As UFC Fight Night Norfolk comes to a close, it was a thriller from the start of the preliminaries to the end of the main card. This was not the first time the UFC was in Norfolk, however. The last time the UFC was in Norfolk was back in November of 2017 where the card was headlined by Dustin Poirier and Anthony Pettis. Let’s take a look into the fights.
Takeaways from UFC Norfolk
- Deiveson Figueiredo defeated Joseph Benavidez via KO
- Felicia Spencer defeated Zarah Fairn via TKO
- Magomed Ankalaev finished Ion Cutelaba via KO
- Megan Anderson defeated Norma Dumont via KO
- Grant Dawson submitted Darrick Minner
Grant Dawson Submits Darrick Minner in the 2nd Round
Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Even though Grant Dawson came 3.5 pounds overweight, that did not stop him from winning his fight against newcomer Darrick Minner. Dawson looked to finish this fight rather than let the judges have their way, as Dawson finished Minner via Rear-Naked Choke 1:38 into the 2nd Round to extend his record to 15-1 (3-0 with the UFC). What’s next for Dawson and Minner?
- Grant Dawson
- Movsar Evloev
- He pulled out of UFC 248 but could come back for Dawson
- Movsar Evloev
- Darrick Minner
- Possibly a return to the regional scene. Not the first time he has lost in front of Dana White
Megan Anderson Finishes Norma Dumont via One Punch KO
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
The Aussie fighter Megan Anderson took little time to make her statement tonight, as she finished Norma Dumont with a single punch 3:31 into the second round to put the featherweight champion, Amanda Nunes, on notice. This most recent win puts her at 11-4 (3-2 in the UFC) and puts her on a 2 fight win streak. What’s Next?
- Megan Anderson
- This one is a tough one for me, I would like to see her fight either for the title or against Felicia Spencer for a Number 1 Contender’s Spot.
- Norma Dumont
- This is her first professional loss, so she could fight again in the UFC perhaps against Zhara Farin.
Magomed Ankalaev “Finishes” Ion Cutelaba via “Knock Out”
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Even though the record books say Magomed Ankalaev via a knockout win, the fight went completely different. Magomed Ankalaev won the fight 38 seconds into the 1st round, however, referee Kevin MacDonald stopped the fight prematurely much to the displacement of the crowd and Ion Cutelaba. This win pushes Ankalaev’s record to 13-1 (4-1 in the UFC) and extends his win-streak to 4 straight wins. So what’s next for Cutelaba and Ankalaev?
- Magomed Ankalaev
- Rematch with Cutelaba
- Ion Cutelaba
- Rematch with Ankalaev
Felicia Spencer defeats Zarah Fairn via Ground-and-Pound TKO
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Felicia Spencer put on a dominant performance against Zarah Fairn to finish Fairn within the first round, with the Canadian Spencer finding a takedown early on and controlling the fight from there. From the ground, Felicia Spencer rained down punches and elbows to finish the fight via TKO. So what’s next for Spencer and Fairn?
- Felicia Spencer
- As mentioned prior, it’s a tough call due to Megan Anderson. However, Spencer does hold a win over Anderson and perhaps is closer to getting a title shot.
- Zarah Fairn
- Norma Dumont
Deiveson Figueiredo Defeats Joseph Benavidez via KO Early in the 2nd
Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
Although Deiveson Figueiredo surprisingly missed weight, he finished Joseph Benavidez in the main event. However, since Figueiredo did miss weight, he is not the current flyweight champion and in turn is leaving the flyweights without a king to bend the knee to. In conclusion, a win is still a win in the record books and a win over Joseph Benavidez is the biggest win of his career, turning his record to 18-1 (7-1 in the UFC) and extending his streak to 3 straight wins. What’s next for not only Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez but the flyweight division as a whole?
- Deiveson Figueiredo
- Run it back and hope he makes weight.
- Joseph Benavidez
- Run it back and hope Deiveson Figueiredo makes weight.
- For the Flyweight Division
- Hope it stays in the UFC otherwise they will be dropped and probably be picked up by Bellator.
Next Week! The UFC heads to Las Vegas, Nevada, where UFC 248 takes over Sin City. Headlined by 2 massive title fights between Middleweight King Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero. But prior to the Main Event, the Co-Main event is a strawweight brawl between the current champion Zhang Weili and former strawweight queen Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
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