UFC Vegas 30 is in the books and it was an eventful night of action at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The European fans were treated to a primetime card, while our friends across the pond had to indulge in fights earlier than usual. Even despite the early start for the fighters they sure delivered and rose to the occasion.
The night consisted of losing skids being broken. Entire fight purses going down the drain, emotional victories, comebacks, prospects living up the hype, controversy, and most importantly, a new heavyweight in Ciryl Gane cementing himself as a contender for the championship.
Ciryl Gane showcased his high-level fight IQ in and back and forth striking chess match with a dangerous finisher in Alexander Volkov. Gane cruised his way towards the final bell and, in the end, comfortably won the decision, utilising his jab and staying at a distance. Fans criticised the Frenchman as “boring” for not finishing his last two fights. However, in my opinion, Gane executed his game plan beautifully and done what needed to be done to win the battle against an opponent as skilled as Volkov.
The co-main event left us scratching our head, but what’s a fight night without some controversy? Tanner Boser took a short notice fight against Ovince Saint Preux, who was originally scheduled to face Maxim Grishin in a light heavyweight contest. Boser started the bout aggressive and landing frequently with a ton of pressure on his shoulders. Saint Preux managed to get Boser to the mat in the second. However, Boser quickly jumped back to his feet, but potentially with the help of the fence? Seconds after, Boser landed a flush knee followed up by strikes which ended the bout. The victory snapped a two-fight skid for the Canadian.
There are too many outstanding individual performances at UFC Vegas 30 but, some special mentions to Timur Valiev and Raoni Barcelos for putting on an electric fight of the night performance. Tim means for showing his veteran like experience and grinding out a tough victory over Denmarks Nicolas Dalby. Renato Moicano for bouncing back from a tough loss and putting on a dominant clinic over Jai Herbert. Shavkat Rakhmonov for looking for the most challenging fights and showcasing his potential. Last but not least, Jeremiah Wells making a statement in his UFC debut and living up to all the hype.
I asked my followers on Twitter after the UFC Vegas 30 card had finished to send in their best questions and talking points on the event. Before I answer, here are the full results from a spectacular night at UFC Vegas 30.
UFC Vegas 30 Twitter Mail Bag
@MmathoughtsO – Do you think Gane is boring?
Here’s my take on the individuals who call Gane boring. Watch another sport. People are quick to forget Gane only started MMA in 2018. He’s still a novice in this game, constantly learning on the job and developing as a complete fighter. If you look at his fights outside the UFC, he finished three of those before joining the organisation. Gane then won his first two fights with the promotion by submission, followed by a decision win with a Tanner Boser, who’s near impossible to finish. Don’t forget he stopped Jr Dos Santos.
I think that’s the issue with the MMA space at times. People are just so quick to forget and judge fighters by their last outings. Gane’s previous two opponents in Rosenstruik and Volkov are killers. Rosentruik and Volkov are guys that can shut your lights off at any minute. What do people expect from Gane to go out and fight like a wild man to get caught? It would be stupid of him.
I think his performance last night showed how good he is. His fight IQ was on another level. He fought a dangerous fight against a highly skilled striker. His footwork and general movement are beautiful for a heavyweight. He looks so light on his feet and moves so fluidly. For a man so new to the sport, I think he’s doing great.
@parnellewan14 – How far do you see Rakhmonov going in the ufc?
Man, I don’t know where to start with Rakhmonov. Fourteen fights, fourteen wins, fourteen finishes. From what we have seen for far, I think he’s destined for the top. He’s always looking for the most demanding challenge, and he said himself that he doesn’t want an easy route to the top.
Rakhmonov looked sensational last night. He had Prazere’s timing within seconds and caused him issues from the get-go. He seems like a complete fighter that mixes everything up so well and keeps his opponents guessing. A tricky and awkward style to prepare for anyone. A problem in the welterweight division..
I saw Twitter blow up asking for Rakhmonov vs Chimaev. Could you imagine? Unfortunately, we might see a spell where Rakhmonov struggles to get matched with many avoiding him as we did with Chimaev at one stage.
@UndercardPod – Assuming all things go to plan does Ngannou vs Gane in Paris just make complete sense given both there backgrounds?
I love this question. After UFC Vegas 30 last night, I was sat just thinking about this one. I mean, what a story that would be and just think of the previews. Francis Ngannou, a man who used to sleep rough on the streets of Paris, returning to the city to put his gold on the line against a gifted Frenchman in Gane and going against the old team that got him to the UFC.
It does business-wise in terms of making sense, but we need to see how the division plays out. Not if, but when the two fighters meet, the UFC would be stupid not to make it happen in Paris. A massive opportunity to capture the France MMA audience but also grow the sport in the country. Just imagine how many French news outlets would be talking about it. It’s a must.
@StevenNicoll – Should Fili and Pineda run it back?
This is a weird one for me. Nobody wants to put their body through a gruelling camp for the fight to end in a no-contest. But, I’m all for running it back and giving Daniel Pineda another opportunity. Still, in all honesty, I think Pineda was lucky to make it out the first round, and I think he would have been finished within the distance. He showed shear heart, but I don’t see any other outcome than an Andre Fili victory if they run it back.
@GavinTurnbull91 – Got to be some chat about the OSP-Boser finish and what led to it?
I was hoping this would get brought up. When the broadcast showed it at first glance, I thought Boser was wholly wrong and grabbed the fence to pull himself up and out of danger, but watching it again and again. You see his fist close up when he leans against the fence, therefore no issue for me. It’s up to the referee to catch onto these potential fouls.
Boser gave an excellent account of himself, stepping in on short notice and potentially fighting for his job. A much-needed win.
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Featured Image Credits to Embed from Getty Images
