In the headline bout of UFC Vegas 60, Cory Sandhagen, who entered the event as the No. 4 ranked fighter in the official UFC bantamweight rankings, defeated No. 10 Song Yadong via doctor’s stoppage. With the win, Sandhagen, who was on a two-fight losing streak, is likely to maintain his position in the rankings and perhaps win the title in his next outing. In the co-main event, Gregory Rodrigues overcame the gap that fell in front of him compliments of a well-placed knee from Chidi Njokuani to win this middleweight contest via TKO. Read on for the winners and losers from the entire UFC Vegas 60 fight card, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas and was streamed on ESPN+.

Winners:

Cory Sandhagen: Cory Sandhagen’s focus at UFC Vegas 60 was to end his two-fight losing streak and maintain his No. 4 spot in the official UFC rankings. He did so with an outstanding performance against a future star in Song Yadong. Sandhagen used intensity, a variety of strikes, unorthodox attacks, viciousness and stellar cardio to pick up the victory via doctor’s stoppage at the end of the fourth round. The fight was close, two judges had it tied going into the fifth and the other had Sandhagen ahead. With that said, it was Sandhagen’s ability to deal damage and then capitalize on that damage that won him the match. With the win, Sandhagen remains atop a crowded division with several fighters vying for a shot at the winner of the UFC 280 bout between current 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling and former champion TJ Dillashaw. Song Yadong: Song Yadong doesn’t turn 25 until December 2nd. With that, expect to find him hanging atop the bantamweight division for years to come. My criticism of Yadong going into this fight was that he throws everything at maximum effort. My concern was that he would leave himself open to counters and weaken as the contest went into the later rounds. I still think Yadong needs to mix up his striking and he often bit his opponent Cory Sandhagen’s moves during the match. But his toughness, resilience and takedown defense were all off the charts on Saturday night. Yadong and Team Alpha Male should view UFC Vegas 60 as a learning experiment and make adjustments focusing on incremental improvement. Yadong doesn’t need a total makeover, but a few minor tweaks will make him a better and more successful fighter. Gregory Rodrigues: After his win over Chidi Njokuani, Gregory Rodrigues stood in the middle of the octagon with his forehead wide open and told UFC commentator Daniel Cormier that he’s “made for this.”
This is a phrase we often hear in combat sports. However, after seeing what Rodrigues did during the UFC Vegas 60 co-main event, one has no choice but to believe his claim. Rodrigues took the awkward knee that opened that cut early in the match and never wavered, coming back to finish off Njokuani in the second turn. Andre Fili vs. Bill Algeo: Andre Fili and Bill Algeo put on a spirited battle in the wings themselves. Fili’s striking was on point and he spent a good amount of time in the third round looking for a submission. However, Algeo brought things to a close thanks to his refusal to quit. Joseph Pyfer: Joseph Pyfer earned a UFC contract with a memorable knockout on a July Dana White Contender Series card. The UFC was impressed enough with this finish that they put Pyfer on the main card of UFC Vegas 60. Pyfer made the most of this opportunity, scoring a first-round pinfall knockout of Allen Amedowski. Anthony Hernandez: Anthony Hernandez made a statement at UFC Vegas 60, beating Marc-Andre Barriault in almost every way possible. He had a 65 percent striking percentage, eight takedowns, two submission attempts and 8:45 of control time in a bout that ended at 1:53 of the third round via technical submission. Hernandez’s performance at UFC UFC Vegas 60 was his third straight win and possibly his best performance under the UFC banner. Damon Jackson: Damon Jackson hurt Pat Sabatini early and then went for the finish with some nasty and effective strikes on the ground. Those strikes earned an oral submission from Sabatini at 1:09 of the first round. The victory came just a week after the death of Jackson’s brother. Moments after earning the victory, the emotions Jackson had been harboring during game week came pouring out. With the win, Jackson is now on a four-game winning streak. Trey Ogden: Everything Trey Ogden did against Daniel Zellhuber was effective and impressive. Ogden and his trainer, James Krause, created – and executed – a perfect game plan to end favorite Daniel Zellhuber’s winning streak at UFC Vegas 60. Ogden’s defense, counters, mix of techniques and speed were all notable in his decision win. Gillian Robertson: I’m torn on Gillian Robertson. On the one hand, Robertson lost the first round because of her focus on putting Mariya Agapova on the mat. In that round, Agapova landed 82 strokes to Robertson’s two. The stat keepers deemed 37 of those hits “significant.” On the other hand, Robertson’s choke and the choke she used to end the match was top notch.
Javid Basarat: Javid Basarat moved to 13-0 with a decision over Tony Gravely. What I really liked about Basarat’s game in this heavyweight contest was the way he mixed up his targets and techniques. The 27-year-old’s impressive attack prevented Gravely from knowing what was coming and where it was coming from. Basarat gets some bonus points for keeping his cool – at least during the match – after a few head-butts during the action. Nikolas Motta: Nikolas Motta didn’t have to wait long to find his opening against Cameron VanCamp. Motta gave up a lot of height and reach to his opponent, but VanCamp seemed to believe his advantages would make him untouchable. They didn’t, as Motta used his speed and ability to fight back to find VanCamp’s takedown button at the 3:49 mark of Round 1. The knockout victory was a solid rebound performance for the 29-year-old, who opened his UFC career by knocking out Jim Miller in February. Rodrigo Nascimento: After his decision win over Tanner Boser, Rodrigo Nascimento had a request. While many fighters take time on the mic after a win to ask the UFC for a $50,000 fight bonus, Nascimento requested tickets to the trilogy fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. Hey, at least it was different. NSAC Cageside Doctor: Cageside doctors have a tough job. When involved in combat sports, these men and women often have to go against their training. The role of the cageside physician, in the event of a cut, is to assess whether the fighter can see or whether there is a risk of permanent nerve damage. They don’t — or shouldn’t — consider the aesthetic outcome of the damage. With that in mind, the doctor on Saturday did a great job making the calls he made in the co-main event and main event.

Lost:

Pat Sabatini: Damon Jackson never gave Pat Sabatini a chance in their featherweight contest. Sabatini was verbally subjected to strikes early in the first round. The loss ended Sabatini’s three-fight UFC win streak and his six-fight overall streak. Sabatini’s next game will be crucial in terms of his promotion run. Daniel Zellhuber: One of the things Daniel Zellhuber talked about before his UFC debut was that before he moved to Xtreme Couture a few months ago, he had a hard time training at a high level. This was evident in his loss to Trey Ogden. He looked unable to adjust during the match and looked like he was frustrated with his inability to do anything. It’s too early to write off Zellhuber, who is just 23 years old, after his first career loss, but we should see big progress from the youngster in his next fight. The time he spends with coach Eric Niksic will be crucial. Mariya Agapova: Mariya Agapova should have touched. Fighters do not get a “toughness” bonus. Gillian Robertson had the choke locked down and Agapova wasn’t fighting it in any way that would allow her to escape the technique. Cameron VanCamp: Cameron VanCamp learned the lesson that many fighters discover when they step up to the competition. This lesson? Length and distance are no substitute for a strong defensive offensive guard. Sara McMann: Sara McMann has not competed since March. The UFC had booked her to face Aspen Ladd in August, but that fight fell through after Ladd contracted COVID-19. The promotion re-booked McMann vs. Ladd for UFC Vegas 60. However, with Ladd missing weight on Friday and the bout scratched, Ladd prevented McMann from competing inside the octagon. McMann said the UFC took care of her “very well,” which is great, but without a fight, everything she put into training camp — physically and financially — was for naught. The lack of a fight also prevents McMann from moving to the next level of her UFC contract because, without a win, there will be no movement in that regard. Aspen Ladd: Aspen Ladd missed weight three times in her UFC career and had a scary time on the scale in 2019 where she made weight, but not without some questions about her health. He also failed to make weight once under the Invicta banner. Ladd’s weight mishaps with the UFC cost her opponents – Sara McMann, Macy Chiasson and Leslie Smith the opportunity to play on UFC cards. The UFC is reluctant to force fighters to move weight classes, but Ladd has shown a pattern. If the UFC wants to put health and safety first, they need to tell Ladd from here on out that she has to fight at 145 pounds. UFC Fighters: In the early moments of…