UFC Vegas 8: The Scorecard

If you’ve followed his career for any length of time, you’ll know that Ricardo Lamas is one of the good guys of the game. He signs his contract, shows up, makes weight, fights, and goes back home to his family in Chicago. There’s no nonsense when it comes to “The Bully,” and that old school approach may not have made him a household name among casual fight fans, but the hardcores know and his peers certainly know. There’s something to be said for that, and on Saturday, he showed once again why he’s been one of the best featherweights of this era, breaking open a close fight with hungry newcomer Bill Algeo to deliver a big third round and take home his 11th UFC win. After the bout, Lamas hinted at retirement, and while I think he’s still got gas left in the tank, is he did end his career with a Fight of the Night victory, what a way to go out.

With his one-sided win over Anthony Smith, Aleksandar Rakic may not have wowed those looking for a repeat of his knockouts of Devin Clark and Jimi Manuwa, but he did something more important. He got a win and moved closer to a shot at the vacant light heavyweight title Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz will be fighting for in September. And though he didn’t score an emphatic finish over “Lionheart,” his dominant victory proved that he will be a problem for anyone he faces among the 205-pound elite, a club he is now a part of.

Unfortunately, following Neil Magny’s outstanding win over Robbie Lawler, a lot of the focus was on what the former welterweight champion didn’t do, as opposed to what Magny did do. But let’s make it clear right here: Magny won because he controlled the fight wherever he went. It was a brilliant game plan executed flawlessly, and that’s Neil Magny in a nutshell. He’s not flashy, but he gets the job done and always brings it at a high level. Magny vs Geoff Neal? Yeah, I think we’re all ready for that one.

Saturday night, more than nine years after his Octagon debut, Alex Caceres put together the first three-fight winning streak of his UFC career by beating Austin Springer. That’s a pretty remarkable feat for Caceres, who may actually be hitting his prime now at 32. More accurately, it seems that Caceres has matured from a flashy, inconsistent kid to a seasoned veteran who know what it takes to win and who has the skills to get the job done. This is one story that bears a closer look as the year progresses.

It took some ups and downs, but Alexa Grasso finally seems to be reaching the potential everyone predicted for her years ago. Funny what an extra 10 pounds will do, but Grasso seems happier and more comfortable at flyweight, and her performance in beating Ji Yeon Kim was one of her best since joining the UFC roster in 2016. Now Grasso won’t be in talks for a title shot yet, but if she continues on the path she’s on, it won’t just be a major positive development in her life, but she can have a huge impact on women’s MMA in Mexico, a country that has long appreciated fighting of all disciplines. That’s a big deal.