2023
ufc.com | espn.com
2023
ufc.com | espn.com
Without even factoring in Robbie Lawler’s “perfect” career-ending victory over Niko Price or any of the other impressive knockouts from the Prelims, UFC 290 stands as one of their better events. Newcomer Bo Nickal actually matches Lawler by taking out his opponent in the same amount of time. A revamped Dan Hooker also impresses with a split decision victory over Jalin Turner.
The biggest surprise of the night, other than Dana White arriving with President Trump, is Robert Whittaker’s second-round TKO loss to Dricus Du Plessis, though it’s no surprise to Du Plessis. He predicted he’d do exactly what he did. Still it’s odd seeing Whittaker lose to someone other than Israel Adesanya, who promotes his upcoming bout with Du Plessis with a post-fight encounter.
What ends up being perhaps the best fight is the one I cared the least about; Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno putting his belt on the line against Alexandre Pantoja. Pantoja beat him twice before and does it again here, but they’re well matched. The main event goes about as I expected with Alexander Volkanovski retaining his (Featherweight) title relatively easily against Yair Rodríguez.
my rating : 4 of 5
2023
2023
ufc.com
2010
“What a crazy decision,” Joe Rogan exclaims in response to Cody Garbrandt suddenly going from pro MMA fighter to sloppy street brawler near the end of Round 1, but what he probably wanted to say was “stupid”.
It was apparently an emotional (angry) reaction to an inadvertent headbutt that made Garbrandt go wild; trading punches hard and fast with little to no defense; which results in his third knockout loss in a row.
my rating : 3 of 5
2019
Israel Adesanya’s first UFC loss came at the hands of Jan Błachowicz, but that didn’t really count. He stepped up to test himself in a new weight class and got outwrestled, but his belt wasn’t on the line. This; getting Technically Knocked Out by Alex Pereira; is his first real defeat and it’s sort of surreal. Even the commentators can’t seem to believe it as the normally elusive Stylebender gets pummeled by what may as well be the final boss in a video game.
To Adesanya’s credit, he looks to be on his way to another decision victory; he wobbles Pereira at the end of the first round and, perhaps taking a cue from Błachowicz, even goes on to mix in some ground work; until that fifth and final round when he gets a kick checked and tumbles backward. That marks the beginning of the end as Pereira backs him up against the cage and almost leaves him “Frozen like” he did in their last kickboxing bout.
my rating : 4 of 5
2022
2022
louderwithcrowder.com
Sean Strickland seemed on the verge of finally becoming a star in The UFC after stealing the show at the 276 Press Conference. Full of wisecracks and knowing how close he was to a title shot; Alex Pereira has clearly been put on the fast track to one; he seemed more interested in taunting Israel Adesanya about getting “slept” by Pereira than Pereira.
“Focus on this guy”, Champion Adesanya warned, “Cause, trust me, he will sleep you if not.” Strickland laughed it off. Cut to Pereira landing a left hook and, well, sleeping him “in the very first round”. It’s a shot to the chin, but it’s Strickland’s bonehead that made him think it was a good idea to stand right there in front of one of the best strikers in the division.
my rating : 3 of 5
2022
Sean don’t be careful this will happen but worse Izzy no one to play with
The most entertaining round of this fight for me is the second, which jumps off when, just as Joe Rogan is about to suggest it, Mackenzie Dern pulls guard against the cage and goes for a standing Kimura. She eventually brings Tecia Torres down to the ground; commentator Paul Felder makes a funny “weight” joke here; which results in a sexy tangle that lasts to the horn.
my rating : 4 of 5
2022
The betting odds for this bout were so ridiculously in favor of Khamzat Chimaev; it seems most fans thought he’d “smash” Gilbert Burns in the very first round; that even given a hard-fought victory, his hype train takes a massive hit. It’s actually the loser (Burns) whose stock goes up as he makes what seemed like an unbeatable enigma look human.
Of course Chimaev deserves a lot of credit for proving himself against a top contender. Burns is number two under champion Kamaru Usman and, though this is a damn close fight, the winner of which could’ve went either way, Chimaev beats him by unanimous decision. That’s quite a feat for someone who’s relatively new to the world of UFC.
my rating : 4 of 5
2022
In hindsight, it’s easy to say Miranda Maverick shouldn’t have taken this fight. She stepped in, on about a month’s notice, to replace a reportedly injured Maycee Barber, who gave Maverick her first UFC defeat back in July, but gets mostly dominated.
“How you feel right now,” Maverick’s coach starts to say between rounds, but she takes it as a question. “I’m losing,” she answers. She does good at limiting “damage”, but it’s Blanchfield’s offense; takedowns and ground game; that does her in.
my rating : 3 of 5
2021
Michael Chandler comes close to a TKO victory in the very first round of this fight, but Charles Oliveira survives. What happens early in round two is akin to Oliveira; “the number-one submission guy in the history of The UFC”; being submitted by Chandler, the “gorilla”.
Oliveira lands a left to Chandler’s face that puts him on his ass. He (Chandler) spins back up only to get caught again, with the same punch, a few seconds later. Down he goes again and Dan Miragliotta’s seen enough, which makes Oliveira the new Lightweight Champion.
my rating : 4 of 5
2021