UFC Vegas 48: The Conclusions
The entire UFC Vegas 48 card at UFC Apex featured dominant performances, and while probably only the Joaquin Buckley-Abdul Razak Alhassan bout had excitement for all 15 minutes it was a night of standout knockouts.
In the prelims closer, one of the Mexican fighters with the most fights in the promotion got into trouble with a painful loss to featherweight prospect David Onama.
Jamahal Hill enters a contender’s fight.
Beating Jhonny Walker is no small feat and doing it with a one-punch knockout much less so. Although the referee waited for the American to close out the win with a punishing knockout, the Brazilian was out from the moment he tapped him on the temple. Walker’s rictus proved to be the most shocking moment of the night and Hill proved he has the power to finish anyone at 205 pounds.
Since showing up at the Apex for Dana White’s Contender Series he has four knockouts at that venue – although one was overturned for positive for marijuana – but the last two, against Jimmy Crute and Walker in the first round command respect.
Glover Teixeira will defend against Jiri Prockazka and Jan Blachowicz already has a signed commitment with Aleksandar Rakic, but there are several names like former challenger Dominick Reyes or the winner of Magomev Ankalaev against Thiago Santos can be his catapult to become a contender.
Joaquin Buckley doesn’t just know how to knock out.
The 2020 knockout of the year winner built a reputation as a finisher, but a couple of lessons in losses to the likes of Kevin Holland and Alessio Di Chirico taught him that it’s not all about knocking out opponents.
The UFC matched him up against the mighty Abdul Razak Alhassan expecting a fireworks-inducing duel, and while both connected with power, Buckey was able to slow the pace with takedowns and manage the distance to secure rounds.
Four wins and three bonuses in the last five fights for the St. Louis, Missouri native, who continues to threaten at middleweight, even with controversial self-defense guru Dale Brown in his corner.
Gabriel Benitez got into the red zone
The Tijuana native always puts on exciting fights even when he loses and Saturday’s bout was another example. He dominated the first few minutes of the fight and was on the verge of finishing the dangerous David Onama, who was hurt in the right eye with an accurate left.
But in the last minute of the first round he was caught with a long combination that ended in a spectacular finish.
He now finds himself with a 6-6 record in his 8 years in the UFC and in a time of deciding whether to stay at 145 pounds or move up to 155, where he has had two fights in recent years.
