UFC Vegas 97 Results: Winners And Losers From Burns Vs. Brady ...

9 days ago

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: Sean Brady looks on against Gilbert Burns of Brazil in a ... [+] welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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In the two final fights of tonight's UFC Vegas 97 fight card, two rising fighters passed the UFC matchmakers' tests, defeating two higher-ranked veterans. Those fighters, Sean Brady and Natalia Silva answered some lingering questions surrounding their rise in their respective divisions.

In the main event, Sean Brady showed a more complete game in his first UFC main event than he did in his past seven UFC outings. Brady, known for his grappling skills, fought well behind his jab against former UFC welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns, adding some combinations to his striking game while picking up takedowns and ground control at important points of the UFC Fight Night headlining contest.

Silva earned a dominant win over former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade in tonight's UFC co-main event. Her dynamic striking game, along with her movement and technical skills, left Andrade struggling to find openings to use her power and strength, something the former champ has been known for throughout her UFC career.

Both Brady and Silva look ready to face fighters ranked in their divisions' top five.

Below, we look at the results, reactions, winners and losers, scorecards, bonus winners and video highlights from tonight’s UFC Fight Night event.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 06: (L-R) Opponents Jessica Andrade of Brazil and Natalia Silva of ... [+] Brazil face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at UFC APEX on September 06, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Zuffa LLC via Getty Images UFC Vegas 97 Winners

Sean Brady: Sean Brady could have fought better against Belal Muhammad in 2022. However, that knockout loss has aged pretty well for the Philly-born fighter. Muhammad has since earned the UFC welterweight title, and Brady has bounced back to beat two former title challengers in his past two outings. In 2023, he topped ex-UFC interim middleweight challenger Kelvin Gastelum by submission. On Saturday night, Brady defeated ex-welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns by decision. More importantly, Brady looked better in each of those outings, which is to say that the 31-year-old might not have reached the pinnacle of his skills.

Brady, who is a phenomenal grappler, added some new wrinkles to his striking game at UFC Vegas 97, fighting well behind his jab, and even adding some combinations to his repertoire, when he had time and space to employ his striking effectvily. He also did an excellent job of negating Burns's striking, limiting him to just 47 landed significant strikes on 97 attempts. For his part, Brady racked up 130 significant strikes on 217 attempts.

Brady also landed seven takedowns and earned 10:34 of control time.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (R-L) Sean Brady punches Gilbert Burns of Brazil in a welterweight ... [+] fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Jessica Andrade vs. Natalia Silva: The co-main event of UFC Vegas 97 was a coming-out party for Natalia Silva. In the biggest test of her young UFC career, the 27-year-old performed fantastically against one of the most formidable veterans in the UFC women’s divisions in Jessica Andrade.

Silva used her speed, movement, and technical skills to defeat Andrade by decision. Andrade did her best to force Silva to fight in tight spaces by using her pressure and strength, but Silva’s kicking game and ability to mix up her targets and techniques allowed her to use her offense no matter what Andrade attempted.

Silva has only been with the UFC since 2022, but the former Jungle Fights champion is 6-0 with the promotion and looks ready to face top-five competition in the UFC women’s flyweight rankings.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (R-L) Natalia Silva of Brazil punches Jessica Andrade of Brazil in ... [+] a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Steve Garcia: Steve Garcia stumbled early, allowing Kyle Nelson to take advantage, getting his opponent’s back and getting the hooks in early. However, Garcia was able to find the space to get the reversal; from there, he just unloaded on Nelson, landing punches and elbows to bring the fight to a close in the first round.

Garcia might not be a household name, but he has five straight wins via TKO under the UFC banner, which is quite an accomplishment.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: Steve Garcia reacts after his TKO victory against Kyle Nelson of ... [+] Canada in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Cody Durden: Cody Durden took the fight against Matt Schnell on less than a week’s notice. He opened the fight with a lot of aggression, getting involved in a firefight on the feet with his opponent. That decision seemed risky as Schnell looked to have the advantage in power and defense on the feet. However, Durden showed his submission skills, capitalizing on an ill-advised takedown attempt from his foe and quickly looking up a choke that ended the fight 29 seconds into the second stanza.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Cody Durden secures a choke submission against Matt Schnell ... [+] in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Yanal Ashmouz: Yanal Ashmouz stuck to his game plan and picked up a win over Trevor Peek. That plan was to avoid Peek’s power and tendency to attempt to entice his foe into a brawl. Instead, Ashmouz used Peek’s aggression against him, countering and using his wrestling to get the win.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Yanal Ashmouz of Israel punches Trevor Peek in a lightweight ... [+] fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Chris Padilla: Chris Padilla struggled to find the timing and range of Rongzhu in the first round of their UFC Vegas 97 preliminary contest, but it was clear that he was looking to exploit Rongzhu's tendency to overthrow. He found his opportunity to capitalize on that fact in the second round. When Rongzhu loaded up, Padilla stepped in and planted an elbow in his opponent's eye. The blow caused Rongzhu's left eye to swell shut, giving Padilla the stoppage win.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: Chris Padilla reacts after a TKO victory against Rongzhu of China ... [+] in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Isaac Dulgarian: Isaac Dulgarian started his fight against Brendon Marotte by rushing across the Octagon and picking up a takedown. From there, he took back control, looking to land ground strikes while searching for an opening for a submission. The second round started the same, but Dulgarian found the space to lock up the submission win.

Dulgarian was a massive betting favorite heading into UFC Vegas 97, and he made easy work of his foe. The win was a bounce-back performance following his March decision loss to Christian Rodriguez.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Isaac Dulgarian punches Brendon Marotte in a featherweight ... [+] fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Andre Lima: Andre Lima moved to 10-0 overall and 3-0 in the UFC with a good win over Felipe dos Santos. He used pressure and defense in the striking department in the first round and then picked up more than four minutes of control time in each of the next two rounds.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Andre Lima of Brazil battles Felipe dos Santos of Brazil in ... [+] a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Gabriel Santos: Gabriel Santos saved his UFC career with a dominant and exciting performance against Yizha on the UFC Vegas 97 prelims. Santos opened his UFC run with setbacks to Lerone Murphy and David Onama in 2023. In his first outing of 2024, the 27-year-old Brazilian looked excellent on his feet while also showing that he would not cruise to a victory when ahead on the scorecards.

Santos mixed his techniques and targets well while having a speed advantage over his opponent. His front kick to the face near the end of the first round nearly finished the fight. He also caused much damage to Yizha in the first two rounds. The third round showcased Santos’ grappling skills as he looked to stay busy and search for an opening for a submission.

Santos’ performance on Saturday was excellent.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (R-L) Gabriel Santos of Brazil kicks Yizha of China in a ... [+] featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Jaqueline Amorim: Jaqueline Amorim picked up an easy takedown within the first 30 seconds of her fight against Vanessa Demopoulos and then worked to an armbar to finish the fight. She was in control from the start to the finish of the bout. With the win, Amorim moved to 3-1 in the UFC with three finishes.

There was some controversy to the finish as Demopoulos loudly complained that Amorim grabbed inside her glove before locking up the armbar. The camera angle during the broadcast wasn’t clear on how true that was, but the referee disagreed with Demopoulos.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (R-L) Jaqueline Amorim of Brazil secures an arm bar submission ... [+] against Vanessa Demopoulos in a strawweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Andre Petroski: Andre Petroski cruised to a decision win over the overmatched Dylan Budka. Petroski held Budka to 17 landed significant strikes while racking up more than 2:46 of control time in each round after a single takedown in each of those stanzas.

Petroski could have been more aggressive on the mat. He didn't have one official submission attempt, but he dominated the contest, didn't put himself at too much risk, and picked up the win.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Andre Petroski battles Dylan Budka in a middleweight fight ... [+] during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Nathan Fletcher: Nathan Fletcher used his wrestling and grappling skills to pick up a second-round submission over Zygimantas Ramaska. Fletcher had no problems getting takedowns in the first round but struggled to keep Ramaska on the mat in the first half of the opening stanza. The second round was a different story, as another takedown led to Fletcher getting mount. From there, he found the space he needed for an arm triangle that ended the fight.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: (L-R) Nathan Fletcher of England secures an arm triangle choke ... [+] submission against Zygimantas Ramaska of Lithuania in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Zuffa LLC via Getty Images UFC Vegas 97 Losers

Gilbert Burns: Gilbert Burns saw his UFC losing skid extend to three fights on Saturday night when he came up short against Sean Brady. Burns put forth a fine effort in the welterweight scrap, but the 38-year-old couldn't find the mark for his power strikes, nor could he out-wrestle or out-grapple his younger foe.

Burns remains a tough fighter who should be able to give anyone in the UFC's 170-pound division problems in the cage, but his time among the division's elite likely ended on Saturday night with his loss to Brady. The changing of the guard is happening in several divisions, and it appears welterweight is one of those weight classes.

Matt Schnell: Had Matt Schnell kept his fight opposite Cody Durden on the feet, he might have had a chance to use his power and defense to pick up a win. However, Schnell decided a takedown attempt from distance in the second round was wise. It wasn’t, and that gamble cost him the fight, as he was quickly submitted.

Schnell left his gloves in the Octagon following the loss, seeming to end his MMA career.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 07: Matt Schnell leaves his gloves in the center of the Octagon after ... [+] a submission loss against Cody Durden in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on September 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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Trevor Peek: Trevor Peek is an all-action fighter, and fans love him for that. However, that style is also his weakness. If an opponent refuses to engage him in a slugfest, Peek is not effective, especially if that opponent can use Peek’s aggression against him. That’s what happened on Saturday, and that’s why Peek lost to Yanal Ashmouz.

Rongzhu: Rongzhu used his speed and ability to time Chris Padilla to take control of the early moments of their matchup. However, Rongzhu didn’t mix things up well. Instead, he threw every strike with full power, which allowed Padilla to find his opening and land the fight ending elbow.

Felipe dos Santos: Felipe dos Santos had a decent first round against Andre Lima, but his opponent was able to defend a lot of his striking attempts. After that, Dos Santos was on the defensive for the rest of the fight.

Yizha: Yizha showed heart, toughness, and good cardio, but he didn’t have enough in the tank to come back from two rounds down against Gabriel Santos.

Dylan Budka: Dylan Budka missed weight and looked terrible on the scale before this fight, to the point where he probably should have been pulled from the event. When fight night rolled around, Budka showed that he is a work in progress.

Budka has powerful striking, but his strikes were one-and-done. He didn’t throw combinations, even when he hurt Andre Petroski. But what hurt Budka was his inability to defend takedowns and the fact that he could do nothing off his back or return to his feet.

Zygimantas Ramaska: Zygimantas Ramaska had some early success reversing Nathan Fletcher on the mat, but he ended up there after Fletcher easily picked up multiple takedowns. Ramaska’s luck ran out early in the second round when his opponent picked up another takedown and gained mount before forcing an arm triangle choke submission.

UFC Vegas 97 Fight Card Results UFC Vegas 97 Main Card Results

Sean Brady defeats Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)

Natalia Silva defeats Jessica Andrade via unanimous decision (30-27 x 3)

Steve Garcia defeats Kyle Nelson via TKO at 3:59 of Round 1 (Elbows to head from half guard)

Cody Durden defeats Matt Schnell via submission at 0:29 of Round 2 (Anaconda choke on ground)

Yanal Ashmouz defeats Trevor Peek via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC Vegas 97 Preliminary Card Results

Chris Padilla defeats Rongzhu via TKO at 4:14 of Round 2 (Doctor stoppage - eye injury)

Isaac Dulgarian defeats Brendon Marotte via submission at 4:19 of Round 2 (Arm triangle)

Andre Lima defeats Felipe dos Santos via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Gabriel Santos defeats Yizha via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

Jaqueline Amorim defeats Vanessa Demopoulos via submission at 3:28 of Round 1 (Armbar from back control)