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Struggles in UFC debut
Nguyen lost to Jarno Errens via unanimous decision (27-30, 27-30, 27-30) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
A three-time competitor on Dana White's Contender Series, Nguyen finally got to make his UFC debut here and showed next to nothing as a -165 favorite. Outside of one token takedown which didn't lead to anything, Nguyen spent the vast majority of the 15 minutes of this bout serving as a punching bag for Errens. Keep in mind, Errens entered with back-to-back decision losses in his first two UFC bouts. Maybe Nguyen will show more his next time out, but in the meantime, the back-and-forth affair put on by both men was enough to earn each a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus.
A three-time competitor on Dana White's Contender Series, Nguyen finally got to make his UFC debut here and showed next to nothing as a -165 favorite. Outside of one token takedown which didn't lead to anything, Nguyen spent the vast majority of the 15 minutes of this bout serving as a punching bag for Errens. Keep in mind, Errens entered with back-to-back decision losses in his first two UFC bouts. Maybe Nguyen will show more his next time out, but in the meantime, the back-and-forth affair put on by both men was enough to earn each a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus.
UFC debut officially set
Nguyen will take on Jarno Errens in a featherweight matchup at UFC Vegas 88 on March 23, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
It took Nguyen three appearances on Dana White's Contender Series to ultimately get offered a UFC contract, but his September victory over AJ Cunningham did the trick. He now has an official debut scheduled against a fighter who could very well be at the end of his UFC run, as Errens has lost back-to-back fights with the company and hasn't looked particularly impressive in each. Neither combatant offers much in terms of offensive wrestling, so look for this one to be a stand-up affair.
It took Nguyen three appearances on Dana White's Contender Series to ultimately get offered a UFC contract, but his September victory over AJ Cunningham did the trick. He now has an official debut scheduled against a fighter who could very well be at the end of his UFC run, as Errens has lost back-to-back fights with the company and hasn't looked particularly impressive in each. Neither combatant offers much in terms of offensive wrestling, so look for this one to be a stand-up affair.
Third time is the charm
Nguyen defeated A.J. Cunningham via TKO (punches) at 4:06 of Round 2 at Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series. After the show, he was one of five fighters to be awarded an official UFC contract.
ANALYSIS
This was Nguyen's third time competing on Contender Series, as he lost to Aalon Cruz in 2019 and picked up a decision victory against Theo Rlayang in 2021 that White didn't deem worth of a contract. The 30-year-old featherweight certainly wasn't going to let what could be his final opportunity go to waste. While he wore a bit more damage than one might expect from a (-315) betting favorite, there was little doubt who the better fighter was here. Nguyen dropped his opponent at the end of Round 1 and pounced for follow-up shots, but Cunningham was saved by the bell. Cunningham came out aggressive in Round 2, but it was clear he didn't quite have his wits about him, as his takedowns were labored and movement was sloppy. Nguyen continued to unload before before referee Mark Smith stepped in to call the standing TKO. It's a great victory, and Nguyen will deservingly get his chance, though he's past prospect status at the age of 30, and his low activity level in recent years leads to fair questions about his ultimate ceiling with the company.
This was Nguyen's third time competing on Contender Series, as he lost to Aalon Cruz in 2019 and picked up a decision victory against Theo Rlayang in 2021 that White didn't deem worth of a contract. The 30-year-old featherweight certainly wasn't going to let what could be his final opportunity go to waste. While he wore a bit more damage than one might expect from a (-315) betting favorite, there was little doubt who the better fighter was here. Nguyen dropped his opponent at the end of Round 1 and pounced for follow-up shots, but Cunningham was saved by the bell. Cunningham came out aggressive in Round 2, but it was clear he didn't quite have his wits about him, as his takedowns were labored and movement was sloppy. Nguyen continued to unload before before referee Mark Smith stepped in to call the standing TKO. It's a great victory, and Nguyen will deservingly get his chance, though he's past prospect status at the age of 30, and his low activity level in recent years leads to fair questions about his ultimate ceiling with the company.