UFC Fight Night 198: Vieira vs. Tate | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- May 21
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC Fight Night 198: Vieira vs. Tate took place on November 20, 2021 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas — UFC Vegas 43. The bantamweight main event featured Ketlen Vieira, the unbeaten-in-UFC Brazilian contender, against former UFC and Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate in the second fight of Tate’s comeback run. The card was notable for an unusual statistic: 10 out of 11 fights went to the judges’ scorecards.
Vieira won a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) in the main event. The only finish on the entire card came from Taila Santos, who submitted Joanne Wood with a rear-naked choke at 4:49 of round one to claim the sole Performance of the Night bonus. The Fight of the Night went to Adrian Yanez vs. Davey Grant, a contest that generated controversy due to one judge’s 30-27 scorecard.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, November 20, 2021
📍 Venue: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada, USA (UFC Vegas 43)
📺 Broadcast: ESPN+ (UFC on ESPN+ 56)
🏆 Main Event: Ketlen Vieira vs. Miesha Tate — Women’s Bantamweight (5 rounds)
✅ Result: Ketlen Vieira def. Miesha Tate via Decision (Unanimous) (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
⭐ Notable: 10 out of 11 fights went to decision | Only Santos’ RNC was the entire card’s only finish
The Build-Up
Miesha Tate’s comeback had generated enormous interest in the UFC. After four years away, Tate returned in July 2021 with a third-round TKO victory over Marion Reneau, a veteran who had not been the stiffest test available. FN 198 presented a genuine challenge: Ketlen Vieira, an 11-2 Brazilian contender who had won five of her last six UFC fights and was widely considered one of the division’s most improved fighters.
The co-main featured a significant matchup: Sean Brady, the unbeaten Philadelphia welterweight prospect with a grappling-centric style, against Michael Chiesa, a UFC veteran who had reinvented himself as a welterweight contender. Brady’s unbeaten professional record was the main talking point.
Main Event: Vieira vs. Tate
Ketlen Vieira outworked Miesha Tate across five rounds, using her jab and right-hand combinations to inflict consistent damage. Tate — a naturally aggressive fighter who typically seeks to engage and drag fights to the ground — had difficulty establishing her game plan against Vieira’s output and physical strength.
While the fight remained competitive throughout, with Tate having her moments, the judges unanimously awarded Vieira the verdict. Two scored it 48-47 and one 49-46. For Vieira, it was the biggest win of her career; for Tate, it ended her comeback on a losing note, prompting reflection about the realities of returning to elite competition after years away.
Co-Main Event: Brady vs. Chiesa
Sean Brady defeated Michael Chiesa by unanimous decision (29-28 x3), extending his professional unbeaten record to 15-0. Brady’s wrestling-heavy approach smothered Chiesa’s game plan, controlling the fight from the ground up. For Chiesa, it was his second consecutive defeat, raising questions about where he would go from this point in the welterweight division.
Full Results
Main Card
Ketlen Vieira def. Miesha Tate — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 5, 5:00) | 48-47, 48-47, 49-46
Sean Brady def. Michael Chiesa — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00) | 29-28 x3 | Brady extended unbeaten streak to 15-0
Taila Santos def. Joanne Wood — Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) (Round 1, 4:49) — Performance of the Night | Only finish on the card
Rani Yahya def. Kyung Ho Kang — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3, 5:00) | 29-28 x3
Adrian Yanez def. Davey Grant — Decision (Split) (Round 3, 5:00) | 27-30, 29-28, 29-28 — Fight of the Night | Controversial scoring
Preliminary Card
Pat Sabatini def. Tucker Lutz — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3) | 30-26, 30-27, 30-27
Rafa Garcia def. Natan Levy — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3) | 29-28 x3
Loopy Godinez def. Loma Lookboonmee — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3) | 30-27 x3
Cody Durden def. Aoriqileng — Decision (Unanimous) (Round 3) | 29-28 x3
Bonuses & Awards
🥊 Fight of the Night: Adrian Yanez vs. Davey Grant ($50,000 each)
🏆 Performance of the Night: Taila Santos ($50,000) — RNC of Joanne Wood, Round 1, 4:49
Records & Milestones
🥊 FN 198 saw 10 out of 11 fights go to the judges’ scorecards — one of the highest decision rates for an entire UFC card in the promotion’s recent history. The only finish was Taila Santos’ round one RNC of Joanne Wood.
🥊 Sean Brady extended his professional unbeaten record to 15-0 with his win over Chiesa. The performance also extended a pattern: Brady’s wrestling and top control had proven effective against every opponent he had faced in the UFC.
🥊 Post-event facts noted that a rare 0-5 UFC record entered the history books at FN 198 — one fighter on the card had lost all five of their UFC appearances.
Legacy & Impact
UFC Fight Night 198 is remembered as a technically sound but low-excitement event — a card that went the distance in every meaningful bout. Ketlen Vieira’s win elevated her into serious title contention at 135 lbs, and the result was interpreted by many as the signal that Miesha Tate’s comeback had reached its ceiling. A second defeat in the UFC’s toughest environment meant her era as a title contender was firmly behind her.
Taila Santos’ first-round finish of Joanne Wood was the card’s most exciting moment and the performance that kept the night from being entirely defined by judges’ scorecards. Santos continued her rise as one of the most dangerous flyweights in the division.
FAQ
What was the significance of Ketlen Vieira’s win over Tate?
Beating a former champion, even in their comeback stage, carries genuine weight in the UFC’s rankings. Vieira’s win over Tate placed her squarely in the top 5 of the bantamweight division and generated discussion about whether she was the next challenger for the women’s 135-lb title.
Why was the Yanez-Grant scorecard controversial?
The Yanez-Grant split decision was primarily controversial because one of the three judges scored it 30-27 for Yanez — a shutout — in a fight the MMA community widely considered far closer. Grant was seen as winning one or two rounds, making the 30-27 score a significant outlier. Fighters and fans reacted with disbelief at the announcement of that particular scorecard.
Who is Taila Santos and what was significant about her FN 198 performance?
Taila Santos is a Brazilian flyweight known for her explosive grappling and raw finishing ability. Her RNC of Joanne Wood just before the bell at 4:49 of round one was the only finish on a 10-decision card, which gave it unusual prominence. The win extended her UFC winning streak to four and positioned her as a title contender at 125 lbs.
What happened to Miesha Tate’s career after the Vieira loss?
Tate continued to fight in the UFC after the Vieira defeat, remaining active in 2022 and beyond. Her comeback was not defined by the second fight result alone; she went on to fight several more times and remained one of the sport’s most marketable fighters. However, she was no longer realistically in the title conversation at bantamweight.
Why is a 10/11 decision rate notable for a UFC card?
The UFC typically averages a finish rate of around 50-60% across its events. A card where 10 of 11 fights go to the scorecards is a significant statistical outlier — it means that almost every single contest on the night was decided by the judges, generating scoring debates for fans and testing the limits of audience patience. Cards like this have historically been cited in discussions about UFC scheduling and fight selection.
References
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