UFC's debut for a full show on ESPN saw them feature several ranked stars and move up said rankings in Phoenix.
#10 James Vick looked to make his ranking a single digit after taking on #14 Paul Felder. That didn't end up happening, however, as Felder effectively leg kicked his way to a three round unanimous decision nod.
#11 Cortney Casey may have been higher in the rankings than #12 Cynthia Calvilo, but she came in as a huge underdog. Those betting lines proved to be wise, as the much more accomplished Calvilo won a unanimous decision victory.
After being just one fight away from a possible title shot, #5 Jimmie Rivera looked to right the track against #7 Aljamain Sterling. That didn't end up happening, as instead, Sterling earned a unanimous decision win for his biggest victory ever.
An under-the-radar top 15 fight took place with #13 Andrea Lee looking to improve her spot against #11 Ashlee Evans-Smith. Lee would do just that, sweeping AES on the scorecard to gain a unanimous decision victory.
While it wasn't a ranked fight, a couple of notable names headlined the ESPN+ prelims with former UFC Champion Renan Barao taking on Luke Sanders (ex-boyfriend of WWE's Becky Lynch) in a fight with both men's job likely on the line. If that is indeed the case, Renan Barao may be on the free agent market after getting knocked out viciously by his opponent in round 2.
You can see our full, live coverage of UFC Phoenix at this link. Remember to tune in every Tuesday at 2 PM EST for the Fightful MMA Podcast featuring myself, Showdown Joe and James Lynch.
