UFC Fight Night 67 Results: The Real Winners and Losers
UFC Fight Night 67 hit Brazil on Saturday, and the latest installment from the leader in MMA was a roller-coaster ride.
The evening got underway with a solid slate of preliminary action. New kids on the block performed well, and veterans on the undercard gave it their all. We even had a Top 15 flyweight affair as well.
The prelims delivered.
The main card got off to a rocky start, though. To say it left a lot to be desired might be an understatement, but once we got to the headlining bouts, business picked up. Charles Oliveira finished Nik Lentz in their rematch, and Carlos Condit returned to action with an exciting win over Thiago Alves.
Despite some lackluster fights, it was an entertaining show. Most importantly, an elite fighter came back healthy.
UFC Fight Night 67 featured 12 bouts in total, but who won? That is what I am here to break down for you. Let's look beyond just the basic results and find out who came out the other side as losers or winners.
Winner: Tom Breese
1 of 11
The 6’3” welterweight prospect came through in a big way to kick off his UFC career.
Breese’s size was a big obstacle for Luiz Dutra, and late in the first round Breese dropped him with a crisp left hand. Breese quickly pounced with quick ground-and-pound to force the referee’s hand in stopping the fight.
At only 23 years old, Breese could have a bright future in this division. His length is a significant advantage, and if his skills can catch up to his physical gifts, he will be a force in the division. He made a statement Saturday and put himself on the must-watch prospect list.
Winner: Mirsad Bektic
2 of 11
Before Saturday we knew Bektic was a prospect in the featherweight division, but how good of a prospect was still largely in the air. Now we know.
Bektic has a championship ceiling.
He's hard-hitting and accurate with excellent grappling. He gave a beautiful performance Saturday.
The upper echelon of this division is stacked, and Bektic is still growing as a fighter. It will be interesting to see how the UFC handles him moving forward. His brutal showcase at UFC Fight Night 67 most certainly could elevate him into Top 15 fights right now, but it may be more prudent for the UFC to bring him along slowly.
Either way, I’m all-in on Bektic and look forward to seeing him back in the cage.
Winners: Nicolas Dalby and Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos
3 of 11
It is rare that we see two UFC debutants come in as prepared as these two were. It was not a sloppy fight. They were technical while still putting together good offense.
Dalby claimed the victory by a split decision, but it could have easily been Dos Santos’ fight. It was a great bout from both men. A loss will go on Dos Santos’ record, but there is little doubt he impressed the company brass.
We will most certainly see him back.
This is supposed to be what new fighters look like as the sport grows. As MMA matures, the talent is expected to improve along with it. We have not always seen that, but these fighters delivered. Offensively and defensively, they were on point.
I was highly impressed with both fighters and am excited about their future prospects in the UFC.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Winner: Jussier Formiga
4 of 11
The No. 4-ranked flyweight in the world picked up a unanimous-decision victory over No. 12-ranked Wilson Reis, but that wasn’t what made him a winner.
His improved striking was most impressive.
Formiga is known primarily as a top-level grappler, but on Saturday he showcased some solid striking. His right hand was quick and accurate. In the second round, he dropped Reis in what could have otherwise been a round for Reis. Formiga’s opponents now have to prepare for a good counterstriker as well as worry about his ground game.
This necessary addition to his MMA skill set makes Formiga a serious contender in the division. He would still be a significant underdog to Demetrious Johnson, but rounding out his game will at least open up some opportunities for him to be successful against the elite of the division.
Winner: Rony Jason
5 of 11
Rony Jason didn’t get an easy draw in the featured preliminary contest as he took on a solid prospect in Damon Jackson.
The Brazilian picked up the victory with a slick triangle-choke submission.
Jason sports a tattoo that reads "jiu-jitsu," and he showed why. The transition to get the submission was exquisite. Often, we as fans forget about how beautiful the transition game can be in MMA, but we got a glimpse of that at UFC Fight Night 67.
He had exchanged wins and losses in his previous four outings and was coming off a loss. This win puts him back where he needs to be.
This is his time to move forward in the division. Jason has a solid, well-rounded skill set to create problems for most fighters in the division. Another performance like the one in Brazil this past weekend will earn him a premier bout in the division.
Winner: Darren Till
6 of 11
I was all set to call both Darren Till and Wendell Oliveira losers for their lackluster first round. The second round did not start any better. I thought we finally had something to be snarky about this card.
Then Till lambasted Oliveira with elbows from the guard and knocked him out cold.
Till has an excellent frame for the welterweight division, and he extends his unbeaten streak with this win. As an undefeated prospect, his stock will steadily grow. The Liverpool native lives and trains in Brazil and has had all of his professional fights there as well. He looked comfortable in his UFC debut.
It was a slow start but a great finish. Chalk up another excellent start to a prospect's UFC career at UFC Fight Night 67.
Loser: Norman Parke
7 of 11
Hey, we have a real loser! Oh, wait, that’s not a good thing.
Parke not only lost the fight by a contentious decision, but he also looked bad in the process. It’s one thing to lose a decision that may be gift-wrapped to the other fighter, but it’s an entirely different thing to completely underperform. And that’s what Parke did.
It was a terrible fight.
Parke started to show some wrestling, but his striking wasn’t crisp, and his cardio failed. Things quickly went awry in this battle. Francisco Trinaldo didn’t do any better, but because he picked up the win I don’t want to include him as a loser. At least he moves forward in the division.
That performance was so bad I am not even sure what the UFC should do with Parke moving forward. It was an ugly bout.
Loser: Ryan Jimmo
8 of 11
Ryan Jimmo started his UFC career with a bang, but fans quickly realized that was an aberration. On Saturday he lost in more ways than one.
He has been one of the most outspoken fighters about the UFC’s sponsorship with Reebok, and when you go against the machine, you must outperform your worth. Jimmo most certainly did not do that in Brazil. Moreover, he took a low kick right to the giblets. He was on the canvas, dry heaving into a bucket.
Oh, and he actually lost the fight. A boring fight with little action. He usually wins those.
The UFC would be hard-pressed to keep Jimmo around. He is not an exciting fighter, is actively opposing their initiatives and isn’t winning. He was the biggest loser at UFC Fight Night 67.
Winner: Alex Oliveira
9 of 11
Oliveira had a rough debut in his last outing against Gilbert Burns, but he got to show off what he can do versus K.J. Noons.
Noons started the fight looking solid on his feet, but Oliveira matched him. Soon, the Brazilian closed the distance and took Noons down. Once the action went down to the canvas, it didn’t take long for the fight to end. Oliveira sunk in the rear-naked choke and got the finish.
He made a statement with his performance and added a little spice back into the event. Maybe he’s a real winner just for winning quickly. Regardless, it wasn’t like the previous two fights on this card.
The Brazilian picks up a big win and his first inside the Octagon. He’ll be an excellent addition to any future fight card.
Loser: Charles Oliveira
10 of 11
He won an exciting fight and continues his upward trend at 145 pounds. So, I’m sure you are asking, “Why does that make him a loser?”
Oliveira is a loser because this is going to force him into a fight with someone who is going to hurt him.
Do Bronx showed off some quality striking and his ever-present ground game. But his striking defense was putrid. He got hit a lot and failed to move his head against a lackluster striker. He also took some more damage to the noggin when Nik Lentz put him to the mat head first.
It made for an exciting fight against Lentz, but against the upper echelon it is going to get him unconscious. Oliveira needs to go back to the gym and work on his defense. He is still only 25 years old and has all the talent in the world. But if he does not improve his defense, he is going to get seriously hurt.
He’s not ready for the beating he’s about to receive...well, a repeat of the beatings he has already received at the hands of Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar before.
Winners: Carlos Condit and Thiago Alves
11 of 11
First off, let’s applaud both of these men. What a 10-minute battle. They are tough as nails.
Alves is a winner because of the toughness he showed. Most in the world would have wilted under Condit’s pressure as he went for the finish, but Alves did not. He battled back from the brink of defeat to make it to the end of the round before the doctor stopped it due to his broken nose.
The Pitbull is a fan favorite for a reason.
Now, onto Condit.
The Natural Born Killer returned to action for the first time since ACL surgery, and it was like he never left. There was an adjustment period early in the fight, but he was also addressing the concerns of the dangerous opponent standing opposite him. In the second round, Condit nailed Alves with an elbow that broke his nose and sent him to the canvas.
Condit couldn’t finish, but that’s only because Alves is a warrior.
This was a great main event that delivered the kind of fight we expect. Condit gets a big win in his return, and now he should be right back in the mix for a contender’s fight. As for Alves, this won’t hurt his stock too much. Both men come out better than they entered. We look forward to seeing them again as soon as they can get ready.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
