The three stars of ‘UFC Fight Night 64: Gonzaga vs. Cro Cop II' in Poland

The UFC plans to stage 45 events in 2015, and during that time, hundreds of fighters will enter and exit the octagon.

While pre-fight hype is an enjoyable aspect of the sport, it’s ultimately the in-cage performances that speak most to fans. For the majority of fighters, the opportunity to present their skills to the world only comes along a few times per year.

A total of 24 fighters got the chance on Saturday as part of UFC Fight Night 64 at Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland. It was a largely forgettable event, but that only further helped point attention to those who performed excellently.

Now that UFC Fight Night 64 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

* * * *

Leon Edwards

After seven lackluster preliminary-card bouts to open the event, Leon Edwards (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) pumped life into the card when he caught an overaggressive Seth Baczynski (19-13 MMA, 5-6 UFC) with a straight left hand shortly after the opening bell for an eight-second knockout win.

The Englishman dropped “The Polish Pistola” with the initial strike and followed up with two massive punches to end the contest with a bang. Baczynski was out cold before many viewers realized what happened.

With the win, Edwards gained a place in the UFC record books with what is technically the fastest knockout in UFC welterweight history (it will go down as second fastest). Duane Ludwig’s six-second finish is considered the actual record-holder; however, the conclusion of the bout was actually clocked at 11 seconds.

What’s to come of Edwards’ UFC career remains to be seen. But regardless if he sinks or rises to the top, he’ll forever have one of the quickest knockouts in history to his name.

Mirko Filipovic

Mirko Filipovic’s (31-11-2 MMA, 5-6 UFC) UFC career has been inconsistent at best. And for two rounds of his rematch with Gabriel Gonzaga (16-10 MMA, 11-9 UFC), it looked like that trend was going to continue.

Rallying from adversity has not been a hallmark of Filipovic’s career, but it certainty became one in the third round. “Cro Cop” turned the tide and hurt Gonzaga with a flurry of elbows before he scored a dramatic comeback TKO win. It marked his first UFC victory in nearly five years.

At 40, Filipovic avenged his unforgettable loss to Gonzaga at UFC 70 in April 2007 and pushed his record to a perfect 6-0 when competing in rematches. He’s also on his first three-fight winning streak since prior to his initial UFC stint nearly nine years ago.

Filipovic was hardly spectacular against Gonzaga outside of the concluding sequence. He only needed one flash of brilliance, though, and sometimes that’s all it takes to win in the heavyweight division.

Maryna Moroz

In the span of 90 seconds, Maryna Moroz (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) went from sacrificial lamb to UFC women’s strawweight title contender. She submitted Joanna Calderwood (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with a slick armbar to put her name on the map at 115 pounds.

Moroz was deemed the largest betting underdog (+500) on the card. She apparently didn’t get the memo and showed no fear of Calderwood in the brief contest. She hurt “JoJo” on the feet, pulled guard and finished with a submission for one of the biggest upsets of the year.

The undefeated 23-year-old appears to have everything going for her inside the octagon. Moroz made herself an even more intriguing character when she challenged champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who was seated cageside, immediately after the fight.

She may not get her desired matchup next, but with a few more wins, it’s not far off.

For more on UFC Fight Night 64, check out the UFC Events section of the site.