UFC: Santos vs. Ankalaev
Fight Night 50 Vegas
April 7, 2022
Main Card
Thiago Santos(22-10) vs. Magomed Ankalaev(17-1)
At 205 pounds, ESPN put Ankalaev at No. 8 and Santos at No. 9 in the world. Ankalaev is on an eight-fight winning streak, second only to longtime champion and all-time great Jon Jones in UFC light heavyweight history (13). For the majority of the fight, Ankalaev stood up and engaged Santos in a deadly kickboxing contest. Santos is one of the division’s most dangerous knockout artists. By getting good angles and executing effective counterstrikes, Ankalaev was able to keep him off balance. At the end of the second round, Santos downed Ankalaev with a looping hook, which was possibly the most damaging strike of the fight. 
In the third round, though, Ankalaev rebounded and used his boxing to keep Santos at bay, including a good straight left out of the southpaw stance and a counter right hook. Santos’ leg kicks were effective in the middle rounds, creating a cut and causing edema on Ankalaev’s right leg. In the fourth round, Ankalaev opted for a late takedown and ground Santos in a round that he had been leading on the feet up until that moment. In the fifth round, Ankalaev primarily used the clinch to keep Santos pressed against the cage. Ankalaev (17-1) was aggressive throughout the fight, but he didn’t take it to the next level. When he hurled anything, he threw one strike at a time. He mostly waited to counter Santos, and he paid the price in Round 2, when he was floored by a left hand from the Brazilian and spent the final seconds of the round on the ground absorbing punches. But that was Santos’ lone ray of hope, and the judges’ scores (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) confirmed his Russian opponent’s dominance.
Marlon Moraes(23-10-1) vs. Song Yadong(19-5-1)
After the latest Alpha Male contender, Song Yadong, knocked out Marlon Moraes in the first round on Saturday, he stated, “I want to fight next Dominick Cruz…. I have a lot of respect for him…. I want to fight with him.” /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23310063/1384685747.jpg)
Song, a 24-year-old Chinese fighter who has won three straight fights, had only one loss in his last 13 fights, and is currently 8-1-1 in the UFC, would be an appropriate step up in competition. Those staggering figures are one of the reasons he was selected No. 1 in ESPN’s top 25 MMA fighters under the age of 25. Song effortlessly dismantled Moraes, who has a reputation for being a quick starter who fades as a battle progresses. Moraes came in having lost three straight fights and four of his previous five, and he was predicting a comeback. Song, on the other hand, did not give him a single inch. From the opening, the Chinese fighter was all over Moraes, and it only took him 2:06 to knock him out with a three-punch combination accentuated by a clean uppercut. It was a climactic ending that should pique the interest of many fans and, presumably, Dom Cruz as well.
Sodiq Yusuff(12-2) vs. Alex Caceres(19-13)
As the main program featherweight brawl got begun, the two exchanged kicks right away. Within 30 seconds, the referee issued a warning for extended fingers. Caceres eventually won the fight and attempted to take the back, but Yusuff quickly escaped. Yusuff surged forward on his feet, just where he wanted to be, eventually catching a kick and dumping Caceres. Yusuff, on the other hand, had to be wary of upkicks and then Caceres’ dangerous ground game. They’d be back on their feet in no time, Caceres content to trade power shots while avoiding Yusuff’s attacks. Although “Bruce Leeroy” eluded them, trading with Yusuff was a risky business.
Sodiq Yusuff, on the other hand, chose the back, controlling his opponent with a body lock. Yusuff opened with some power blows in round two, as Caceres worked his jab and a check hook. Yusuff also threw in several leg kicks, presumably to make his opponent a more stationary target. Caceres seemed to be treading a little more carefully after a while. Caceres’ own corner encouraged him to at least check the kicking attacks, and another kick followed. Another pulled Caceres’ leg out from under him, but he was back on his feet in a flash. Caceres pressed on, landing a front kick and letting his hands go, but the leg kicks were the highlight of the round. Caceres was still impressively mobile to begin the third round, despite the damage to his legs. Yusuff resumed his calculated attack, cutting the leg and throwing a few punches here and there. Cacares fought with greater zeal as the seconds passed, in stark contrast to Yusuff’s meticulous approach. That said, in the second half of the last round, Yusuff threw a kick upstairs, showed some solid movement of his own, then returned to the well and kicked Caceres’ leg out from under him. There were no shocks from the judges after the fight, as they all gave Sodiq Yusuff the victory.
Khalil Rountree(11-5) vs. Karl Roberson(9-5)
The first round began with both players attempting to determine their range. Both men fired a few hard rounds early on. Rountree and Roberson both had their chins tested during the first minute, and both passed with flying colors. Following the fast start, the pace began to slow. Rountree dominated the octagon for the majority of the round, as Roberson attempted to respond. You could tell that both men admired the other’s strength.
Rountree closed the round with a quick flurry in the centre of the octagon. Rountree started the second round with a big right hook that knocked Roberson down. While Roberson worked his way back up, he continued to hit Roberson with powerful blows. Rountree continued to apply pressure and kicked him back to the ground, refusing to let go. The kick to the body was quite painful. The fight was stopped at 0:25 of round two, with Roberson covering up.
Drew Dober(24-11) vs. Terrance McKinney(12-4)
After losing battles against Islam Makhachev and Brad Riddell, Dober was aiming to get back on the winning track on Saturday. McKinney, on the other hand, had a different plan. He came out swinging strong and landed almost everything he threw. He downed Dober, pummeled him with lefts and rights, and it appeared as if the fight was about to end right then. Dober managed to get back on his feet and eat a flying knee, which knocked him down again. McKinney, who was looking for another first-round finish, continued to light up the stage. McKinney’s blows were not only crazy, but they were also quite accurate, when he couldn’t put Dober away, he switched things up and landed a takeover. Drew Dober’s chin, heart, and instinct were the only things that kept him in the battle until the midway point of the first round. He got out from beneath McKinney, but not before taking a head kick on the way up. McKinney appeared to have slowed after fanning on a spinning back kick. Dober saw his opportunity and, after being pounded for most of the bout, managed to land a body-knee. McKinney was knocked down, Dober stepped in with ground and pound, and the referee had had enough.
Alex Pereira(5-1) vs. Bruno Silva(22-7)
Pereira opened up with a trio of kicks after a touch of the gloves; Silva responded with a kick of his own before they engaged the clinch for a brief while before breaking apart. Pereira slid back and responded with a body kick, while Silva surged forward with a flurry. Pereira unleashed a three-punch combo that included a hard right hook. Silva continued to drive forward with combinations, clinching the clinch and working some inside knees. They split up once more. Pereira unleashed a new set of kicks. Before dropping for the takedown and driving Pereira into the cage, Sliva landed a kick, followed by a right hand. Pereira got back on his feet and separated once more. /cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70613637/1351758449.0.jpg)
Pereira kicked off round two with a pair of kicks, followed by a hook to the body. Silva attempted to hit a left hook, but Pereira stepped in front of him. Pereira retaliated, but Silva delivered a powerful body hook. Pereira attempted to land on Silva’s body, but Silva countered with a takedown and dragged Pereira to the ground. They only lingered there for a brief period before rising to their feet in the clinch. Silva landed a beautiful hook followed by an uppercut while both men worked inside the clinch. Pereira leapt to his feet and launched an attack with a hard right punch that landed squarely on target. Silva pressed on and was able to hit the hook once more, but Pereira countered with a flying knee. Pereira dove in but wasn’t able to get much done as the round finished. Silva fired a kick but stumbled and landed on his back. The presence of the hard-hitting combination in the third round was nearly unexpected. Pereira started the third round with a leg kick and a combo, but Silva pushed forward for a takedown, which Pereira was able to avoid. Silva continued to drive forward, landing a left hand and a stinging leg kick. Pereira worked on the inside and landed knees in the clinch against the cage, but Silva countered with a left hook that backed Pereira up. Pereira retreated for a brief while before returning with a combination and a barrage of blows that stunned Silva. When Pereira realized the end was near, he opened up even more, but Silva countered with a left hand strike before the two battled their way back inside the clinch. Silva took advantage of the opening and attacked Pereira, but Pereira countered with force, landing a crushing right hand that appeared to break Silva’s node and dazed him for a moment. Silva was able to reassemble himself and finish the round. The scorecards, on the other hand, were a different story, with Pereira coming out on top.
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