The Ultimate Fighting Championship is kicking off a busy April with its latest fight night event presented by Meta Apex. UFC Vegas 115 is headlined by a lightweight bout between veteran contender Renato “Money” Moicano and rising star Chris Duncan. The 13-fight card also includes bouts at light heavyweight, bantamweight and women’s strawweight, which will have an impact later in the year.
Here are the fights for the UFC Vegas 115 main card winner.
“Money Moicano” showed he still has plenty of energy left in him by defeating Duncan (15-3) with a face crank in the main event. Canelo (21-7-1) is currently 5-2 in his last seven fights and there is no shame in losing to Islam Makhachev on short notice. The Brazilian is 36 years old but still a tough matchup for anyone, so it makes sense to face Pimblitt next. Both are fan-favorite contenders, but neither is of championship caliber, so this would be an exciting fight night main event, or a welcome addition to any pay-per-view main card. Pimblitt (23-4) just lost to Justin Gaethje but has surprised fans with recent wins over Bobby Green and Michael Chandler. Let’s see if “The Bad Guy” can add another respected veteran’s name to his record, or if Canelo can break the mold.
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Jandiroba’s match against Tabatha Ricci looked easy, as she defeated Tabatha Ricci via unanimous decision. Following the win, the former title challenger called for a rematch with defending champion Mackenzie Dunn, but that currently seems unlikely or that many would like to see a second rematch immediately. Many of the top strawweight fighters are currently booked or have recently fought Jandi Roba (23-4), but Robertson will be a competitive new face at 115 pounds. Robertson (17-8) is in the best shape of her career, riding a five-fight win streak with wins over Amanda Lemos, Marina Rodriguez and Luana Pinheiro. This will be a popular UFC fight night headliner and the winner will be in a great position moving forward.
Yakoyaev defeated Brenderson Ribeiro via rear-naked choke to remain undefeated. Yakoyaev has a 9-0 record as a pro and is an exciting prospect at just 25 years old. “The Hunter” is now 2-0 in the promotion and I’d like to see him face a veteran next. The fight with Crute will be particularly interesting as the Australian’s creative grappling will make it an interesting fight from a strategic standpoint. Krute (14-4-2) snapped a five-game losing streak with wins over Ivan Erslan and Marcin Plachino. It will show whether we need to put the brakes on Yakhyaev, or whether he is ready for tougher tests ahead.
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Ewing showed off his all-around game, punishing the overweight Rafael Estevam and knocking him out with a well-timed punch to the liver. Now with a 10-2 record as a pro, “Professor Fenicer” is one to watch in the bantamweight division. The 28-year-old showed a lot of composure, so I’d like to see him go up against a high-level goalkeeper next. Former champion Garbrandt fits the bill and has shown his hitting prowess in recent years. However, “Loveless” is still dangerous, as it has wins over Trayvon Jones, Brian Kelleher and Long Xiao. Let’s see if Ewing can get past Garbrandt (15-7) and prove he’s ready to fight a 135-year-old contender, because if so, he’ll be a welcome new face.
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McMillan made an impressive debut in the UFC, pinning Manolo Zecchini with knees and punches. With a current record of 10-0 as a pro, McMillan will take on a tougher opponent in his next fight. I’d like to see the 28-year-old forward take on Riley next. The British fighter had impressive wins over Michael Aswell and Bogdan Gler and left an impression with the Cage Warriors for many years. With Riley holding onto his 13-0 record, there will be a strong storyline about two young prospects clashing with the winner that deserves all the attention they get.