UFC on ESPN+ 36 rookie report: Grading the newcomers in Las Vegas

Division: Flyweight
Result: Tyson Nam def. Jerome Rivera via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:34
Record: 10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC
Grade: D+

Jerome Rivera’s UFC debut was a baptism of fire as he was drawn to face the hard-hitting Tyson Nam, who looks to be making all the right moves as he looks to plot his way to the top.

For Rivera, though, the night was the opportunity to make a solid first impression, and the debutant hung tough against Nam through a competitive opening round before eventually succumbing to his opponent’s punch power in the second.

With Nam looking to push the pace, Rivera worked off the back foot, using a mix of punches and kicks to keep Nam from blitzing in looking to throw big shots. However, Rivera eventually felt Nam’s power and had to go on the defensive before composing himself and landing a solid leg kick. Nam’s striking likely edged things, but Rivera’s range control and ability to mix up his striking showed promise.

The only red flag was Rivera’s upright stance, wth the debutant almost looking ready to back away from exchanges before he’s finished throwing his strikes. It left his head up in the air and unprotected at the end of his exchanges, and Nam eventually took advantage in the second round.

After spending the first round circling the outside of the cage, Rivera looked to dominate the center of the canvas at the start of Round 2, but saw an inside leg kick countered by a superbly-timed right hand that dropped the debutant to the canvas.

Despite being scrambled by Nam’s punch, Rivera tried in vain to defend as Nam rained down punches and elbows. An attempt to throw up his legs to grab an armbar was brushed away and the referee mercifully spared Rivera further punishment by waving off the action.

It was a tough start to Rivera’s UFC career, but it was a particularly tough opening assignment for the 25-year-old Contender Series graduate.

Round 2 – Rivera takes the center of the cage immediately. Rivera throws an inside leg kick that is immediately countered by a hard right hand by Nam. Rivera drops to the canvas, and Nam pounces with ground-and-pound, and he gets the finish. It’s over after Nam lands the big right hand he was looking for the entire fight.

Division: Featherweight
Result: Darrick Minner def. TJ Laramie via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 0:52
Record: 12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC
Grade: E

T.J. Laramie’s octagon debut turned into a nightmare as the fancied Canadian suffered a quickfire submission loss to Darrick Minner.

Laramie never really got going as Minner immediately took the center of the cage and started to throw shots at the debutant, who was forced onto the back foot. Laramie then found himself backed up against the cage, but then smartly reversed position to force Minner against the fence. However, as Laramie looked to drop levels for a takedown, Minner locked up a guillotine choke and, by the time the Canadian knew how dangerous the predicament was, he was trapped and left with no option but to tap.

It meant that Laramie’s UFC career got off to a losing start as he tapped out barely before he could get any offense going. But, while his debut display can only earn him an E grade, his performances in Canadian promotion TKO suggest there’s certainly better to come from the 22-year-old.

Division: Women’s bantamweight
Result: Sarah Alpar vs. Jessica-Rose Clark
Record: 9-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC
Grade: D

Sarah Alpar showcased toughness in abundance in her octagon debut, but ultimately found herself half a step behind Jessica-Rose Clark throughout her bantamweight bout.

Alpar kept pushing forward throughout the matchup and was relentless in her pursuit of the takedown as she looked to push Clark against the fence before dropping down to grab a single- or double-leg. But, despite her pressure, she struggled to take the action to the mat as Clark did an excellent job of stuffing the debutant’s attempts.

In the striking exchanges, Alpar’s punches didn’t carry the same snap as her opponent’s, meaning her main weapon was her ability to close the distance and initiate the clinch against the cage. But when the action did eventually go to the mat, it was Clark who seemed the more accomplished grappler on the mat.

Then, to make a tough debut even worse, Alpar then took a huge knee that appeared to break her nose. It looked like a fight-ending strike but after referee Chris Tognoni halted the matchup, thinking it was an illegal strike. After confirming that it was, in fact, legal, the bout controversially resumed, as Alpar was subjected to more unnecessary punishment before the action was finally waved off.

Ultimately, Alpar found herself up against an opponent who was just a cut above her in all areas, and it’s likely we’ll see her matched up against a promotional newcomer, or a fellow one-fight UFC prospect, in her next outing.