Few would have predicted a first-round stoppage Tom Aspinall And Cyril Gane met in the main event of UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, but no one expected this stopping due to accidental eye contactFrankly, it was sad to see Aspinall’s much-anticipated first title defense end in a no-contest after the previously scheduled main card. A new champion in the strawweight divisionA potential No. 1 contender in the men’s bantamweight division and the next challenger to the winner of Aspinall vs. Gane.
The UFC 321 headliner will almost certainly be rescheduled immediately — maybe even this year — but would it ever have happened in the first place if the UFC hadn’t taken so long to set up the pairings john jones with stipe miocic In 2023? Brett Okamoto has to wonder.
Andreas Hell and Jeff Wagenheim also believe conditions are right for mackenzie dern Strawweight and to build an extended reign at that Omar Nurmagomedov Might get another title shot soon.
Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic results are in
When something like this happens in the heavyweight division, I can’t help but think back to the UFC’s decision to book Jones vs. Miocic in 2023 (and then in 2024, when the original date was delayed a year due to injury). It was such an unnecessary fight. We waited over a year for the result we already knew: that Jones would eliminate Miocic, who essentially came out of retirement. Why did UFC do this? Wealth? How much money is it now costing the company to destroy the heavyweight division? If the UFC really wanted to bring Miocic back, they should have forced him to fight Tom Aspinall after Jones’ loss for that title fight in 2023.
If the UFC had started promoting Aspinall in 2023, imagine how different the division might look. At least, it won’t feel so stable. It might not be setting the world on fire because, frankly, it doesn’t currently have the depth to it, but at least it won’t feel like a split in which nothing has happened for three years. I can’t imagine how frustrating this is for Aspinall, which is why his dad Andy is talking about it fighting for your contract With the UFC and pursuing boxing. If that happens, Aspinall would be the second heavyweight champion to do so in as many years, joining the former UFC champion. Francis Ngannou,
I’m crying over spilled milk, and I know it. Me. The heavyweight division isn’t looking really good right now, and the UFC Heavy This contributed to a fight that was really barely interesting. — Okamoto
Mackenzie Dern Is Becoming a Perfect Fighter at Just the Right Time
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Mackenzie Dern wins vacant women’s strawweight title
Mackenzie Dern defeated Virna Jandiroba by decision to win the women’s strawweight title.
Although she was 5-4 in her previous nine bouts, it was clear that Dern was evolving as the world-class wrestler focused on improving her striking. It was this long-missing tool that kept Dern from reaching the high expectations she set when debuting for the UFC in 2018.
But it all finally came together at just the right time for him Virna Jandiroba,
with zhang weili vacating strawweight title And with no clear top contender to stand against the No. 1-ranked Jandiroba, the UFC opted to opportunistically push Dern into a title fight in what can only be described as a now-or-never situation for the fan favorite.
And it worked.
Dern, who defeated Jandiroba by decision in December 2020, used her striking to score a unanimous decision and claim the vacant title. Dern was so effective with her striking that she forced Zandiroba into takedown attempts throughout the fight. Jandiroba managed to defeat Dern nine times but was largely ineffective due to Dern’s excellence in grappling. Jandiroba could not find the advantage anywhere in the Octagon, so he was forced into striking exchanges, which led to a loss to Dern 249–208.
To be clear: There is a significant difference between current champions and former champions. Should Weili decide to return to strawweight after facing Valentina Shevchenko For the flyweight title on November 15, she will likely be a significant betting favorite to clinch the championship against Dern. If and until then, the new champion is upping his game at a time when no true multi-faceted rival is waiting in the wings. He is now competent enough in his standup to be competitive against the best strikers in the division (amanda lemos, jessica andrade And yan xiaonan), even though she has lost to all of them before. And his ground game will always give him an edge against fellow wrestlers and wrestlers like Tatiana Suarez And Gillian Robertson,
She may be viewed as a transitional champion until she secures her first title shot, but Mackenzie Dern’s evolution has been remarkable and has ultimately seen her climb to the top of the Strawweight mountain. –hel
Not all title shot eliminator fights are created – or finished – equally
The two faced off just before the title matches, with both looking to earn a golden opportunity among the championship contenders. Although two winners may make it, only one has given fans hope that if he is allowed a title fight, it is a good chance for a changing of the guard.
at heavy weight, Alexander Volkov Won for the fifth time in his last six matches, but his victory came to an end jalton almeida Didn’t inspire the idea that he could dethrone Tom Aspinall. Volkov has lost to only two in his recent 11 fights – Saturday’s headliners, Aspinall and Cyril Gane. And while both of his losses to Gane went the distance, the other ending in a controversial split decision, Volkov suffered a first-round submission loss to Aspinall in 2022.
Why should anyone believe that change will come after seeing Volkov taken down seven times and controlled on the canvas for long periods of time during his narrow victory over Almeida? It appears Aspinall and Gane will be driving it back after their anticlimactic no contest, but even looking beyond that, where does Volkov fit in?
Men’s bantamweight Omar Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, boosted his stock by returning as champion after the only defeat of his career. merab dvalishvili In a january title fightNurmagomedov performed strongly in one game mario bautistaLanded almost 60% of his strikes and achieved 11 takedowns. Seeing this, the hunger for a second fight between Dvalishvili-Nurmagomedov increased. bring it on. — Wagenheim
