UFC 148: What We Learned from Rafaello Oliveira vs Yoislandy Izquierdo

UFC 148 opened with a grinding battle between Rafaello Oliveira and Yoislandy Izquierdo.

The first round saw Izquierdo open up with some solid striking before being taken to the ground by Oliveira. As the round drew to a close, Izquierdo got back to his feet and finished the round strong.

This would be the closest round of the fight.

The second and third rounds were all Oliveira. Utilizing takedowns and ground control, he did not give Izquierdo room to breathe or get back to his feet. He was able to smother Izquierdo for the majority of the bout and keep the fight where he was comfortable. With his job on the line, that proved to be smart.

The judges saw it unanimously for “Tractor” Oliveira.

Here is what we learned from the fight:

What we'll remember about this fight

Honestly, not much.

It was not a bad fight, but it held nothing memorable. The most memorable event would probably be the cut Oliveira suffered on the top of his head.

Oliveira was able to get the takedown in all three rounds and control Izquierdo on the mat. By the end of the night, the fight will be merely a footnote for most fans.

What we learned about fighter Rafaello Oliveira

We learned that Oliveira still has a lot of holes on the feet.

His ground game was smothering, but he kept going for the mounted crucifix and Americana over and over with virtually no success until late in the third round. He never adapted as the fight went on.

It was still enough to claim the victory and stay gainfully employed by the UFC, and that is all that matters for Oliveira in this outing.

What we learned about fighter Yoislandy Izquierdo

He should go back to camp and train takedown defense.

On the feet he looked good, but Oliveira got him on his back way to easily for Izquierdo to have any real success inside the Octagon.

The good news for Izquierdo is that he is young in this sport and has a lot of room to grow. The bout was only his eighth professional fight in three years of being active. Going back out of the UFC and honing his skills could pay dividends should he return in the future.

What's next for fighter Rafaello Oliveira

Any free lightweight.

Oliveira was able to get back on the winning track, but after dropping two bouts previous to tonight, he is not in line for any significant bout in the lightweight division.

What's next for fighter Yoislandy Izquierdo

Two straight losses for Izquierdo, and an unimpressive performance to boot, probably signals the end of his UFC run.

However, if he should stay for another bout, it will be another card-opening contest. Sean Shelby or Joe Silva could pick any lightweight who drops a bout on tonight’s card to oppose him and be fine.

Izquierdo showed promise on his feet, but not being able to stop the takedowns from Oliveira shows he may not be ready for the bright lights of the Octagon.