UFC Vegas 4 Scorecard

No one should be surprised by what Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker did in the Octagon on Saturday night. No one. They said they would do that, we expected it, and they delivered. It was a 25-minute reminder of everything great about this sport, and why it takes a special human being to put themselves through what they do. This morning, Poirier and Hooker are sore, beat up and getting some well-deserved rest. But at the same time, we’re still talking about what they did in their fight, and I’m guessing that means something to both fighters. Thank you, gentlemen.

Mike Perry was an easy target for a lot of folks last week. Taking shots at journalists, letting everyone know his unique view of the world and the fight game, bringing his girlfriend and no one else to corner him for his co-main event against Mickey Gall, yeah, he was going to hear it if he left Las Vegas with a loss. But he didn’t. Instead, he showed up, put in one of his most disciplined performances to date, and he defeated Gall by unanimous decision. The victory snapped a two-fight losing streak and reminded people that when they’re not putting too much attention on “Platinum,” Mike Perry can fight.

It’s hard to think of someone who has had a more frustrating go in the UFC than Julian Erosa. Simply put, the guy is a talented fighter who knows how to win – you don’t get to 23 victories in this sport by accident. But in the UFC, outside of a 2015 victory over Marcin Wrzosek, he hasn’t been able to get any traction in the Octagon. Then came Saturday night against Sean Woodson, and it just looked like Erosa was going to stay in there and will himself to win. And he did, submitting Woodson in the third round on less than a week’s notice. It was the kind of win that makes you smile, because while you know a hot prospect like Woodson will bounce back and get another shot, Erosa may have been looking at his last shot to make a mark in the big show. Mark made.

When Ronda Rousey compliments you on your armbar, you must be doing something right, and that was the case for Kay Hansen after her debut win over Jinh Yu Frey. And while the victory was impressive, maybe more notable was how the 20-year-old handled everything during fight week and the fight. Think about it: short notice fight against a respected veteran and former Invicta champion, a boatload of hype since she was the youngest woman on the current roster, and some rough early moments against Frey. Yet Hansen took it all in, made her adjustments, and at 2:26 of the third round, a star may have been born.

Maurice Greene probably won’t forget the May and June of 2020 anytime soon. Between the unrest in his home state of Minnesota after the killing of George Floyd, a 24-hour drive with his family to Albuquerque to train with a new team at Jackson-Wink MMA, and a late-fight finish of Gian Villante to snap a two-fight losing streak last weekend, it was an emotional time, for sure, and we saw all those emotions come out after he submitted Villante in the third round. But the beauty of it all is that with that win, he’s got a fresh start and maybe even a new home in New Mexico.