UFC Fight Night 61 Results: Winners, Scorecards from Bigfoot vs. Mir Fight Card
UFC Fight Night 61 could be recapped with one word: upsets.
According to the final odds posted by Odds Shark, nine straight winners were considered underdogs when the final odds posted. Of course that meant Frank Mir had his hand raised in the final match of the evening.
Despite four straight losses, a layoff that lasted more than a year and the disadvantage of fighting a Brazilian in Brazil, the 35-year-old came through with a big knockout victory.
Considering his current place in the heavyweight pecking order, he wasn't the night's biggest winner, though. That would be Michael Johnson. The No. 12 lightweight according to UFC's rankings upended the No. 6 man in the division, Edson Barboza.
There were plenty of other exciting results to be witnessed in Porto Alegre. Continue reading to catch up on all the action that went down and what it means going forward.
Frank Mir vs. Antonio Silva
1 of 6
Coming into hostile territory on a four-fight losing streak, Frank Mir had the odds stacked against him in his bout with Antonio Silva. It didn’t matter. The 35-year-old defeated Silva by first-round TKO.
After a brief bit of probing from both heavyweights, Mir found Bigfoot’s chin with a quick left hook that sent him tumbling to the canvas. The veteran wasted no time in following that up with vicious ground-and-pound until the official called an end to the bout.
Mir may never compete for the UFC title again, but this victory does breathe some life into the twilight of his career. Beating Silva shows that even at 35, the jiu-jitsu wizard still has the ability to beat top heavyweights. That should be enough to give him a few more fights if he’s interested in continuing his career.
Silva’s stock now looks as bleak as Mir’s did entering the bout. Silva has now lost his last three official fights and had a draw turned into a no-contest against Mark Hunt. As a 35-year-old himself, it’s safe to say Bigfoot won’t be making his way back to the heavyweight title picture.
Edson Barboza vs. Michael Johnson
2 of 6
In the evening’s co-main event, it was Michael Johnson who earned a statement victory in the lightweight division. The former Ultimate Fighter 12 runner-up beat Edson Barboza via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).
The first round was characterized by plenty of high-stakes exchanges. Johnson was the aggressor, but both fighters were throwing combinations with bad intentions to end the bout at any moment.
The second round continued in a similar fashion with Barboza’s body and leg kicks beginning to show more apparent dividends. A Barboza takedown attempt ended with Johnson pinning the Brazilian against the cage, though.
The final round continued to see the American work as the aggressor. Johnson’s crisp combinations and quickness allowed him to continually land first. Barboza continued to counter with kicks to the body and sharp hooks, but it wasn’t enough to sway the judges.
“The Menace” has come a long way since his run on the reality television series. This win marks his eighth in the Octagon and fourth consecutive. With those wins coming over the likes of Joe Lauzon, Gleison Tibau, Melvin Guillard and now Barboza, it’s evident he’s ready to take on the upper echelon. A top-five opponent shouldn’t be out of the question.
Barboza, meanwhile, lost out on a great opportunity here. Coming in at No. 6 in the UFC’s rankings, he didn’t really have anything to gain from beating Johnson, but this might see him fall out of the top 10 altogether.
Cezar Ferreira vs. Sam Alvey
3 of 6
Going against a former Ultimate Fighter: Brazil winner in Brazil, Sam Alvey wasn’t supposed to beat Cezar Ferreira. The only problem is that no one told Alvey that. The Team Quest middleweight claimed a victory over Ferreira via knockout in Round 1.
For the first three minutes and 30 seconds of the bout, it really looked like “Mutante” was going to cash in on his favored status. That is, until Alvey showcased his one-punch knockout power. Alvey countered a jab with a left-right hook combination that immediately sent Ferreira to the mat and put a smile on Alvey’s face.
After dropping a unanimous decision to Tom Watson, the American has now made it two straight victories abroad. He also scored a knockout of Dylan Andrews in Australia. With 15 career knockouts, Alvey’s power is definitely something to keep an eye on as his career progresses.
For Ferreira, it’s looking like his UFC potential might not be as high as his run on The Ultimate Fighter might have indicated. This is his second loss in three fights.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Rustam Khabilov vs. Adriano Martins
4 of 6
Adriano Martins gave the Brazilian crowd exactly what it wanted in his lightweight bout against Rustam Khabilov. The Manaus native walked away with a split-decision win (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) over his hyped Russian opponent.
While the first two bouts of the evening provided the crowd with plenty of action, this fight was an opportunity to switch over to the Academy Awards or take a nap. There wasn’t much action from either fighter as it turned into the equivalent of a grappling sparring session.
The result gives Martins a new signature win to add to his resume. Khabilov had only previously lost to Benson Henderson in the UFC Octagon, making him one of the more accomplished fighters that Martins has seen in his time with the organization.
Given this is the first time Martins has fought since July 2014, this win should open the door for him to get a shot at cracking the UFC’s rankings in the lightweight division.
Khabilov, on the other hand, will need to impress his next time out to regain the momentum he once had. After winning his first three fights in the organization he’s now lost his last two. Given that one of those losses was to former champion Benson Henderson, he shouldn’t be penalized too much, but three losses in a row is usually a threat to job security with Dana White and Co.
Yuri Alcantara vs. Frankie Saenz
5 of 6
Frankie Saenz announced his viability as a player in the bantamweight division with a win over Yuri Alcantara. The 34-year-old picked up a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) win over the UFC veteran.
The fight continued a trend of upsets in Brazil. Alcantara was considered to be the heavy favorite coming into the bout, but Saenz established right away that he was going to be the aggressor. The underdog almost immediately took down the favorite in the opening frame and continued to be the aggressor in a back-and-forth bout.
Alcantara had his moments. He gained mount position in the final moments of the third round and sprinkled in some takedowns throughout the fight. However, it was Saenz who was able to seize the majority of control.
The win runs Saenz's UFC record to a perfect 2-0. His Octagon debut saw him earn a unanimous decision over Nolan Ticman, but this win should do a lot more to put him on the map. Considering Alcantara’s last loss came to Urijah Faber, this was quite an upset for the little-known Saenz.
For Alcantara, this is a devastating step in the wrong direction. He came into this bout as the No. 8-ranked bantamweight in the organization, but his days as a ranked fighter in the class might be over.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sean Strickland
6 of 6
Santiago Ponzinibbio got things started off on the right foot for the Brazilian crowd in Porto Alegre. The Argentine who fights out of Rio de Janeiro kicked off the main card with a unanimous-decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) win over previously unbeaten Sean Strickland.
The bout not only pleased the crowd with the fan favorite winning, but also because it was an exciting fight. Strickland did a good job of using his length and volume at times; however, it was Ponzinibbio’s power that gave him the slight advantage in all three rounds.
The win moves Ponzinibbio to 2-1 in three UFC fights. However, this win is a much bigger resume booster than his win over Wendell Oliveira.To this point all of Ponzinibbio’s fights have been in Brazil. With this win he should move from Brazilian card-filler to bona fide prospect.
For Strickland, this is far from the end of the line. Coming into Brazil and picking up a win against Brazilian fighters is notoriously difficult, especially in a new weight class. The win is a setback, but the 23-year-old should still have the opportunity to redeem himself the next time out.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
