UFC Vegas 30 Results and Takeaways: Ciryl Gane Remains An Unsolved Puzzle

“Bon Gamin” joins Timur Valiev and Tim Means as those who recorded notable wins via the judge’s scorecards. Meanwhile, Tanner Boser, Renato Moicano, Kennedy Nzechukwu, and several others delivered highlight-worthy finishes in what was a very eventful card.

Biggest Takeaways

Gane Separates From the Pack

The undefeated French powerhouse answered the bell once again against another one of the division’s premier strikers. Over the course of five rounds and 135 significant strikes, Gane proved to be the faster and more precise fighter. Moreover, he demonstrated more of a willingness to open up in order to land more significant blows, something he didn’t show in his previous bout against Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Gane has catapulted himself into top-contender status in less than two years in arguably the most unpredictable division the sport has to offer. Next for him will likely either be Stipe Miocic or the loser of Francis Ngannou/Derrick Lewis, which is thought to be targeted for August. It’s not a stretch to call Ciryl Gane the most technical striker at heavyweight, which is remarkable considering his relatively low experience.

Valiev & Nzechukwu Earn Bonuses With Comeback Wins

It was evident from the opening bell that Valiev belonged in there with the very tough Raoni Barcelos. Yet, things became incredibly murky in the second round as Barcelos landed two devastating strikes resulting in knockdowns. Not only was “Lucky” able to survive, but he came back to take the final round and ultimately the fight. While he probably won’t receive a ranked opponent in his next outing, the 31-year-old looked the part of a top-10 bantamweight at UFC Vegas 30.

Nigeria’s Nzechukwu went the entire first round without throwing a strike, as Danilo Marques rode his back for just about every second. However, as the fight wore on the “African Savage” took control in large part due to his show-stopping power. His corner stressed between rounds two and three that he could win the fight, and they hit it right on the head as it took just 20 seconds for Nzechukwu to put an end to the contest. You can officially call him the comeback king with how his last two bouts have played out.

Rakhmonov Is a Budding Star

With his submission win at UFC Vegas 30, Uzbekistan’s unbeaten prodigy proved his worth as a viable threat in the welterweight division. Rakhmonov has disposed of two durable Brazilian veterans in his first two octagon appearances. Now 14-0, “Nomad” is still yet to go the distance as a professional, and it might already be time to give him a ranked foe.

It’s difficult to locate a weakness in the 26-year-old’s game. His grappling prowess has been on full display in his first two UFC outings. In addition to that, Rakhmonov possesses a well-versed striking arsenal which coincides with his solid 6’1″ frame. This is somebody that we’ll be talking about for a long time in this sport.

UFC Vegas 30 Results

• Ciryl Gane def. Alexander Volkov via unanimous decision (50-45 x2, 49-46)
• Tanner Boser def. Ovince Saint Preux via KO (punches)
• Timur Valiev def. Raoni Barcelos via majority decision (28-28, 29-28 x2)
• Andre Fili vs Daniel Pineda ruled no-contest (accidental eye poke)
• Tim Means def. Nicholas Dalby via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
• Renato Moicano def. Jai Herbert via submission (rear-naked choke)
• Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Danilo Marques via TKO (punches)
• Shavkat Rakhmonov def. Michel Prazeres via submission (rear-naked choke)
• Jeremiah Wells def. Warlley Alves via KO (punches)
• Marcin Prachnio def. Ike Villanueva via TKO (body kick)
• Julia Avila def. Julija Stoliarenko via submission (rear-naked choke)
• Charles Rosa def. Justin Jaynes via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
• Damir Hadzovic def. Yancy Medeiros via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

Of all the UFC Vegas 30 results, which impressed you the most? Were you surprised by any of the outcomes? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!

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