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UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Imavov Takeaways and Thoughts
By Matt ten-Hoeve
June 10, 2024
Something must be special about Kentucky because it seems like any time the UFC goes there, the card is filled with finishes. Saturday night was no different. Although there was some controversy in the main event, the rest of the card was fun and filled with some highlight reel finishes. Let’s take a look at the results…
Main Card
Nassourdine Imavov def. Jared Cannonier via TKO (R4, 1:34)
Dominick Reyes def. Dustin Jacoby via first-round KO (2:00)
Raul Rosas Jr. def. Ricky Turcios via sub (RNC) (R2, 2:22)
Brunno Ferreira def. Dustin Stoltzfus via first-round TKO (4:51)
Zachary Reese def. Julian Marquez via first-round TKO (0:20)
Punahele Soriano def. Miguel Baeza via unanimous decision (30-25 x2, 30-27)
Preliminary Card
Ludovit Klein def. Thiago Moises via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Carlos Prates def. Charlie Radtke via first-round TKO (4:47)
Brad Katona def. Jesse Butler via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27 x2)
Montana De La Rosa def. Andrea Lee via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
Daniel Marcos def. John Castaneda via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Denise Gomes def. Eduarda Moura via split decision (28-29, 30-27 x2)
Taylor Lapilus def. Cody Stamann via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Puja Tomar def. Rayanne dos Santos via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 27-30)
The Prelims and Early Main Card
The early fights, once again, did not disappoint. Here’s what stuck out to me…
Although it was a split decision, Rayanne dos Santos suffered her second loss in the UFC. Puja Tomar really brought it, but I am very surprised that dos Santos, a former Invicta champion, hasn’t gotten a win in the promotion yet.
Brad Katona really looks good after winning The Ultimate Fighter again. I know he didn’t win many people over in the crowd by basically staying on top of Butler the whole time. However, it was a dominant win.
The finishes that Carlos Prates, Zachary Reese, and Brunno Ferreira had were really impressive. Prates’ liver shot was so damn rough. Radtke stood no chance.
Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios
I expected this one to have some pepper behind it and it didn’t disappoint. Ricky Turcios attempted to come out hot in the first round and release some of that frustration over this fight getting delayed. It looked like he had Rosas Jr. on his heels at first. However, Rosas Jr. was able to settle down and take over, securing the second round victory with a really nice rear naked choke. This win will continue to put Rosas Jr. in the UFC’s good graces. I expect him to get an interesting fight the next time out that finds itself towards the top of the card again.
Dominick Reyes vs. Dustin Jacoby
This was a big “must win” for Dominick Reyes and he accomplished just that. Not only had he been on a four fight skid that dated back multiple years, but he revealed that he has been battling some health issues that are potentially life threatening. “Do or die” may hit too close to home in this situation, but it’s also true. If Reyes didn’t win on Saturday, there was a good chance that his ability to garner another featured fight would be a tough sell. He did what he had to do, though, and got a big win, and an impressive finish, over the very tough Dustin Jacoby. Considering his health issues, it’ll be interesting to see what is next for Reyes.
Nassourdine Imavov vs. Jared Cannonier
Imavov got a big win over a higher ranked opponent in a very tough division. This will put him in a position to get another big time fight. However, it came with some controversy. He had Jared Cannonier on his heels, wobbling around. Did it warrant a stoppage, though? It’s tough. Personally, I thought the stoppage was early, but I can see why the referee thought Jared Connonier was rocked. He wasn’t fighting back too much, despite being on his feet still. It was…tough. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a push to have a rematch, either next or after Jared gets another win. Either way, a win is a win, and Nassourdine Imavov got a big one.
My Picks and Final Thoughts
I ended up going 7-7, which is not good at all. I had been hovering around that 75% correct rate for a while, so going 50% is not a great look. However, it was a tough card to pick - both with some close fights and it being filled with mostly prospects. The door was wide open for fighters to make statements, so everyone worked hard to do just that. Overall, it was a fun night of fights. I very much enjoyed the finishes, but the longer fights were also hard fought, which was great.
What did you think? Was the main event an early stoppage? Did anyone impress you? Let me know at matt.tenhoeve@gmail.com. I will be back later this week to talk about The Ultimate Fighter, along with this week’s PFL and UFC shows. See you then!
