Another busy combat sports weekend is in the books, and this one delivered championship changes, major milestones, UFC upsets and a few performances that could change the direction of careers.
Teofimo Lopez became a three-division world champion, Amanda Serrano reached 50 professional victories, Gregory Rodrigues spoiled Anthony Hernandez’s homecoming, and several rising fighters made statements.
Here are Fight Week’s Weekend Winners & Losers from August 21–22.
WINNER: Teofimo Lopez
Teofimo Lopez is a world champion again.
Lopez moved up to welterweight and defeated Rolando “Rolly” Romero by majority decision Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, taking the WBA welterweight championship and becoming a world champion in a third weight class.
The judges scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Lopez, with the third judge scoring it 114-114. Lopez used his jab, movement and higher work rate to control much of the fight despite Romero hurting him and opening a cut during the middle rounds.
This was an important rebound for Lopez. After losing to Shakur Stevenson earlier this year, another defeat would have raised serious questions about where his career was headed.
Instead, Lopez moved up to 147 pounds and immediately grabbed another championship.
Fight Week Verdict: Whatever you think about the scorecards, Lopez did what elite fighters are supposed to do after a setback. He adjusted, moved up in weight and became champion again.
WINNER: Gregory Rodrigues
Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues may have scored the biggest MMA victory of the weekend.
Rodrigues went into Sacramento and defeated No. 6-ranked Anthony Hernandez by unanimous decision in the UFC Fight Night main event. Even more impressive, Rodrigues matched Hernandez’s relentless pace over five rounds and landed the heavier shots down the stretch.
The victory was Rodrigues’ fourth straight, and the UFC awarded the main event a performance bonus.
Rodrigues entered the weekend ranked below Hernandez. That gap should close significantly after this performance.
Fight Week Verdict: This wasn’t just another win. Rodrigues announced himself as a legitimate factor near the top of the UFC middleweight division.
WINNER: Amanda Serrano
It wasn’t easy, but Amanda Serrano reached another career milestone Friday night.
Serrano defeated Lucrecia Manzur by majority decision to retain her WBA, WBO and Ring featherweight championships. The judges scored the fight 116-112, 116-112 and 114-114.
More importantly, it was professional victory No. 50 for Serrano.
At this stage of her career, Serrano has accomplished almost everything possible in boxing. But Manzur made her work for this one and showed that even one of women’s boxing’s most accomplished champions can be pushed.
Fight Week Verdict: Fifty victories and another successful title defense. It wasn’t vintage Serrano dominance, but milestones don’t require style points.
WINNER: Jahmal Harvey
Keep an eye on Jahmal Harvey.
The former amateur standout produced one of the best knockouts of the weekend when he flattened Hammet Keb with a right hand in the second round Friday night.
The official stoppage came at 2:48 of Round 2, keeping Harvey unbeaten as a professional.
Harvey already had the amateur résumé. Performances like this are what begin turning a decorated amateur into a professional prospect people want to watch.
Fight Week Verdict: Harvey belongs on the Fight Week Prospect Watch list. The competition will get tougher, but the talent is obvious.
WINNER: Reinier de Ridder
Reinier de Ridder wanted to make a statement in his return to light heavyweight.
Mission accomplished.
De Ridder stopped Roman Dolidze by TKO at 4:01 of the first round at UFC Sacramento.
Coming into the fight, de Ridder had talked about needing a dominant performance after recent setbacks. Instead of simply getting back into the win column, he finished a dangerous opponent before the first round ended.
Fight Week Verdict: Moving back to 205 pounds may have been exactly what de Ridder needed. The UFC suddenly has another interesting name in the light heavyweight mix.
WEEKEND LOSERS
LOSER: Rolly Romero
Rolly Romero had his moments against Teofimo Lopez.
Unfortunately, moments aren’t enough when you’re defending a world championship.
Romero hurt Lopez during the fight and had another strong moment late, but he spent too much time waiting for opportunities instead of creating them. Lopez’s jab and steady activity allowed him to pile up rounds and ultimately leave Las Vegas with Romero’s WBA title.
Romero disputed the decision afterward, but the bigger problem was that he allowed too many rounds to become boxing matches fought at Lopez’s preferred pace.
Fight Week Verdict: When you’re the champion, you can’t leave that many rounds available for the challenger to take. Rolly remains dangerous, but he’s no longer holding the belt.
LOSER: Anthony Hernandez
This one hurts.
Hernandez was fighting in Sacramento in what the UFC described as his first UFC “home game,” but Rodrigues refused to cooperate with the storyline.
Hernandez brought his usual pressure, but Rodrigues stayed with him for five rounds and landed the more damaging shots. The unanimous-decision loss becomes particularly costly because Hernandez entered the weekend ranked No. 6 and was trying to restart his momentum after his previous loss.
Instead, he now has consecutive defeats.
Fight Week Verdict: Hernandez isn’t suddenly out of the middleweight picture, but the road to a title opportunity just became considerably longer.
LOSER: Roman Dolidze
Roman Dolidze didn’t get much opportunity to settle into his fight with Reinier de Ridder.
De Ridder finished him by TKO before the end of the opening round, turning what looked like an intriguing light heavyweight matchup into a one-sided statement.
A loss is one thing. A first-round stoppage against another fighter trying to establish himself in the same division can be more damaging.
Fight Week Verdict: Dolidze now needs a rebound performance before he can re-enter serious conversations near the top of the division.
LOSER: Mason Jones
Mason Jones appeared to be finding success against MarQuel Mederos before everything changed quickly in the second round.
Mederos rocked Jones with a right hand, followed up with more offense and forced the referee to stop the fight at 2:07 of Round 2.
Meanwhile, Mederos improved his UFC record to 4-0-1 and extended his overall winning streak to 11.
Fight Week Verdict: A difficult night for Jones and a major missed opportunity to slow down one of the division’s fastest-rising fighters.
LOSS ON PAPER, STOCK UP: Lucrecia Manzur
Technically, Lucrecia Manzur belongs in the losers column.
Her performance says otherwise.
Manzur entered Friday night facing one of the most accomplished fighters in women’s boxing and pushed Amanda Serrano through all 12 rounds. One judge scored the championship fight 114-114, while the other two had Serrano ahead 116-112.
She didn’t leave Temecula with the championships, but she did leave with considerably more credibility than she had entering the ring.
There are losses that send fighters backward.
This wasn’t one of them.
Fight Week Verdict: Manzur lost the fight. Her stock went up.
Fight Week’s Biggest Winner of the Weekend
TEOFIMO LOPEZ
Gregory Rodrigues had an outstanding night. Amanda Serrano reached another historic milestone.
But this week’s top spot belongs to Teofimo Lopez.
Moving into a new weight class and immediately defeating a reigning champion is difficult enough. Doing it after coming off a loss makes the performance even more significant.
Lopez is now a world champion at lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight.
That’s the kind of accomplishment that changes how a career is remembered.
Teofimo Lopez is Fight Week’s biggest winner of the weekend.
Another weekend down. More careers moving up, moving down — and a few fighters leaving us wanting to see what happens next.
Check back every week for Fight Week Weekend Winners & Losers.
