UFC Vegas 42: Max Holloway Wins Five Round War vs. Yair Rodriguez

UFC Vegas 42 Results

Main Card

• (1) Max Holloway defeats (3) Yair Rodriguez via Unanimous Decision – (49-46, 48-47 x2)
• Marcos Rogerio De Lima defeats Ben Rothwell via TKO – Round 1 (0:32) 
• Felicia Spencer defeats Leah Letson via TKO – Round 3 (4:25) 
• Khaos Williams defeats Miguel Baeza via TKO – Round 3 (1:02)
• (15) Song Yadong defeats Julio Arce via TKO – Round 2 (1:35) 

Prelims

• Joel Alvarez defeats (15) Thiago Moises via TKO – Round 1 (3:01) 
• (12) Andre Lee defeats (5) Cynthia Calvillo via TKO – Round 2 (5:00) 
• Sean Woodson defeats Collin Anglin via TKO – Round 1 (4:30) 
• Cortney Casey defeats Liana Jojua via Unanimous Decision – (30-27 x3) 
• Rafael Alves defeats Marc Diakiese via Submission – Round 1 (1:48)
• Da-Un Jung defeats Kennedy Nzechukwu via KO – Round 1 (3:04)

UFC Vegas 42 Bonuses

• Fight of the Night: Max Holloway vs Yair Rodriguez
• Performance Awards: Khaos Williams (TKO), and Andrea Lee (TKO)

UFC Vegas 42 Takeaways

The Blessed Express Rolls Along

Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez went to war for five rounds in their UFC Vegas 42 main event. Both men put the highest level of striking in the division on display, plus Holloway’s grappling that fans do not get to see too often. “Blessed” would get the unanimous decision nod on the judges’ scorecards 49-46, 48-47 x2.

First and foremost, hats off to Yair Rodriguez. To come into this fight after having been out for over two years and win a round(s) from Holloway is nothing short of impressive. He is one of the brightest young talents in this division, and one can only hope that he can begin to become more active like the beginning of his UFC tenure.

Now, for the former champion, Max Holloway. What more can honestly be said about the pride of Hawaii? His relentless pace, pressure, and striking are second to none. As mentioned earlier, he showed off some excellent grappling and transitional work that we do not see hardly ever. His cardio and chin are some of the best in UFC history. So many would think it is time to run it back a third time with current featherweight king, Alexander Volkanovski. Well, you can’t say it doesn’t make sense, but it sounds like there are plenty of options on the table for Holloway.

Whether that be the title fight with Volk, a second move up to lightweight and begin title contention there, or Mr. Conor McGregor himself, the two tend to have some fun with one another on Twitter. With the whole “best boxer in the UFC” talk that surrounds Holloway, it seems Conor wants to have a say in the matter. Regardless of what comes next, Max Holloway is still a mind-boggling 29 years old and has now amassed 19 victories inside the UFC octagon. A legend already, with so much left to go, ladies and gentlemen, the Blessed Express continues to roll along. 

Welcome to the Top Ten

Andrea Lee put on a striking clinic against number-five ranked Cynthia Calvillo at UFC Vegas 42. Lee came into this fight following the best performance of her career against Antonina Shevchenko earlier this year, and the momentum is now at an all-time high. The finish would come at the end of round two after Calvillo’s corner threw in the towel after the overwhelming volume of Lee proved to be too much to handle.

Now having rallied off two straight victories in awe-inspiring fashion and both via finish, Andrea Lee may have a top-five ranking next to her name come Tuesday. When Lee first entered the UFC back in 2018, she was labeled as a legitimate title threat. However, her run in the UFC has been very back and forth, as she started 3-0, then lost three straight, albeit very close losses, and now back to where we are today. At 32 years old, “KGB” Lee may just now be putting it all together, and with another impressive win like these past two, she could be right there in talks for a shot at gold.

Prelim Prospects Deliver

Da-Un Jung, Sean Woodson, and Joel Alvarez dominated their respective bouts on the UFC Vegas 42 prelims. All three secured first-round KO/TKO finishes. Jung now has an incredible 15 fight unbeaten streak following his KO win over another rising prospect, Kennedy Nzechukwu. And considering he is in the light heavyweight division, one of the more shallow in the UFC, it may not be long before Jung finds himself fighting for a chance to crack into the rankings.

Sean Woodson locked in his third UFC victory against Collin Anglin and showed off his incredible boxing in the process. Woodson’s patience and technical ability, paired with his sneaky good power, was something to behold. Not to mention he is 6’2” and in the featherweight division, it is safe to say that he is an outlier. Be on the lookout for the Dana White’s Contender Series alum to get a big test in his next outing.

Last but not least, Joel Alvarez improved to 19-2 with all of his wins coming by way of finish. Known for his submissions, Alvarez came out and looked phenomenal on the feet against Thiago Moises. The only thing that may cloud this performance was missing weight. But, if Alvarez can get all things in order regarding the scale, Spain may very well have a big-time threat in the lightweight division.

What were your biggest takeaways from UFC Vegas 42? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images