On Saturday night, Sean Brady and Natalia Silva made statements in the main and co-main event fights at the Apex in Las Vegas.
Brady handed Gilbert Burns his third straight defeat and snatched his No. 6 ranking. At the same time, Silva stayed undefeated in the UFC and positioned herself as a legitimate title contender in the flyweight division.
Showing off one of the most balanced performances of his UFC career, Brady made the 38-year-old Burns look old. The American consistently beat the Brazilian veteran to the punch, out-landing him 130-47 in significant strikes, and manhandled him in the grappling department, securing seven takedowns.
Burns didn’t call it a career in the Octagon, but it might be time for him to consider his future as he plummets in the UFC welterweight rankings. Brady smartly called out Ian Machado Garry following the fight, which would be an excellent scrap for the UFC to make for both fighters.
Brady is expected to be No. 6 when the newest rankings are released, which means he could be one spot above Garry. We’ll see which direction the UFC points as Brady said he wants to fight again this year, if possible.
Silva had a similarly easy time with Andrade, although the two women did earn bonuses for Fight of the Night.
Silva’s athleticism and striking–specifically, her kicking game—are elite. Her kicks can change levels in a millisecond, which makes her a formidable opponent.
After the win, Silva said she believes she is ready for a title shot but understands Alexa Grasso will be defending her title on Sept. 14 at The Sphere against Valentina Shevchenko.
Here is a look at all of the results from the card on Saturday, Sept. 7, with highlights of the finishes.
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 (30-27×3)
- Steve Garcia defeats Kyle Nelson via TKO at 3:59 of Round 1
Garcia has racked up KO wins in six straight fights. He’s got to get a Top-15 opponent next.
- Cody Durden defeats Matt Schnell via submission at 0:29 of Round 2 (Anaconda Choke)
What’s more impressive is the way Durden locked in Anaconda Choke on Matt Schnell or the fact that he did it after taking a fight on five-days notice?
In any case, this finish was worthy of securing a Performance of the Night bonus. Schnell left his gloves in the middle of the Octagon.
It seems he was signaling his retirement.
- 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)
An unbelievable elbow from Chris Padilla leads to a stoppage win and one of the worst eye injuries you’ll ever see.
- Isaac Dulgarian defeats Brendon Marotte via submission at 4:19 of Round 2 (Arm Triangle)
Dulgarian ended a one-sided destruction of Marotte with the submission win.
- 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)
Amorim got the victory for now, but this one will get some scrutiny as there is a belief she grabbed the inside of Demopoulos’ glove to gain the position. Nonetheless, here is the finish:
- Andre Petroski defeats Dylan Budka via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
- Nathan Fletcher vs. Zygimantas Ramaska via submission at 1:14 of Round 2 (Arm triangle)
Fletcher continues to impress with his ground game, grabbing the submission victory to open the show.
Be on the lookout for fight week coverage ahead of Sept. 14’s Noche UFC.
