UFC Vegas 109 went down last night (Sat., Aug. 9, 2025) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada featuring a Middleweight fight that saw Anthony Hernandez submit Roman Dolidze in the fourth round of their Middleweight affair (see it again here). In the co-main event, Steve Erceg defeated Ode Osbourne via unanimous decision to snap his three-fight losing streak.
Biggest Winner: Anthony Hernandez
The 185-pound division has a legit threat on its hands after Hernandez secured his eighth straight win in the form of a dominant submission over Dolidze, who was ranked No. 9 and on a three-fight win streak. “Fluffy’s” last four wins have come against Dolidze, Michel Pereira, Roman Kopylov and Brendan Allen, a very tough strength of schedule to say the least. He has now set himself up for a potential fight against a someone lurking around the Top 5. Plus, he gets to celebrate a bit extra knowing he’s going home with a $50,000 post-fight bonus award.
It’s one thing to get the hype, it’s quite another to back it up. Smith has had no issue doing that in his first two fights inside the Octagon, but his sophomore effort really made an emphatic statement. “Swift” squared off against Toshiomi Kazama in a “prelim” Bantamweight bout, and in the closing minute of the opening round, the 22 year-old channeled his inner-Quinton “Rampage” Jackson by knocking out his foe with a vicious power slam that put him out for the count (see it here). It was one of the most dazzling finishes of the day (second only to this), and also helped him secure a nice bag in the form of a $50,000 post-fight bonus award. I see a main card spot for the young pugilist very soon.
Biggest Loser: Rafael Cerqueira
Three fights inside the Octagon, three losses. That’s the pickle that Cerqueira finds himself in to begin his UFC career after suffering his third straight defeat — the only ones of his career — after losing a unanimous decision to Julius Walker. It’s an unfortunate start for “The Lion,” who began his mixed martial arts (MMA) career 11-0 with 10 stoppages. While showing positive signs in the minors, his sluggish starts proves that he simply doesn’t have what it takes to hang in the big leagues, and I simply don’t think he will get a fourth opportunity to prove otherwise.
For complete UFC Vegas 109 results, coverage and highlights click here.
