One of the most compelling aspects of MMA is the fact that there are so many ways to win – or lose – a fight. It means that even the best in the world are never truly safe from defeat. In a sport that is constantly evolving, shock results are commonplace, and 2019 was certainly no different.
Our pick for MMA Junkie’s “Upset of the Year” had a little bit of everything. As the smaller man stepping up at short notice to take on a hyped knockout artist with an eye for the spectacular, few gave Canadian lightweight Tristan Connelly much of a chance against high-flying, back-flipping, capoeira-kicking human highlight reel Michel Pereira at UFC on ESPN+ 16. Crucially, however, Connelly did, and he went into the matchup with the air of a man who knew he knew something nobody else did. And boy did he prove it.
First, some context. Peireira was signed by the UFC after a series of wild highlight videos from his fights for South Korean promotion ROAD FC went viral. Then the powerful Brazilian showed that his crazy fighting style could translate to the octagon as he stunned respected British striker Danny Roberts in the first round. Pereira’s debut win meant he had beaten a legitimate welterweight in highlight-reel fashion and the hype started to build around the exciting new arrival to the UFC’s 170-pound division.
When Pereira’s scheduled bout with Russian Sergey Khandozkho in Vancouver fell through at the start of fight week, UFC officials scrambled and eventually found a willing dance partner, with Connelly agreeing to step in on just five days’ notice and step up a weight class to make his UFC debut in his home town. Then there was drama on weigh-in day, when Pereira missed weight. He tipped the scale one pound over the non-title welterweight limit of 171 pounds but, crucially, opted not to use the additional time to lose the final pound. It would prove to be a more costly decision than he realized at the time.
When fight night arrived, Pereira came flying out the gate as advertised, throwing the sort of spectacular spinning, flying techniques most can only achieve using an X-Box controller. But Connelly looked unfazed as he showed his composure, and a solid chin, as he weathered the early storm from the musclebound Brazilian.
But as the round wore on, Connelly started to find openings of his own. And when the action ended up going to the mat, the Checkmat BJJ coach used his grappling smarts – both from his back and from top position – to sap Pereira’s gas tank and leave him gasping for air.
While Connelly may have rallied to take the opening round, Pereira showed he had a fight I.Q. to back up all the high-flying moves as he wisely used his size and strength advantage in the second stanza as he weighed heavy on the Canadian for long spells and fought smart to level the scores heading into the final round.
But the third round was all Connelly, as the Vancouver native found his second wind just as Pereira’s gas tank was running dry. Roared on by a vociferous hometown crowd, “Boondock” dominated the final five minutes as he pushed a relentless pace, hunting submissions, landing ground strikes and staying in total control as he took the fight to the scorecards.
The only thing missing from Connelly’s performance was a finish, but that may almost have detracted from his overall display as she showed remarkable grit, determination and an unshakable will to win as he overcame deficits in height, weight, reach and preparation time to earn scores of 29-28, 29-27, 29-27 to score a memorable win on his short-notice UFC debut.
Connelly’s performance was one of the highlights of the night in Vancouver, and earned him a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus. And, as a result of Pereira’s weight miss, the $50,000 due to head to the Brazilian went instead to Connelly, who picked up a cool six-figure payday for his unforgettable octagon debut.
There are plenty of fighters deserving of honorable mentions. Khama Worthy stepped in on short notice and produced a stunning performance to knock out touted prospect Devonte Smith at UFC 241, while Roxanne Modafferi halted the rise of Valentina Shevchenko with a dominant display of grappling at UFC on ESPN+ 7. And few people predicted Henry Cejudo would dethrone T.J. Dillashaw in such swift, decisive fashion at UFC on ESPN+ 1.
Over here in Europe, French flyweight Samir Faiddine was a huge underdog as he battled Sam Creasey for the vacant Cage Warriors 125-pound title, but one huge right hook meant he headed back across the English Channel with a big gold belt in tow.
And in terms of the bookies, nobody overcame longer odds to win in 2019 than Bellator’s +700 underdog Daniel Carey, who finished Peruvian prospect and -1,100 favorite Gaston Bolanos via first-round guillotine choke at Bellator 226.
But, in terms of his overall performance, Connelly gets the nod for a performance that seemed more suited to the movie screen rather than the octagon as he claimed one of the most remarkable upset wins of 2019.
Also see:
MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Fight of the Year’: Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum
MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Under-the-Radar Fighter of the Year’: Geoff Neal
MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Coach of the Year’: Eugene Bareman of City Kickboxing
MMA Junkie’s ‘Knockout of the Year’ for 2019: Jorge Masvidal’s flying knee
MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Breakout Fighter of the Year’: Jorge Masvidal
MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Robbery of the Year’: Polyana Viana’s vigilante justice
MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Submission of the Year’: Bryce Mitchell’s twister
MMA Junkie’s 2019 ‘Comeback of the Year’: Jairzinho Rozenstruik finishes Alistair Overeem
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