UFC Vegas 104 Aftermath: Who’s Licking Their Wounds After a Bruising Night at the Apex?

The dust has settled at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but for several fighters who stepped into the octagon last Saturday night, the pain lingers on. UFC Vegas 104 delivered another slate of career-defining moments, devastating finishes, and heartbreaking setbacks that left the MMA world buzzing. Let’s dive into who’s nursing wounds—both physical and psychological—after the smoke cleared in Sin City.

The Main Event Fallout: Dreams Delayed and Derailed

I’ve seen my fair share of main event heartbreaks, but watching the headliner at UFC Vegas 104 felt particularly brutal. The favorite entered with championship aspirations written all over their face, only to exit with those hopes temporarily dashed. You could literally see the moment their gameplan collapsed—that split-second realization that months of preparation were unraveling in real time.

What makes it worse? This wasn’t just another loss. This was the kind of setback that sends you tumbling down the rankings and forces you back to the drawing board. In the cutthroat world of UFC matchmaking, there are no participation trophies, and this fighter now faces the uphill battle of rebuilding both confidence and credibility.

Co-Main Catastrophe: When Technical Errors Become Career Crossroads

The co-main event fighter who tasted defeat might be facing an even rougher morning-after. Three straight losses now hang around their neck like an anvil. You know the drill in the UFC—three strikes and you’re often looking at your walking papers.

What’s particularly frustrating for this veteran is how avoidable the loss seemed. The same technical deficiency that coaches have highlighted for years became their undoing yet again. At what point does a fighter accept that certain habits can’t be unlearned? The body language walking back to the locker room told the whole story—this wasn’t just a loss; it was a moment of career reckoning.

Prospect Pressure: The Hype Train Derailed

Perhaps the most painful post-fight blues belong to the highly-touted prospect who faceplanted into reality last Saturday. Coming in with an undefeated record and highlight reel finishes is great, but the Apex has a way of separating contenders from pretenders.

This youngster learned that UFC-level competition is a different animal entirely. The speed, the power, the composure under pressure—everything gets amplified when the lights are brightest. Now comes the true test of character: Can they bounce back from adversity, or will they join the long list of “what could have been” stories that litter MMA history?

The Injury Factor: When Losses Come With Physical Receipts

One fighter isn’t just dealing with the sting of defeat—they’re heading straight to an orthopedic specialist. That awkward landing in the second round looked bad in real-time, and the post-fight medical assessment confirmed what many feared. You hate to see careers derailed by injuries, especially when fighters are already battling the mental demons that accompany a loss.

The UFC’s medical insurance covers the surgery, but it can’t speed up the recovery timeline or guarantee a return to previous form. For a fighter already on the wrong side of 30, this presents a particularly grim scenario. The fight clock never stops ticking, and neither does the biological one.

Bright Spots Among the Bruises

Not all is doom and gloom, though. Even in defeat, a couple of fighters showed flashes of brilliance that suggest better days ahead. The welterweight prospect who lost a decision put on a third-round surge that had his opponent in survival mode. With a few adjustments (and maybe a sports psychologist to address those slow starts), he could be back in the win column sooner rather than later.

And let’s not forget—every UFC fighter who stepped into that octagon Saturday night did something millions only dream about. They competed at the highest level of the sport, under the brightest lights, with the whole world watching. There’s honor in that, regardless of the outcome.

What’s Next: Rebuilding and Redemption

For these fighters feeling the post-fight blues, the path forward isn’t complicated, though it’s rarely easy. Get back to the gym. Address weaknesses. Heal both body and mind. And remember that in this sport, you’re often only one highlight reel finish away from redemption.

The UFC machine rolls on—UFC Vegas 105 is already looming on the horizon. Some of Saturday’s defeated warriors will return stronger, wiser, and hungrier. Others might have fought their last fight under the bright lights. That’s the beautiful, brutal reality of this sport we love.

What’s your take? Which UFC Vegas 104 fighter do you think has the best chance at a successful comeback? Who might be on the chopping block? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: Vox Media