Derrick Lewis didn’t let his UFC on ESPN 56 main event against Rodrigo Nascimento drag on. Nope. He wrapped it up before anyone could even think of grabbing a snack. Initially, Lewis tried to get up close and personal, aiming for a clinch. But that plan? It didn’t stick. Nascimento, slick as ever, took it to the ground, leaving Lewis to fend off a barrage of elbows.
Round two? A different story. Lewis found his rhythm, landing uppercuts that probably still haunt Nascimento. By the third round, Lewis was in full “Black Beast” mode. A massive overhand right sent Nascimento to the canvas, and Lewis didn’t let up until the ref called it quits, just 49 seconds in.
And just like that, Lewis chalked up his 19th win in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Talk about making a statement.
Switching gears to the co-main event, we had Joaquin Buckley and Nursulton Ruziboev throwing down. Buckley, showing some serious grappling skills, dominated early on. Ruziboev tried to mount a comeback with his heavy hands, but Buckley’s ground-and-pound in the final round was just too much. The judges all nodded in agreement, handing Buckley a unanimous decision win.
Now, let’s talk about Carlos Ulberg’s lightning-fast victory. Twelve seconds. That’s all it took for him to TKO Alonzo Menifield. Menifield charged, Ulberg countered, and “Atomic” hit the deck. Just like that, “Black Jag” extended his win streak to six.
In another bout, Diego Ferreira showed why experience matters. Mateusz Rebecki started strong, but Ferreira’s boxing turned the tide in the second round. By the end of the third, Rebecki was exhausted, and Ferreira secured a TKO with just seconds to spare.
Sean Woodson and Alex Caceres gave us a striking clinic for a solid 15 minutes. Woodson used his reach effectively, but Caceres wasn’t backing down. In the end, Woodson got the nod from the judges, though one scorecard raised a few eyebrows.
Heavyweights Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Robelis Despaigne kicked off the main card with a bang. Cortes-Acosta’s striking and ground control were on point, handing Despaigne his first loss.
The prelims had their moments too. Chase Hooper’s brabo choke submission over Viacheslav Borshchev was a standout, albeit slightly controversial. Esteban Ribovics delivered a head kick knockout to Terrance McKinney in just 37 seconds. Tabatha Ricci and Tecia Pennington went the distance, with Ricci edging out a split decision. Trey Waters and Billy Goff threw down, with Waters emerging victorious. Charles Johnson and Veronica Hardy both secured unanimous decision wins in their respective bouts, proving their mettle.
All in all, UFC on ESPN 56 delivered excitement, upsets, and a few lessons in resilience. Can’t wait to see what’s next.