid taking a comfortable unanimous point decision to end his storied career on a high note.

After a cagey opening that saw Faber using his jab to fight at range, the 37-year-old lunged forward planting a perfect punch on Pickett’s jaw midway through the first round, providing the moment of the fight.

Pickett was fortunate to see the end of the first period, with Faber almost getting a stoppage with some vicious ground and pound in the closing seconds. Amazingly, it would have been the American’s first finish via strikes in his UFC career.

Once Faber assumed control, he wasn’t going to hand it back. Feigning well throughout, Faber proved too elusive for the British fighter. With the crowd chanting his name, Faber continued to land scoring shots throughout the contest.

Pickett wasn’t going to be put away easy though, escaping a guillotine attempt in the second round. Despite the Brit’s durability, there was simply no stopping Faber, as he continued to mark the face of his opponent.

Hearts were sent fluttering around the Golden 1 Center late in the third round, when Pickett dropped Faber with a nice right hand. However, Faber was quickly back to his feet, smiling, more shocked than hurt.

In the end all three judges scoring the contest unanimously to the Alpha Male fighter, Faber taking the contest 30-26.

Faber gave an emotional address to his hometown post-fight, although he chose to keep it short and sweet.

“Sacramento I love you,” said Faber. “I honestly feel like I’ve just got my PHD in real life. I’m ready to go forward like I just graduated.

“Thank you to the UFC staff. I appreciate everything. I love this sport, I’m going to do big things.”

Alan Jouban (14-4) defeated Mike Perry (9-0) via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

There must be something in the water of Sacramento, with UFC Fight Night showcasing another thrilling contest between welterweight’s Alan Jouban and Mike Perry.

Pre-fight UFC commentator Brian Stann set the scene well, knowing that this one wouldn’t disappoint.

“Everybody had this fight marked down on the fight card, knowing it would be spectacular.” Stann said.

Stann was right, as it took just twenty seconds to see fireworks with Jouban catching Perry early, as he looked sharp from the opening bell. The 35-year-old enjoyed the best of a spirited first-round that saw both fighters rocked on occasions.

Jouban showed great craft, using the clinch to prevent Perry from pinning him against the cage. The American scored the takedown to press home the advantage and ensure round one was his on the scorecards. It was a story that continued throughout.

The Black House fighter controlled much of the contest, picking his moments, sending Perry down late in the second, before adding a further knockdown in the third.

Perry looked dangerous throughout the fight, but was content in seeking a one-punch knockout, loading up several shots.

Stann admitted post fight that the previously undefeated Perry paid the price for a poor strategy.

“At just 9-0 you can see how much further Mike Perry can go with his athleticism,” Stann said. “He really abandoned his combinations. He was really just looking for the perfect punch.”

Mizuto Hirota (18-7-2) defeated Cole Miller (21-11) via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

It wasn’t great news for UFC veteran Cole Miller, going down to tough Japanese fighter Mizuto Hirota. Miller is coming off contract after this fight and hoped to put in an impressive display to assist him at the negotiation table.

But the 32-year-old was simply outclassed throughout the contest, as the speedy Hirota routinely beat the Georgia native to the punch.

After a ten-year stint with the UFC it remains to be seen where Miller’s future lies.

Colby Covington (11-1-0) defeated Bryan Barberena (12-3-0) via unanimous decision (all three judges scoring the fight 30-27)

Colby Covington has sent a clear message to the welterweight division following an impressive display at UFC Fight Night Sacramento.

The 28-year-old put on a clinic in the Octagon, on his way to a lopsided decision victory over Bryan Barberena.

Covington recorded an amazing eleven takedowns in the three-round fight, as he continued to wear Barberena down with his superior wrestling.

UFC veteran and commentator Brian Stann was full of praise for the California native, saying he had sent a clear sign to the elite of the division.

“What was the most impressive was his cardio,” Stann said. “To shoot that many times and to wrestle at that pace is very difficult and to be able to maintain that for fifteen straight minutes certainly puts all the welterweights on notice who will fight this man in the future.”

It seems though not everyone enjoyed Covington’s performance, with many on social media slamming the fighter for his inability to entertain.

Leslie Smith defeated Irene Aldana via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

UFC Fight Night Sacramento has started in fine fashion with Leslie Smith and Irene Aldana putting on an amazing display in their women’s bantamweight fight.

The bout was the first of the preliminary undercard, but it proved worthy of a main event billing.

Reeling from defeat to Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Justino back in May, Smith has rarely looked better inside the Octagon, bouncing back to winning ways with a unanimous point decision victory over Aldana.

Smith came out full of fire, walking forward through her opponents attempted strikes, showing no regard for her own personal safety.

Aldana was making her debut in the UFC and she got an early indication at just how tough life is in the premier mixed martial arts organisation. Smith’s opening barrage saw her send the young Mexican to the canvas early.

The first five minutes of the fight could well become a contender for ‘Round of the Year’, with the pair widely exchanging blows in a stunning opening period.

The pair threw a total of 660 strikes in the three-round epic, with Smith sending over 400 punches at her rival.

Smith recorded the only knockdown of the fight and looked close to stopping her opponent, but Aldana did well to stay alive. The 28-year-old recovered well, showing great resolve, even scoring a takedown on Smith in the second round.

But the veteran showed enough composure to again seize control of the contest, taking the decision win.

UFC president Dana White showed he enjoyed the fight, tweeting excitedly upon its conclusion.

Both fighters could be in for a tidy bonus should they receive fight of the night honours from the UFC boss.

It will certainly take some topping.

Preliminary results -

Sultan Aliev defeated Bojan Velickovic via split-decision (28-29, 30-37,30-27)

Hector Sandoval defeated Fredy Serrano via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Eddie Wineland defeated Takeya Mizugaki via TKO 3:04 into Round 1

Leslie Smith defeated Irene Aldana via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Josh Emmett defeated Scott Holtzman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Alex Morono defeated James Moontasri via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28. 29-28)

Colby Covington defeated Bryan Barberena via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mizuto Hirota defeated Cole Miller via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Paul Craig submitted Henrique Da Silva 1:59 into Round 2

Originally published as UFC beauty battered at Fight Night

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