UFC 256 scorecard

With renowned boxing trainer (and longtime coach) Joel Diaz in his corner, it was clear from the start that Cub Swanson wanted to show off his hands against Daniel Pineda, and while there were some grappling exchanges in their featherweight bout, the majority of the time, Swanson was throwing – and landing – and the result was a second-round knockout that saw “Killer Cub” deliver perhaps his best performance since beating Dooho Choi in 2016. When it was over, the emotion was clear in the face of the longtime contender, who came back from a long injury-induced layoff to extend his winning streak to two and set up what may be a big 2021 campaign.

Already one of the most likeable folks on the roster, Kevin Holland has gone from character to contender in the space of 12 months, as he went 5-0 in a year that no one expected to see that kind of output from any fighter. But Holland dared to be great, stepped up whenever the phone rang, and now he enters 2021 as a serious threat at 185 pounds after knocking out Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza on Saturday night. What will he do for an encore? It’s going to be fun finding out.

There are a lot of great strikers in the UFC, but there’s a purity to Rafael Fiziev’s attack that is just beautiful (and frightening) to watch. It’s all so fast, crisp and technical, that a moment’s lapse of focus or defense means it’s the end of your night. I don’t know too many who will want to stand with “Ataman” after his last two bouts with Marc Diakiese and Renato Moicano, but if they do, expect a show.