The first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event of 2017 is in the books. Last night’s (Jan. 15) UFC Fight Night card took place inside the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. Headlining the event was a featherweight clash between Yair Rodriguez and B.J. Penn.
“El Pantera” earned a TKO victory in the lopsided affair that lasted five minutes and 24 seconds total. Rodriguez’s flashy kicks had “The Prodigy” off balance and backing up in the first round. A front kick followed by a straight punch in the second round marked the beginning of the end for Penn. Just 24 seconds into the second stanza, referee “Big” John McCarthy put a stop to the fight.
The win improved the Mexican warrior’s winning streak to eight. Before the updated rankings, Rodriguez finds himself in the No. 10 spot. A fight against a top 10 opponent seems to be the next step for the rising 145-pounder.
With many fighters booked or injured, it’ll be interesting to see who “El Pantera” meets next. No. 9 ranked Brian Ortega is currently healing a torn labrum. Perhaps a bout with No. 7 ranked Charles Oliveira or the winner of No. 8 ranked Dennis Bermudez and Chan Sung Jung will be next.
For Rodriguez’s efforts last night, he took home a $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus. He hasn’t the only one who got paid a bonus. Aleksei Oleinik scored the first Ezekiel choke finish in UFC history. The choke isn’t often seen outside of jiu-jitsu tournaments due to the submission’s dependency on using the gi as leverage. Oleinik earned an extra $50,000 for putting Viktor Pesta to sleep.
The other two men who became $50,000 richer were bantamweights Augusto Mendes and Frankie Saenz. They were awarded “Fight of the Night.” It’s no surprise as the fighters dropped each other in the bout and swung for the fences. Mendes landed the cleaner shots and was awarded the split decision win.
