Biggest Winners, Loser From UFC Vegas 21

UFC Vegas 21 went down last night (Sat., March 13) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, which featured a Welterweight scrap between Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad. Unfortunately, the fight came to an anti-climactic ending in round two after the fight ended in a no contest (NC) due to an inadvertent eye poke from “Rocky” that left Muhammad unable to continue (highlights). In the co-main event, Ryan Spann disposed of Misha Cirkunov in just 71 seconds (see it again here).

Biggest Winner: Dan Ige

Ige got back on the winning track in a big way by scoring a 22 second knockout win over a very tough Gavin Tucker, sleeping him with a solid shot that put him out for the count. For Ige, it also earned him a nice $50K post-fight bonus. More importantly, however, it got him back on track after having his six fight win streak snapped in his previous fight by Calvin Kattar. Also, the fast win could very well set him up for a quick turnaround if he decides to hang around in Las Vegas for a week or two just in case his services are needed in any of the upcoming fight cards, giving him the chance to earn another quick paycheck.

Runner (s) Up: Ryan Spann and Matthew Semelsberger

Ige wasn’t the only man who seemed to be in hurry last night because Spann and Semelsberger also scored lightning-quick knockouts. Spann ended Misha Cirkunov’s night early by taking him out in just 71 seconds of the very first round. The victory got him back on track, as well, after he had his eight fight win streak derailed by Johnny Walker in his previous fight. Semelsberger, meanwhile, scored a 16 second knockout win over Jason Witt, clipping him with a clean shot, dropping him like a sack of potatoes before he even got the chance to break a sweat. The win was his fifth in a row, second inside the Octagon.

Biggest Loser: Edwards and Muhammad

The first five minutes of the fight between “Rocky” and “Remember the Name” were pretty entertaining before the fight came to an abrupt end due to the accidental eye poke, leaving both men bummed and “Remember the Name” with a nasty eye injury. It’s a tough blow for Edwards because that’s not what he wanted after 20 months off and going through numerous training camps only to have several of his fights cancelled. Furthermore, a win would have secured him a shot at the title. Now, there is no telling where he goes from here. For Muhammad, it was his chance to cause some chaos at 170 pounds and infiltrate the Top 5, maybe even steal a title shot. You have to feel bad for both men after putting in all that work to have it end so suddenly with no winner. What happens next for each of them is up in the air. Edwards could very well stay in “Sin City” and turn right around and join one of the upcoming cards if the promotion can find a willing and able 170 pounder to take him on. Muhammad, on the other hand, will have to sit out for a bit to get some tests done on his eye and hope there isn’t nothing seriously wrong.

For complete UFC Vegas 21: “Edwards Vs. Muhammad” results and play-by-play, click HERE!