Last night (Sat. November 2, 2024), the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) traveled to Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for UFC Edmonton. It's a real shame that Derrick Lewis was forced to withdraw at the last second because this really seemed like a better live card than usual. With the loss of “The Black Beast” it felt a lot more like the typical Apex affair. Seriously, what the hell was Caio Machado doing vs. Brendson Ribeiro on the main card? Terrible.

That said, let's take a look back at UFC Edmonton's best performances and techniques:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

The champ is back

Brandon Moreno is an incredible fighter and multiple time champion, but he is also known for his inconsistency. Assassin Baby will look incredibly different in successive appearances, sometimes to its own detriment. His last appearance against Brandon Royval was a tough fight against a top contender, but by his previous standards it was a sloppy performance that saw him rely too heavily on a wide overhand.

Moreno admitted he needed a break after that loss… and it worked! His performance last night matched the best of his championship victories. His timing was sharp, his boxing combinations were great, and his ability to mix up his attacks on different targets was very effective. Amir Albazi is pretty tough, but the hard-hitting wrestler couldn't get anything going and was mostly relegated to punching bag status.

I liked the diversity of Moreno's attack. His jab is deceptively long and he increased that effectiveness by doubling and tripling the punch. He looked for the left high kick and found it a few times, but also combined chopping low kicks with both legs. Moreno's overhand and left hook complemented each other beautifully, and yet he also managed to sneak lead-handed uppercuts into his attack. There were sweeping elbow strikes, leaping kicks and even a rolling thunder.

It's good to have Moreno back in the title mix – the flyweight division needs him. If it takes him six months between fights to consistently reach this level of performance, that would be a trade I would happily make!

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Blanchfield manages it

I'll admit that I didn't find Erin Blanchfield vs. Rose Namajunas particularly compelling or interesting. For two rounds, Namajunas managed to cleanly pick apart Blanchfield, whose same deficiencies from the fight against Manon Fiorot remained evident. In the third period, however, youth, pressure and wrestling began to take effect. Namajunas' footwork slowed, Blanchfield started landing more, and suddenly the takedown didn't seem so impossible anymore.

Good for “Cold Blooded.” She got the best win of her career by wanting more – a perfectly respectable way to defeat a former champion. Alexa Grasso's effort afterwards was also perfect and a win would bring her straight back into the title fight.

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Jasudavicius dominates on the floor

Jasmine Jasudavicius might have the top game at 125 pounds. Her kickboxing is still a little stiff – which probably cost her the first round against Ariane Lipski da Silva – but once the fight hits the ground she's in complete control. The combination of above average chain wrestling and such a nasty top game is a winning combination that has resulted in five wins in her last six fights.

What's special about Jasudavicius' top work is her activity and her ability to combine strikes and submissions. As she improves her position, she continually grabs and lands rock-hard elbows. In order to survive, Da Silva was forced to constantly cover up, which ultimately opened up a storybook ending.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Stoltzfus amazes the crowd

German Dustin Stoltzfus started his UFC career with a 0-3 run that included two finishes. He may have shown a good mix of skills in those defeats, but there was something of a surprise when he scored a fourth chance. He finally scored a UFC victory by decision in his fourth chance, but his fifth trip to the Octagon ended in a 19-second knockout loss.

That's quite a lot of defeats with little success. However, for some reason, UFC executives saw something in Stoltzfus and decided to keep him around, and guess what? He's gotten better! Stoltzfus has won two of his last three, and even better, each contest has been entertaining and ended in a result.

His performance last night against Canadian Marc-Andre Barriault could be his best yet. An early low kick knockdown put him on top and he spent most of the round chasing submissions against the striker. When Barriault jumped up with 40 seconds left in the first period, a fight didn't seem like a good idea…until Barriault hit the ground, completely unconscious!

Is Stoltzfus suddenly a candidate? Certainly not. However, he deserves credit for continually refining his game, being in great form and ultimately earning some job security. For fans, Stoltzfus can be counted on to put up a fight… for better or for worse.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Year of the Devil

Youssef Zalal, along with Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria, isn't in the running for Fighter of the Year, but “The Moroccan Devil” deserves some recognition. Zalal's second UFC appearance began in March and it was nothing short of spectacular! Against the very experienced Jack Shore, Zalal scored his third consecutive submission finish since re-joining the squad.

It was a fun fight while it lasted. Shore started strong with quick combinations, but Zalal equalized in the first round with a takedown and good control. They continued to trade into the second when Zalal scored a PERFECT counter-knee attempt and caught Shore as he changed levels. That signature punch floored Shore and opened up an arm-triangle choke finish.

It's just another great piece of work from Zalal, who should serve as an inspiration to any young fighter coming out of the promotion after a difficult start. At 28, he's back and far better than ever and could face a quality opponent next.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Additional thoughts

• Charles Jourdain Defeats Viktor Heinrich via second-round guillotine choke (highlights): This was a fun fight and a better bantamweight performance than I expected from “Air” Jourdain. When a fighter drops down in weight class after a few losses that actually have nothing to do with size, it's generally difficult to feel too confident. However, in this fight he played the outside kickboxing role quite well, dealing real damage while asserting his size and reach advantage. Henry began to have success with his wrestling in the second round, but Jourdain lured him into shooting again and grabbed his neck – just as he strangled Ricardo Ramos! The guillotine style used by Jourdain meant that while Henry was able to jump around the guard and theoretically get to safety, the Canadian could still crank his neck and force the tap. Smooth!

For complete UFC Edmonton results and play-by-play click here HERE!