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What mattered most at UFC 300 at T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas? Listed below are a couple of post-fight musings …
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5
Kayla Harrison makes a definitive assertion
Kayla Harrison’s octagon debut couldn’t have gone a lot better. Really.
The 2-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time PFL champion got here into her first UFC battle towards embellished former champion Holly Holm with a ton of hype, anticipation and expectations. Harrison (17-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) lived as much as each little bit of it, primarily ragdolling Holm earlier than finishing the fight by rear-naked choke within the second spherical.
Any questions on Harrison’s capacity to make girls’s bantamweight had been answered at Friday’s weigh-ins. She didn’t look the slightest bit affected by the lower within the cage, both, which ought to be terrifying for each single particular person on this division.
Harrison robotically shoots to the highest after one UFC battle. She must battle champion Raquel Pennington subsequent, and if that pisses off Julianna Peña, effectively, then so be it.
4
Best second in UFC historical past, courtesy of Max Holloway?
Max Holloway lured Justin Gaethje into his world within the closing trade of their BMF title battle, and it led to Gaethje’s demise in essentially the most violent means doable as “Blessed” scored a hellacious knockout with one tick left on the clock.
I’m nonetheless in complete awe and disbelief of what I witnessed from cageside final evening. That was insanely vicious, to the purpose the place I used to be legitimately apprehensive for Gaethje’s well being when he was stretched face-first on the canvas. Fortunately, he’s relayed optimistic assist updates since then.
However on the flip facet, it’s important to be so, so glad for Holloway.
Holloway is likely one of the real good guys within the sport. I’ve been interviewing him since his first UFC battle, and it was unhappy to see a lot of his legacy put into query because of the three losses towards Alexander Volkanovski. He put himself in a brand new stratosphere with this efficiency, although, turning into the primary in historical past to ever win an interim, undisputed and BMF title below the UFC banner.
This second goes to play on spotlight reels for years to come back. It was every thing and extra. It outlined the present. And Holloway ought to have his decide of the litter of what he desires subsequent. Return to featherweight and battle Ilia Topuria? Positive. Keep at light-weight and problem the Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier winner from UFC 302? Definitely. If one thing else pops up for that BMF belt that is sensible, let’s make it occur.
Holloway delivered a second individuals who watched this occasion stay won’t ever, ever overlook, and he deserves each penny of the $600,000 in bonus cash that got here his means.
3
Arman Tsarukyan continues to take strides
Arman Tsarukyan is excellent, and at solely 26 years outdated, he’s going to maintain getting higher. Did he deserve the split decision nod over Charles Oliveira? Watching from cageside I assumed so, but it surely was tremendous aggressive.
However even Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) getting the sort of signature win over somebody of Oliveira’s stature is a large deal. Whether or not he’ll be subsequent for the Makhachev vs. Poirier winner stays to be seen, however given he’s 9-1 in his previous 10 fights along with his solely blemish being a slim determination to Mateusz Gamrot, he definitely warrants the chance earlier than later.
2
The top of Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje as title threats?
It’s wild to see how shortly the state of the light-weight division has swung.
Charles Oliveira was scheduled to battle Makhachev in October earlier than a last-minute lower in coaching derailed his participation and led to Alexander Volkanovski stepping in for a short-notice rematch with the champion.
After knocking out Poirier in July, Justin Gaethje was anticipated to be subsequent for the Makhachev vs. Oliveira 2 winner in February, however then the entire timeline modified and it led him into the BMF title protection towards Holloway.
Now that each males misplaced at UFC 300, it’s exhausting to not surprise if we’ve already seen the pinnacles of their respective careers.
Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) is the extra regarding of the 2, after all, given he was on the receiving finish of one of many most brutal knockouts in UFC history. His coronary heart and dedication have by no means been in query, however that form of harm can alter the sturdiness of a fighter ceaselessly, and we’re already speaking a few man who has given us a plethora of wars contained in the octagon.
There could also be cause to be extra optimistic about Oliveira’s future prospects. He arguably ought to’ve gotten the nod towards Tsarukyan from the judges, so it’s not like he’s nonetheless incapable. His street again to the title probably simply went from one battle to at the least two, although, and along with his thirty fifth birthday on the horizon later this yr, time is starting to grow to be his enemy.
There are loads of hungry lightweights on the market, and so they absolutely see Gaethje and Oliveira as extra weak than ever proper now.
1
The Alex Pereira anomaly continues
The profession arch of Alex Pereira within the UFC is actually probably the most exceptional issues that’s ever occurred within the historical past of the corporate.
Pereira (10-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) hadn’t even made his debut lower than three years in the past, and right here he was on Saturday, headlining one of many greatest playing cards the promotional has ever placed on and hardly feeling misplaced in that spot.
In case you’re studying this, you already are conscious of Pereira’s rise from two-division GLORY kickboxing champion to two-division UFC champion. He was unable to defend his title in his first UFC championship run at middleweight, however managed to seek out success in his first gentle heavyweight protection with an opening-round knockout of Jamahal Hill.
The Brazilian remained calm and composure all through the week regardless of Hill’s trash speak, and carried that very same angle into the octagon en path to the win. It was all very spectacular, and made me really feel fairly silly for choosing Hill to get it completed.
I’ve formally stopped doubting Pereira ceaselessly. Dana White didn’t appear heat to his concept of transferring to heavyweight, however who’s anybody to inform Pereira what he’s incapable of at this level?
For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC 300.
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