Hindsight - UFC Chile: Maia vs. Usman in retrospect

Take a look back on the action from this weekend at UFC Chile, from Claudio Puelles’ miracle knee bar in the opening contest to Kamaru Usman’s definitive win over former title challenger Demian Maia.

Outside of the main event of UFC Chile, there wasn’t any buzz around the event. Once the event was over, none of the buzz was about the lackluster showing between Kamaru Usman and Demian Maia. Instead, there were five first-round finishes, including those of Tatiana Suarez and Dominick Reyes. It may be too early to declare high expectations on the youngsters, but they have the looks of future contenders… high praise for fighters who just finished their third UFC contest.

Here’s a breakdown of every contest on UFC Chile. I’ll cover the important parts of the fight, some of the techniques I noticed that were either effective or ineffective, and where the fighters appear to be going.

Claudio Puelles defeated Felipe Silva via submission at 2:23 of RD3

Silva should be the winner of this fight by all accounts. There were several moments in the fight when the referee could/should have stepped in to stop the fight as Silva teed off on the youngster. Instead, Osiris Maia let the contest continue and for once, the guy getting his ass kicked reaped the benefits. Silva stupidly allowed himself to be entangled in a desperate takedown attempt from Puelles and got stuck in a DEEP kneebar that Silva had no choice other than to tap to.

While there are positives to take from both fighters – Puelles’ toughness and Silva’s striking – the negatives seemed to outweigh the positives. Puelles’ striking wasn’t aggressive enough, allowing Silva to land some heavy punishment even before fatigue set in for Puelles. Fortunately for him, he’s young enough that he should improve simply with more experience. Silva’s inexperienced in the sport too – hence the struggles with the grappling – but he doesn’t have the advantage of youth on his side.

Frankie Saenz defeated Henry Briones via unanimous decision

A curious matchup of the two bantamweight division members owning a subscribtion to AARP, Saenz’s edge in athleticism and wrestling proved to be more than enough to give him the edge in this contest. Briones was game, landing more than his share of punching combinations to make the fight an entertaining scrap. Unfortunately for the Mexican veteran, he couldn’t land as many as Saenz.

I wasn’t crazy about this contest in the first place as I couldn’t figure out what the hell Briones was still doing on the roster. At 1-3 with his lone victory coming over Guido Cannetti, Briones’ resume has made it clear he doesn’t belong in the UFC. Credit to him here as his performance screamed otherwise as he didn’t allow Saenz to run away with the contest. Still, as Briones gets older, he isn’t going to get better. There’s countless youngsters who may or may not be better than Briones who would do anything for his roster spot. Here’s hoping this is Briones’ last UFC fight, contract be damned.

The most impressive thing here was Saenz’s ability to push a hard pace for the entirety of the contest. He has yet to give any of his opponent’s an easy fight and he doesn’t look like he’s ready to concede anything to his 37 years of age. Nonetheless, Father Time is undefeated and he’ll force Saenz to slow down sooner rather than later. Despite that, Saenz may have earned an opportunity to fight a ranked opponent after his hiatus from the official rankings.

Enrique Barzola defeated Brandon Davis via unanimous decision

In recent years, strikers have been finding more success when there is a disparity of where fighters want the fight to take place. That’s why I went with Davis, believing his wrestling would hold up. Davis’ striking did appear to be better, but Barzola kept him on the ground for enough of the fight that it didn’t matter. The most impressive part was Barzola pushing a consistently hard pace for 15 minutes. By the end, Davis looked like he may have broken mentally from Barzola’s nonstop pace.

Barzola is quietly putting together one of the more impressive streaks on the roster thus far. He’s 5-1 in the UFC with most believing he should be 6-0. Looking at his striking game on its own, there are a lot of holes that still need to be filled. However, his simplistic standup revolving around low kicks and short combinations works well in concert with his wrestle-centric approach. What would be best to compliment it would be to develop a steady submission game next. Regardless, his tireless gas tank will make him a tough out no matter who he’s going against.

Davis would probably best be suited by a change in camps. His corner was telling him to get Barzola down, apparently oblivious to the fact Barzola was taking Davis down time and again. Were they aware of what was going on in there? It was shocking to see Davis looking tired the deeper the fight went, but I think that was more attributed to frustration. It isn’t just losing here that puts a more defined cap on his ceiling, it was the way he lost. He never looked like he would develop into more than a fun action fighter anyway, a role he’s already filling quite ably.

Gabriel Benitez defeated Humberto Bandenay via KO at 0:39 of RD1

I never liked this contest being put together in the first place. Benitez was coming off the biggest win of his career when he upset Jason Knight and was rewarded by getting a very green prospect. Huh? Benitez came out to make a statement right away, engaging and landing a combination that dropped Bandenay quickly. He damn near got himself submitted when he went for the finish as Bandenay locked in an armbar, but Benitez slammed him to the mat, knocking Bandenay silly before finishing him with a few punches. About as much action as can be packed into 39 seconds.

I was never very high on Benitez when he first entered the UFC. I’m not saying he didn’t deserve his spot on the UFC roster, but he looked like a benefactor of an underdeveloped Mexican scene. I was wrong about him. He’s received better training since that time and shows it every time he steps into the cage. Though we didn’t see much of his striking, he looked more tight and technical than he ever has in that short exchange, mixing his strikes to every level of the body. He’s now 5-2 in the UFC. He may be deserving of an opportunity to crack the rankings.

Bandenay is what I thought Benitez was a few years ago: a product of an underdeveloped scene. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have talent nor does it mean he didn’t show any spunk here. He recovered quickly from Benitez’s knockdown to slap on an armbar that had Benitez in a world of trouble. The native of Peru is still only 23. The UFC should take their time with him much like they did with Enrique Barzola. Pitting Bandenay against someone who is fresh off the Contender Series makes more sense than an established vet like Benitez.

Poliana Botelho defeated Syuri Kondo via TKO at 0:33 of RD1

Given Botelho’s UFC debut was only her stuffing continuous takedown attempts and Kondo is still very unproven, there was a lot of mystery behind this contest. We didn’t have to wait long to find out who was better as Botelho landed a perfectly placed kick to the liver less than 30 seconds in that sent Kondo reeling backwards. Botelho did what she is supposed to do by following up to finish with punches.

In addition to knowing she can stuff takedowns, we now know Botelho is an accurate kicker with some killer instinct. Basically, it’s hard to take too much from this contest. Botelho has earned a chance to face a ranked opponent now, though it’s still hard to know what to expect from her.

Kondo is still very much a mystery herself. I don’t think it’s fair to say the body should be a target for her now ala Matt Brown as Botelho’s kick appeared to be right on the liver. Remember how Bas Rutten used to target the liver? It’s a sensitive spot. Not much to take out of this for Kondo. Given her professional MMA career began just over two years ago, about the only thing I feel confident in saying is she should continue to improve.

Alexandre Pantoja defeated Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision

We had seen this fight before. Sure, it was in the TUF house – and who watches TUF anymore – but we saw Pantoja submit Moreno. Moreno had made great strides since that fight just two years ago, making it a curiosity if he could overthrow his former opponent today. The answer was definitively no. Pantoja looked like the more improved fighter, showing brilliant timing on his counters to piece up Moreno, potentially breaking his nose in the first round. Moreno didn’t go away, but he was never able to wrest control away from the Brazilian, allowing the judges to make an easy decision.

Is it just me, or did there seem to be a lot of people counting out Pantoja following his loss to Dustin Ortiz? Pantoja is still only 28-years old with some of the best kicks and grappling in the division. Now it appears he’s improved his timing and accuracy. I don’t want to get ahead of myself and say he’s a future title contender, but can I see him beating former title challengers Wilson Reis and John Moraga? Yes, I can. Given the long list of victims Demetrious Johnson already has on his ledger, it wouldn’t be too difficult for Pantoja to work his way onto possible opponents for the dominant champion. The list of fighters ranked ahead of the man Pantoja just beat is short: Jussier Formiga and Sergio Pettis. Pantoja would be the underdog against them, but he could win those fights.

Despite the loss, Moreno’s stock didn’t take a hit in my eyes, though I admit I probably had a lower opinion on him than most. Not because I don’t think he’s talented; just that the UFC rushed him after his upset win over Smolka. Pantoja countering him so easily isn’t just a tribute to Pantoja’s abilities; it’s a sign of Moreno showing what’s coming next. The kid’s wildness is one of the things that makes him special, but it needs to be harnessed in just a bit to bring out the best of him. For instance, his looping punches make him easy to counter. He needs a step down in competition before making his way back up the ladder.

Michel Prazeres defeated Zak Cummings via split decision

Prazeres had won six in a row heading into this contest. However, all those contests were against opponents who weighed in at the lightweight limit. Prazeres had done so in only half of those contests. Would he still be able to continue his success despite not being the bigger and stronger fighter? It turns out he could. Cummings never was able to get comfortable in the pocket, nor could he find the leverage to get Prazeres to the ground, resulting in a strategy that didn’t have much direction. Thus, Prazeres was able to secure an upset at his new home of 170.

Something looked off with Cummings the entire time. Normally a slick counter puncher, he couldn’t get the timing down on Prazeres for some reason. Was it Prazeres’ darting style necessitated by his lack of reach? I don’t know. Where was Cummings’ jab? Only Cummings can answer those questions. The loss hurts Cummings placement as a gatekeeper to the rankings as the only previous UFC losses he had experienced were to Gunnar Nelson and Santiago Ponzinibbio.

Prazeres is talking about possibly going back down to lightweight. The UFC should draw a hard line and tell him no. Missing weight three times out of four contests should make welterweight his home permanently. It looks like he may do better there than anyone believed. His short frame makes it difficult for opponent to get leverage on him and he was more active, likely due to not needing to cut as much weight. Given half of his lightweight wins in his recent streak came when he had an unfair advantage, I’m hesitant to say he deserves a ranked opponent. However, he isn’t far off.

Vicente Luque defeated Chad Laprise via KO at 4:16 of RD1

There weren’t very many people picking Laprise as the physical disparity between the two appeared to be too great for him to overcome. Laprise was putting those ideas to rest early, moving around on the outside a lot and keeping pace with Luque’s volume. All it took was one well-placed punch from Luque to ruin things for Laprise, putting the Canadian to the canvas with a shot straight to the chin. A few follow up punches later and it was all over.

With six wins in his last seven appearances, Luque is on one of the more successful stretches in the welterweight division. His combination striking has gone from a developing aspect of his game prior to his UFC debut to a bona fide strength. Nobody is necessarily surprised by his development as his physical skills have long been obvious. He’s received the coaching and training needed to exploit his talents. Luque needs further experience to continue improving. Hopefully he can get the step up in competition he deserves.

Despite being KO’d in the first round, I was encouraged by Laprise’s performance up until that point. He’s not a great athlete, but his hand and foot speed help to make up for that. He was utilizing them well enough that I would have given him the opening round up to the point when Luque caught him on the chin, a bit of a surprising development. However, Luque raised his chin when he was engaging – as many do – that was when he got caught. Got to keep that chin tucked….

Andrea Lee defeated Veronica Macedo via unanimous decision

There wasn’t much debate in this contest. No one debated Macedo’s talent, but she is also about as raw of a prospect as there is on the UFC roster. On the other side, Lee may have been making her UFC debut, but she was also one of the most experienced women on the regional scene at the time of her signing. Lee methodically disposed of Macedo, bullying her in the clinch, throwing her to the ground, and getting the better of the striking exchanges.

Despite the loss being one-sided, not all was negative for Macedo. She did have Lee on the ropes in the first round when she landed a pair of head kicks that had Lee doing the stanky leg. Unfortunately, Macedo couldn’t capitalize properly, clinching when she should have continued her onslaught from where it began. Macedo is still only 22-years old with much to learn. Here’s hoping the UFC gives her a significant step down. Macedo shouldn’t even be on a UFC roster at this point of her development.

Many were talking about Lee as a title contender upon her signing. For those who believed that, this performance kind of proves she isn’t ready for that. It isn’t that it was a poor performance. It’s that she couldn’t put away someone as raw as Macedo and getting rocked as badly as she did. Nonetheless, Lee’s debut was an overall success and she is not yet a finished product. She could become a title contender soon, but she isn’t there yet.

Guido Cannetti defeated Diego Rivas via unanimous decision

A contest completely for the home crowd as Rivas was the lone Chilean on the UFC roster, it was painful to watch. Rivas, as always, was reluctant to pull the trigger while Cannetti delivered with a steady amount of kicks. Rivas didn’t show enough desperation in the final round, content to try and outpoint Cannetti despite having lost the first two rounds. When Cannetti was announced the winner, the crowd let their displeasure be known voraciously.

Not a promising performance for either fighter. Rivas’ biggest issue has long been his reluctance to let his fists fly and it again cost him here. If he wasn’t willing to let them fly in the final round of this contest, it’s doubtful he’ll ever do so. Plus, he continually allowed himself to get swept when he had a favorable position. As for Cannetti, he’s the same fighter we thought he was before the contest, Rivas’ inactivity giving Cannetti the win. Outside of Rivas, it’s hard to think of another bantamweight on the roster Cannetti would be favored against.

Dominick Reyes defeated Jared Cannonier via TKO at 2:55 of RD1

There had been major flashes of brilliance in Reyes short career, including two UFC contests. But neither Joachim Christensen or Jeremy Kimball offered the same challenge Cannonier presented? Could Reyes pass the test. He not only passed it, he did so with flying colors. Cannonier swung for the fences early, which also allowed Reyes to get a feel for him. A big uppercut from Reyes hurt Cannonier, leaving him stumbling around the cage. Reyes capitalized, finishing off the big Alaskan with punches.

Reyes’ victory is a big relief for the UFC. Desperate for a young prospect to push as a future contender at light heavyweight, Reyes looks like he fills the bill. He’s long with an excellent sense of timing and a flair for the flashy. There are still a lot of questions to be answered as he’s only had one of his professional contests leave the first round. However, finishing a tough vet whom Glover Teixeira and Jan Blachowicz were unable to finish is quite a statement.

Cannonier has been dealt a tough lot in his last few contests. The Teixeira contest never made much sense, even if Cannonier had impressed in his prior contest with Ion Cutelaba. But going from Cutelaba from Teixeira? I don’t think so. Blachowicz made sense at the time as no one expected him to develop into the top five fighter he has become. What cost him against Reyes was his insistence on going for the kill right off the bat. He should have looked to drag out the fight as no one knows how Reyes can do beyond the first round. Cannonier is still a viable 205er. He’s just been on the unfortunate end of the matchmaking scale recently. Here’s hoping the UFC gives him a favorable matchup. He’s earned it.

Tatiana Suarez defeated Alexa Grasso via submission at 2:44 of RD1

Perhaps the two most promising prospects at strawweight, there was more on the line in this contest than there would appear to be at first glance. The basic premise was whether Grasso could stop Suarez’s takedowns. Grasso had displayed good takedown defense before, but she had never faced anyone on Suarez’s level. Grasso didn’t stand a chance. Suarez chained her takedowns in such relentless fashion that Grasso couldn’t hope to get away even when she was able to climb back to her feet. She tried threatening a submission only for Suarez to take the opportunity to advance position. Once she got Grasso’s back, it was all over as an RNC finished the job.

Suarez only has three UFC contests under her belt, but they’ve all been exceptionally impressive as all were one-sided in favor of Suarez. She has yet to be tested, a bit of a surprise given Grasso’s talent. I know many are still preaching patience with Suarez, but I have no problem with the UFC throwing her into the deep end. I would simply say against someone with strong wrestling, but that description only fits those at the top of the division. Should Suarez fall, I’m still confident she can rebound. She has overcome cancer after all.

Grasso has been given repeated tough matchups in her UFC stint with this one really being the only one where she was out of her depth… and even then, it’s only because Suarez’s wrestling is so damn good. Suarez was simply a terrible stylistic matchup for Grasso. Expect Grasso to bounce back in her next contest. She’s still only 24-years old with plenty of untapped potential. It might be going too far to say that she’s going to be a future title contender, but we have yet to see the best out of Grasso.

Kamaru Usman defeated Demian Maia via unanimous decision

There was a lot of anticipation behind this contest. Usman appears to be the best pure wrestler in the division while Maia might be the best pure BJJ practitioner in the history of the sport. Unfortunately for fight fans, we got a kickboxing contest between two noted grapplers. Maia tried to get the fight to the mat in every round, but Usman was having none of it. Usman suffered a hand injury early in the fight, limiting his offensive output, though he did manage to hurt Maia to open the fourth round. Usman couldn’t finish the job though and the fight ended up going the distance in lackluster fashion.

There has been talk that Maia is finished as a fighter. On the contrary, I say he’s faced the three worst stylistic fighters in the division in his last three fights. Maia is one of the better wrestlers in the division, but Usman, Tyron Woodley, and Colby Covington may be the only ones who are better than the Brazilian grappler. The amount of takedowns secured by Maia in those three contests: zero. Prior to those three contests, the last time Maia failed to secure a takedown was his last contest at middleweight against Chris Weidman. That’s a span of 12 fights. Maia is still a brutally tough gatekeeper. Like anyone else, he simply needs the right matchup to prove his worth. I’m glad to hear he’s going to finish out his contract as I’d like to see one of the sport’s ultimate good guys go out on a high note. I think he’ll be able to do that.

Though the contest wasn’t very entertaining, it shouldn’t take away from what Usman accomplished. He was able to dispose of a man who was competing for the title less than a year ago. Even if he has slipped a bit, It isn’t like Maia has fallen off a cliff in that time. Usman did come close to finishing Maia too, something only Nate Marquardt has been able to do… all the way back in 2009. If Usman wants to get fans behind him, he needs to stop talking about his injuries. Last time he was allegedly at 30%. This time he mentions the hand injury. I’m not saying he isn’t getting nicked up, but it’s MMA. Everyone gets nicked up, especially in the course of a fight. I say that because I want fans to get behind Usman.

Given there is a bit of a logjam at the top of the division thanks to Tyron Woodley’s surgery, Usman may need to pick up another win despite already owning eight in a row. The only fight that would make sense would be to award him the winner of Stephen Thompson and Darren Till.

Well, those are my thoughts. Until next time….