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Last night (Sat., Feb. 10, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) remained inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 86. Another weekend, another Middleweight main event inside everyone fight fan’s favorite (or least favorite) warehouse. If nothing else, this event was an improvement from the week prior! Well, the overall name value was probably about the same, but at least this latest iteration of an Apex “Fight Night” featured some well-liked and consistently exciting veterans on its main card.

One week until UFC 298! Until then, let’s take a look back over at UFC Vegas 85’s best performances and techniques:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

A Classic Veteran Win

Jack Hermansson did exactly what he was supposed to do against Joe Pyfer to secure a hard-fought unanimous decision victory.

Predictably, the fight began with some heavy Pyfer swings. The boxer connected on a decent portion of them, and his massive power edge was abundantly clear. All the same, Hermansson remained composed under fire, keeping his guard high and mostly just staying defensive in the opening five minutes to effectively weather the storm.

He opened up a bit more in the second, but still, it was Pyfer swinging fire in his direction … but his punches failed to land as often or with the same effect. The tables turned fully in the third, when Hermansson’s jab and calf kick both began to land with real consistency. Suddenly, Pyfer’s nose was bloody, his lead leg unstable, and he was pinned with his back to the fence looking rather confused.

Once Hermansson gained control, he did not offer it back to “Bodybagz.” My only real critique was the lack of wrestling, seeing as brutalizing his opposition from top position is Hermansson’s most consistent path to a finish. He shot just twice in 25 minutes — once early in the second and once midway through the fifth — and the late takedown was score in fairly effortless fashion.

Regardless, a great statement from Hermansson: he’s not going anywhere.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ige Defends His Rank

Dan Ige doesn’t react kindly to unranked opposition trying to take the number next to his name. Last time that happened, he scored a thunderous right hand knockout early in the first round. It took a couple minutes longer, but otherwise, history repeated itself opposite Andre Fili.

An interesting kickboxing match was brewing. Both men were landing well with their kicks, and Ige looked to work in bursts while Fili played the counter fighting angle. Neither was really taking over when a single right hand connected perfectly, instantly ending the contest.

At the highest level, that’s sometimes all it takes.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Potieria Defeats Bryczek

Presented without comment:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Robocop Puts It All Together

Gregory Rodrigues is an amazingly fun fighter. Anyone who sits down and watches the entire “Robocop” UFC career will walk away a fan. The Brazilian has not, however, proven himself a future title contender in the eyes of many.

Last night’s performance against Brad Tavares was a step in the right direction. Tavares is a technical range striker with ironclad takedown defense, an opponent that requires a sound strategy. Opposite the veteran, Rodrigues really utilized all his offensive options and crafty transitions to slowly take over the fight.

Rodrigues is a great brawler, and he occasionally brawled when the moment fit. He also actively pursued takedowns, briefly using a front headlock/d’arce choke threat to set up strong knees. In the second, Rodrigues began to batter the low kick specialist’s lead leg, and he also timed his double leg off Tavares’ kicks really well.

All that offense served to break down Tavares. As Tavares’ feet slowed, Rodrigues could plant his feet and unload power punches, and the Hawaiian was never going to be able to withstand that pure power.

If “Robocop” can continue to present opponents a tactical and multi-pronged attack, he can climb far in the 185-pound division.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The Best Rodolfo Yet

Rodolfo Vieira put together a very nice first-round victory over Armen Petrosyan last night. Though the finish came via arm triangle choke, Vieira actually showed off his full game and continued development.

Early on, it was the jab that set the tone. I won’t say Vieira was winning the stand up necessarily, but it was competitive, and his jab definitely snapped Petrosyan’s head back. His boxing was good enough to set up an easy takedown entry, which is the real goal of his stand up anyway.

Speaking of wrestling, Vieira wrestled well! His transitions into the double leg looked good, as did his clinch takedowns. We know Vieira is a jiu-jitsu master, but if his wrestling and boxing continue to develop, he’ll land in the Top 15 sooner than later.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

One Punch!

Carlos Prates — NOT Carlos Prater, a different Brazilian Welterweight who fought for the UFC back in 2012 — put Trevin Giles to sleep last night with a single punch.

“The Nightmare” started slowly. A Muay Thai veteran, Prates was a little stiff in his stance and a little less mobile than Giles. He pressured throughout the first, but it was Giles who jumped into the pocket with big powerful combinations. He never stunned Prates, but he stayed ahead on the volume game and moved enough that Prates couldn’t set his feet and throw hard in return.

The intercepting knee proved a real game changer. Giles’ forward charges left him vulnerable to that blow, and a handful landed in the first half of the second round. Those knees really took some wind from Giles sails; all of a sudden he was breathing with an open mouth despite seemingly winning the fight!

A moment later, a simple 1-2 down the middle creamed Giles, and the veteran never even reacted to the punches that put him out.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Additional Thoughts

• Bogdan Guskov defeats Zac Pauga via first-round knockout (HIGHLIGHTS): Guskov got embarrassed a bit in his UFC debut opposite Volkan Oezdemir, who strangled the Russian in short fashion. In his sophomore performance, however, Guskov proved his dozen knockout wins were not by accident. Pauga had some early success with low kicks, but each and every time “Czarevitch” touched his chin, Pauga felt it. The end came when Guskov bursted forward with a two-punch combo that left Pauga out on his feet … but he got hit several more times before finally touching the floor.
• Hyder Amil defeats Fernie Garcia via second-round TKO: Two Contenders Series veteran enters, one leaves! Amil picked up the first victory of his UFC career through pace and pressure. He certainly took a handful of punches in the process — both men were looking worn by the second — but Amil consistently landed the heavier blows and broke his opponent down. It was a valiant effort for Garcia, but unfortunately, the Texan came up short for the fourth straight time.

For complete UFC Vegas 86: “Hermansson vs. Pyfer” results and play-by-play, click HERE!

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Dan Ige earned his nickname for a reason.

The veteran featherweight, who goes by the moniker “50K,” cashed the fourth post-fight bonus of his UFC career on Saturday for his monster first-round knockout of Andre Fili in UFC Vegas 86’s co-main event. Ige scored an extra $ 50,000 in Performance of the Night earnings for his handiwork, which pushed his record to 3-1 over his past four UFC bouts.

Ige headlined a group of four Performance of the Night winners, joining the likes of Rodolfo Vieira, Carlos Prates, and Bogdan Guskov, all of whom earned $ 50,000 bonuses.

Vieira opened the night’s main card with a first-round submission of Armen Petrosyan, while Prates and Guskov both scored highlight-reel knockouts of Trevin Giles and Zac Pauga on the undercard, respectively.

UFC Vegas 86 took place Feb. 10 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Middleweight veteran Jack Hermasson gutted out a come-from-behind win over Joe Pyfer in the evening’s main event.

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UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones apparently stumbled into a Los Angeles comedy club and proceeded to heckle YouTube star Def Noodles.

Def Noodles — whose real name is Dennis Feitosa — stepped onto the stage at his club on Sunset Boulevard, just as he does every night, and thought it would be another routine set. Never did he imagine that one of the biggest stars in all of combat sports would be in the crowd. Nor did he expect that individual to heckle him during his entire set. But that’s exactly what happened, according to him.

In a video uploaded on Feitosa’s Def Noodles YouTube channel, the comic engages in a conversation with an individual that you cannot see on camera for the duration of his time on stage.

On February 9, Feitosa revealed in the comments that the incident happened “a couple days ago.”

When one commenter questioned whether or not it was actually Jon Jones in the video, the comedian replied, saying: “Yes. It’s actually him. I found out after the mic it was him. I didn’t know when I was up there, just knew it was someone who was drunk af.”

But was it really Jon Jones?

All things considered, the conversation between Feitosa and the man identified as ‘Bones’ was fairly pleasant, though there was a semi-awkward moment when the YouTuber said that everyone in the audience would hug him on his way out the door.

“I’m more like the type to put my finger in your butthole,” Jones replied. “A whole finger in the butthole. That’s how we get down. That’s how we say I love you.” He then proceeded to ask Feitosa if his butthole was “tight.”

It should be noted that Jon Jones has not yet commented on the video and nobody in the club that night has come forward to confirm that it was indeed the UFC champ heckling Feitosa. However, the individual does reveal that they are from Rochester, New York (where Jones was born), and have been living in Albuquerque (where Jones currently lives) for the last few years.

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After the UFC Vegas 86 fights on Saturday, the big winners answered questions from the media during the post-fight press conference.

The event was headlined by a middleweight bout between Jack Hermansson and Joe Pyfer and was the second UFC event in back-to-back weeks at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.   

UFC Vegas 86 Post-Fight Press Conference

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Jack Hermansson reminded fans why he’s been a fixture in the UFC’s middleweight rankings by battling through early adversity to steal momentum before outworking the dangerous Joe Pyfer over 25 minutes in the main event of UFC Vegas 86.

Following Saturday’s Fight Night event at the UFC APEX, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Eric Jackman, and Alexander K. Lee react to Hermansson’s veteran showing in victory, discuss what we learned about Pyfer in defeat, and why people shouldn’t be too quick to write him off. Additionally, the panel talks Dan Ige’s brutal first-round knockout win over Andre Fili in the co-main event, other standout performances from the likes of Gregory Rodrigues, Rodolfo Vieira, Carlos Prates, Bogdan Guskov, along with additional takeaways from the UFC’s final stop on the road to UFC 298.

Catch the UFC Vegas 86 post-fight show above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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