The UFC San Diego results on Saturday offered up what you would expect from a UFC card. Knockouts, submission finishes, and much more.
The Aug. 13 card from inside the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California featured a highly anticipated bantamweight matchup between a pair of fighters in the top 10 of the Sportsnaut UFC bantamweight rankings. Marlon Vera vs Dominick Cruz was a clash of contenders and stars from different generations with major division ramifications.
At the end of the night, Vera’s hand was raised after he earned another knockout win over a UFC legend for the second time in his last three fights.
Related: UFC tonight – Fight card, betting odds, and watch times for Saturday’s event
Saturday’s card also saw the return of quite a few Octagon veterans like Angela Hill, Cynthia Calvillo, Tyson Nam, Nina Nunes, and Youssef Zalal. Let’s take a look at the UFC competitors that had nights to remember and evenings to forget.
Winner: Marlon Vera
If Vera isn’t next for the winner of Aljamain Sterling vs TJ Dillashaw, Jose Aldo must have done something spectacular in his upcoming fight against Merab Dvalishvili. He is the only man really blocking “Chito” for a title bout. Vera is on an absolute tear right now and has finished a couple of MMA greats in two of his last three. There is no more exciting competitor in the division and more deserving of championship consideration.
Loser: Dominick Cruz
No matter what, Dominick Cruz is one of, if not the greatest bantamweight fighter of all time. However, his best days are unfortunately behind him. While he is still a very good MMA fighter right now, he is no longer an elite talent, and his KO defeat to Vera cemented that. The question now is, does Cruz want to keep climbing the contender ladder at 37, after this loss pushed him another year or two out of contention?
Winners: Nate Landwehr &. David Onama
Jauregui vs Lucindo looked like the odds on favorite to win the “Fight of the Night” bonus. That was until Nate Landwehr and David Onama took part in a wild melee that showcased how tough and gutsy both men are. For much of the second half of the fight, Onama seemed completely gassed and on the verge of being finished. Yet he battled through and came on strong in the final seconds to actually earn a draw on one judge’s card. Lawndwehr got the W, but this fight is likely to land on many FOTY lists in December.
Winners: Yazmin Jauregui & Iasmin Lucindo
Yazmin Jauregui and Iasmin Lucindo getting a prominent spot on the UFC San Diego main card did not make much sense for two women making their debuts and had a combined age of 43. However, the matchmakers showed their knowledge of the talent as these two strawweights delivered an absolute war that was a brawl with very solid technique. Jauregui earned the win, but both ladies let fans know there are a couple of talented prospects now among the 115-pound ranks.
Loser: Ariane Lipski
Ariane Lipski received a lot of hype ahead of her UFC debut three years ago after a memorable run in KSW. However, over eight Octagon appearances, the “Queen of Violence” has often been on the wrong end of said violence. On Saturday, Priscila Cachoeira blasted through her in just over a minute like she was Francis Ngannou. It was another disappointing showing for Lipski who is now 3-5 in the UFC and has lost three of her last four — all by knockout.
Winner: Gerald Meerschaert
Gerald Meerschaert was one of the bigger underdogs on the card and in spite of the doubters, put up one of the best performances of his career. Dealing with power strikers has long been a problem for him during his career. But in his UFC San Diego results, he became the heavy hitter when he landed a left hand that floored Bruno Silva in the third round and set up a fight under guillotine choke. “GM3” has won four of his last five and now has an absurd 27 submission victories during his career.
Loser: Cynthia Calvillo
Cynthia Calvillo’s UFC career could be at an end. After being one of the best prospects in strawweight and possibly the UFC’s first female Mexican star, the Californian is in a terrible tailspin. She has lost four straight, including in her UFC San Diego results. It is one thing to come up short against former champions and contenders like Jessica Andrade and Katlyn Chookagian. But to lose to Nina Nunes — a fighter who retired after the bout — that could be enough for the UFC to end their business relationship with the 35-year-old.
Winner: Tyson Nam
Tyson Nam isn’t the fastest flyweight or the most technical striker, however, there is one thing the Hawaiian has always had its absurd power for the weight class. He showed that off on Saturday when he scored a filthy right hand that badly hurt Ode Osbourne, and set up the eventual knockout finish. After missing over a year of his career after tearing his ACL, Nam scored a perfect comeback victory and set himself up for a productive 2022.
Loser: Charlie Ontiveros
Charlie Ontiveros got off to a strong start in a must-win scenario versus Gabriel Benitez at UFC San Diego. He seemed faster and more diverse. Unfortunately for him, things changed fast as “Moggly” was able to find a way to effectively use his pressure. He eventually found his range and started to damage Ontiveros. Benitez then used a massive slam takedown to get the action to the mat and pummel his opponent until the referee jumped in to stop the fight.
This was Ontiveros’ third straight knockout loss to start his UFC career — the second in the opening frame. It seems unlikely the 31-year-old gets a fourth straight opportunity in the Octagon.
UFC San Diego results winner: Josh Quinlan
Every fighter dreams of a perfect start to their UFC careers and rarely does it happen, but Josh Quinlan got just that in his UFC San Diego results. Just two minutes into his promotional debut, “The Renegade” blasted him with a left hand in the midst of an exchange that completely turned Jason Witt’s lights out. It was a highlight-reel finish that put Quinlan on the map in a major way.