Oh, what a night UFC on ESPN 56 turned out to be in St. Louis, Missouri. Dana White, the big boss over at the UFC, must be onto something. He’s thinking it’s time to pack up more often and hit the road, leaving the comfy confines of the Apex Facility in Vegas. And why? The fans, of course. They were electric, filling the Enterprise Center with an energy that’s hard to match.
The fighters felt it too. You could see it in their eyes, the way they moved. It was like the crowd’s cheers were fuel, pushing them to throw down in some of the most thrilling bouts we’ve seen. But, not every story from that night is about reaching new heights. Some are about the hard falls.
Take Jake Hadley, for example. The local hero, Charles Johnson, had the crowd roaring as he clinched a unanimous decision win against Hadley. It was a bit of a slow start for Johnson, but man, did he find his rhythm. A right hand that briefly sent Hadley to the mat was just the beginning. By the third round, Johnson was in full control, and the judges’ scorecards reflected that with all agreeing on a 29-28 victory.
But, let’s not breeze past the ad break. Yep, we’ve got those too.
Now, back to Hadley. This loss marks his third in five UFC fights. Nicknamed “White Kong,” he’s in a tough spot, teetering on the edge of the UFC flyweight roster. Yet, at 27, it’s too early to count him out. There’s still a chance for him to swing back.
On to Viacheslav Borshchev, or “Slava” as some call him. His journey’s been a bit rocky, with this latest loss adding to a growing pile. Facing Chase Hooper, Borshchev found himself on the wrong end of a left hand, not a takedown, which is what Hooper had been aiming for. That hit was just the start. Hooper, like a shark smelling blood, went all in for the submission, throwing attempt after attempt. Borshchev held his own, defending well, but the second round was a different story. Hooper got the takedown, found the mount, and before you knew it, a D’Arce choke ended the fight at the three-minute mark of round two.
Borshchev’s situation looks a bit grim. With a record now standing at 7-4, he’s skating on thin ice. Out of all the fighters from the event, his future with the UFC seems the most uncertain.