UFC’s last card under the ESPN era went down at the Apex. The last fight night of this year was definitely a stacked card, with the fans expecting some barn burners. Expectedly, the fighters inside the Octagon delivered with a bang, with six of them ending in violent finishes. But this came at a cost for some.

MMA Mania reported that the UFC transported co-main event fighter Giga Chikadze, heavyweights Kennedy Nzechukwu and Marcus Buchecha, and fellow 265-pounder Sean Sharaf to the hospital for CT scan checkups. Along with them, the promotion also sent card opener Tereza Bledá for evaluation.

UFC Vegas 112 was definitely full of surprises, as Merab Dvalishvili’s countryman, Giga Chikadze from Georgia, faced his first knockout loss ever. In the co-main event, Kevin Vallejos cracked ‘Ninja’s granite chin with a solid spinning backfist, followed by elbows to seal the deal. With that loss, Chikadze now sits on three straight defeats in his career, and before he makes any further decision, he has to check in with the doctor.

Then came the heavyweight fighters of the night. Kennedy Nzechukwu and Marcus Buchecha went through a pretty lackluster 15 minutes that the judges declared a draw. However, the Nigerian suffered a point deduction due to an eye poke, and that likely played a role in the promotion sending Buchecha to the hospital to check whether his eye had taken more damage than expected.

Sean Sharaf, another heavyweight fighter on the card, is also set to face the doctor next. Reason? ‘The Smoke’ got smoked by his opponent, Steven Asplund, in the second round, leaving him with his second straight UFC loss. With that setback, Sharaf might now be under Dana White’s laser eyes, facing a potential cut from the promotion.

Lastly, the card opener, Tereza Bledá, also suffered a brutal knockout loss against Jamey-Lyn Horth in the first round. The 24-year-old Czech Republic fighter showed promise in her last fight, but this time she ran into a sharper Lyn-Horth, who looked locked in and noticeably bigger. After absorbing that damage, Bledá is also on her way to the hospital for a precautionary CT scan. 

Coming back to the card itself, it won’t be an understatement to say that the fights turned out to be better than what most fans expected. Especially the main event, where Manel Kape shocked the world.   

Manel Kape calls out Joshua Van after UFC Vegas 112 knockout vs Brandon Royval 

In the UFC Vegas 112 main event, Manel Kape shone bright as he knocked out Brandon Royval in the first round. Everyone already knew ‘The Starboy’ carried serious power, but nobody imagined he would completely flatline ‘Rawdawg’, a fighter known for his solid chin. After securing the crucial victory, the Portuguese contender wasted no time and immediately called out the new champion, Joshua Van, even labeling him a baby.

“Joshua Van, you have my belt. If I hadn’t broke my feet in July, I would be the champion right now. Now baby, listen very well. I’m here, your daddy. Your daddy is going to take your diapers, alive, on the new deal, Paramount deal. I’m going to take your diapers, alive,” Kape said in the Octagon interview.

But that was not all. The Portuguese knockout machine also had a location in mind where he believes the championship fight makes the most sense. Kape called to face Joshua Van in front of his home crowd in Houston, right in front of his people.

“Be ready, because you are in Houston, right? Let’s fight in Houston in February, or whatever you want. Just sign the contract. Houston is my city.”

At present, the UFC has scheduled Sean Strickland vs Anthony Hernandez as the Fight Night main event in Houston on February 21 at the Toyota Center. In that case, if the promotion decides to make Joshua Van defend his title against Manel Kape, Dana White could elevate the event into a marquee show, potentially UFC 327, after Holloway vs Oliviera takes place on March 7.

That said, what did you think about the latest ESPN card? Did it meet your expectations? Let us know in the comments section below.