UFC 251 Recap

UFC 251 Recap

A historic event for the UFC leaves me with more questions than answers.

Usman v Masvidal: Usman did what he needed to do to keep his belt. I respect him for putting the clamps on his opponent and getting the job done, but Usman has missed a massive opportunity to become a MEGA star. Dana White said before the fights that this main event was trending like a Conor fight, which means there were millions of eyes on the fight. Usman already had a reputation as a boring fighter before the Covington fight and really could have put the whole "Marty Snoozman" thing to rest. To me, he did the complete opposite. Champions in the UFC get a percentage of the PPV buys, so it pays to be popular when you are the champ. He will get a fat check after this fight (mostly because of his opponent) but his next fight against Burns will be much lower. He came out and grappled Masvidal to death. He also was not as dominate as a lot of people think. He only got a couple takedowns and did little to no damage when he got them and Masvidal got back up every time. Usman spent most of the fight pressing Jorge against the cage and doing little damage. He won the fight and kept his belt, which is the most important part, but to me, nobody is excited to see his next fight which is a big opportunity missed for Usman.

Holloway v Volkanovski: The rematch was just a close as the first fight and did have some weird scorecards. I had it 3-2 for Max but it was so close. It was not a robbery like some people were saying last night. The big thing for me is where does Max Holloway go from here? We saw what he looks like a lightweight and he looked small and lacked ko power, so I don't think that's the move. He has technically lost to the champ at 145 twice, which means as long as Alex is the champ, he won't be getting another title shot. I wish the best for Max in whatever the next move of his career is. Alex, on the other hand, has a ton of fun fights he could do next at 145, which is one of the most stacked divisions in the company.

Yan v Aldo: I have to admit, I was not a believer in Yan. For me he had not faced anywhere near the level of fighters that Aldo has faced and would struggle in the later rounds. Boy was I fucking wrong. Yan looked very good in almost every element of this fight. He still takes a little to much damage for me, but Yan is very legit and I'm looking forward to his next fight against Aljo. Aldo, on the other hand is in a similar place as Holloway except he is older. I would be OK with him doing one more fight and then calling it quits. He is a first ballot HOFer and has nothing left to prove in the cage.

Other Notable Results: Thug Rose got it done in a fight that was much closer than I thought it would be. Ribas quickly put out PVZ in the first round with an armbar. Paige is now a free agent and don't be surprised if she signs with Bellator where her husband fights. We have new blood at 205 with Jiri Prochazka. His style is like nothing I have ever seen before and his KO of Oezdemir easily puts him in the top ten. I would love to see him face Reyes or Blachowicz next. The other two results I want to highlight is the anaconda choke Amirkhani did and the walk off KO Grant had in the first fight of the night. 

Pick Results: 8-4 overall, 3-2 on the main card and my undefeated run in main events ends with the Masvidal lose.

I will be back Tuesday after the weigh-ins for Katter v Ige. Everyone stay safe and be cool!