The One With The Island.
By Eddie Sanchez
Fight Island is here to stay and there have been dense cards that fans got to enjoy. The highly anticipated UFC 251 is in the books, but there were some mixed reactions from the viewing public. The night started off strong and the aroma of the new island smell was surely a positive bonus of promotion and coverage.
The prelims started off the show strong and this is something the UFC needs to be continuously commended for. The quality of fights they consistently put on in the prelims is one of their brightest calling cards for fans. They often rival the main draws of most boxing promotions, which is a discussion for another day.
The main card started off with a surprising submission. Paige Van Zant entered as the underdog of the fight, so surprising might be a stretch, but for Amanda Ribas to win that fight as easily as she did was disappointing for the PVZ fanboys. Perhaps we will be seeing her utilize her modeling career more going forward. When you have the it, it’s best to use it. Amanda Ribas going forward should be a hot commodity for the UFC. She has the talent and looks to become the next female star.
The next fight on the card was a thrilling split decision victory for Rose Namajunas. This was a classic match where she and Jessica Andrade each needed to end the fight with a W. While clearly not possible, the two women showed out and left fans excited for their next potential matchups. Good fights make fans happy and these women put on a show!
For as well as the night started, the three title fights, for different reasons, brought conflicting reactions from fans. The Bantamweight bout between Petr Yan and Jose Aldo was action packed and started off competitively. Yan’s superior skills took over for the last two rounds until the bout was finally halted. “Finally” needs to be stressed because the ref left Aldo for the wolves in the fifth round. He was clearly done and was getting absolutely handled. These mistakes are easily forgiven, but the initial reaction on Twitter was intense and Jose Aldo is one tough SOB.
The most egregious outcome from that night was Max Holloway getting robbed in his fight with Alexander Volkanovski. He seemed to be getting the better of his opponent in the fight and the consensus was that he had done enough to earn the title. The decision was met critically on social media and fans were very disappointed. I think the logical next step for the UFC would be to take Henry Cejudo’s teases seriously and meet him with a bag of cash to take on Alexander. This fight would be historic if Triple C won and would be an easy way to get the bad taste out of fans mouths.
The main event was highly anticipated from the public, especially for a headliner that came together only six days prior because of a positive COVID test from Gilbert Burns. Nevertheless, it was clear that this was the matchup the fans wanted and in round one, Masvidal did his thing and got the better of Usman early. The rest of the fight was a different story. Masvidal did a great job of making Usman work, but Usman’s wrestling skills and foot stomps were too much. There was a sector of fans recognizing Usman’s greatness, but it’s starting to become clear that his action-lite style is wearing thin on fans.
In the following days Usman has offered his best pitches to get Georges St. Pierre out of retirement, but this is something we would have to see to believe. It is most likely that he will be matched up with Gilbert Burns to carry out their originally scheduled bout. Masvidal, despite losing, walked away with his fan base behind him. It is clear that he has drawing power and the UFC should be careful with how they proceed with him. The best case scenario would be an action packed fight with Masvidal ending it early. We will see what happens from here.
The UFC followed up 251 with a successful FIght Night. Like most Fight Nights, fans were offered a glimpse at the future of the promotion. This card was littered with prospects and featured a must-see bout with Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige.
The best aspect of this card was the amount of finishes! Action speaks and fans were definitely listening. The two bouts that stuck out most for me was Lerone Murphy’s first round TKO of Ricardo Ramos. His ability to get at Ramos was a sight to see and I am anxious to see what his next move is. The other fight that stuck out for me was Liana Jojua’s arm-bar finish of Diana Belbita. These types of submissions are what get fan bases going. Great stuff.
In the end, most eyes were there for the main event. Calvin Kattar delivered a great performance that was filled with action from beginning to end. He stated his case for an opportunity to take on the champ, Volkanovski, but he will still have to maneuver his way through the contenders in front of him.
This card was a great way to keep the action coming and keep the UFC in the media spotlight following 251. Fight Island has delivered so far and there will surely be much anticipation for next month’s UFC 252 Heavyweight trilogy between Daniel Cormier and champ Stipe Miocic.
What are your thoughts on the past two cards? How do you feel the UFC has done during these difficult times?
