What mattered most at UFC 307 at Delta Middle in Salt Lake Metropolis? Listed here are just a few post-fight musings …
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5
Pleased trails, Carla Esparza
There wasn’t a way more becoming approach for the battle between Carla Esparza and Tecia Pennington to finish than a debatable choice.
The judges all noticed it for Pennington (together with a questionable 30-27), and a outcome former two-time UFC strawweight champion Esparza (19-8 MMA, 10-6 UFC) ended her MMA profession in a considerably irritating method.
An argument will be made Esparza ought to’ve gotten the nod, which might’ve made it a great closing battle state of affairs. However MMA isn’t that giving, it appears, so that is what Esparza has to cope with. She took it nicely within the second, embracing within the crowd applause and tearing up with Joe Rogan throughout her post-fight interview in an emotional second. Then together with her son Donovan in her arms sporting a cookie monster outfit, Esparza laid her gloves down within the middle of the cage and left.
The quantity of occasions we’ve questioned MMA retirements on this column over time is otherworldly. However for this one? I’ve no doubts. Esparza has been concrete in her retirement choice from the second she introduced it greater than two months in the past, and it’s good to see she will be able to exit on her phrases.
Irrespective of how you are feeling about Esparza’s fashion of preventing, you can’t deny her success within the sport. She received “The Final Fighter” actuality sequence, was a two-time divisional champ and has her identify everywhere in the report books for her physique of labor.
Lastly, Esparza is a genuinely good individual from all my experiences over time. It has been a privilege to cowl her profession and the entry she’s supplied alongside the way in which, and hopefully the UFC will ultimately honor her with a well-deserved spot within the UFC Corridor of Fame.
4
Joaquin Buckley breaks by means of
Joaquin Buckley wanted a signature win to beef up his resume so he may name for the largest fights within the welterweight division, and he bought it with a third-round knockout of Stephen Thompson.
The battle wasn’t going good for Buckley (21-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) to the purpose of the end. “Wonderboy” was doing nicely with counter hanging and getting up from takedowns, however it additionally felt like Buckley’s energy was a ticking time bomb. It lastly went off with lower than three minutes left on the clock, and Buckley is now 5-0 since he dropped to 170 kilos from middleweight.
After the battle, Buckley successfully used his microphone time with Rogan and known as out Kamaru Usman. It’s a terrific callout, however he may not get it. Welterweight is stacked proper now and everyone seems to be gunning for Usman pondering he’s on the downfall with a three-fight shedding skid. Perhaps he’s? However just one individual goes to be the following to assist in giving us these solutions.
At worst, Buckley put his identify within the hat to be thought-about for that matchup, which might doubtless be a title eliminator for him.
3
Was Jose Aldo robbed?
Mario Bautista achieved the largest second of his profession when his hand was raised by break up choice in opposition to UFC Corridor of Famer Jose Aldo to increase his profitable streak to seven fights within the bantamweight division. Sadly for him, nobody outdoors these near him appeared to love it.
That goes particularly for the Salt Lake Metropolis crowd, who showered Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) with boos throughout his post-fight interview and sullied his second. Did he deserve that? It’s arduous to say, truthfully. It was a detailed battle. It gave the impression to be tied going into the ultimate spherical, and the boxing effectiveness of Aldo (32-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) was definitely understated by the commentary crew.
I’ve mentioned so many occasions on this column that we are able to’t name shut battle robberies. I’ve made exceptions over time, however truthfully, this isn’t one. Our love of Aldo results in an inherently skewed view, and though Bautista didn’t do a lot to harm him, he has simply nearly as good an argument going the opposite method to win.
Aldo nonetheless appeared good, although, and though this was a serious hit in his title aspirations throughout this post-retirement comeback run, there’s nonetheless lot of compelling fights at 135 kilos for “The King of Rio” going ahead.
2
The way forward for ladies’s bantamweight takes form
The UFC 307 important card basically featured a four-woman event to set the muse of for the ladies’s bantamweight division.
Issues opened up with Kayla Harrison (18-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) doing her half by getting the unanimous choice win over Ketlen Vieira, however it wasn’t as spectacular as she promised it will be stepping into. She was minimize open for the primary time courtesy of some nasty elbows from Vieira, however the two-time Olympic gold medalist confirmed the desire to win and bought her hand raised.
Then within the title-fight co-headliner, Julianna Peña (11-5 MMA, 8-2 UFC) created the best state of affairs for the way forward for the burden class when she reclaimed the belt – even when it was a theft break up choice within the eyes of many over Raquel Pennington.
Peña flubbed establishing probably the most intrigue going ahead by declining to acknowledge Harrison and create extra warmth and as an alternative problem Amanda Nunes to return out of retirement for a trilogy. I perceive why she did that, however it’s a bit irritating, as nicely.
I wouldn’t blame Nunes one bit if she noticed Peña’s efficiency and determined to return again. That looks as if a giant payday in opposition to an opponent she’s already dismantled. But when Nunes desires to do greatest by the burden class, she would let Peña and Harrison battle it out to arrange the largest comeback potential.
1
Alex Pereira additional solidifies legend standing
Alex Pereira entered his identify within the dialog for single best yr by any MMA fighter of all time when he defended his gentle heavyweight title for the third time in 175 days in opposition to Khalil Rountree.
Pereira has been the UFC’s saviour this yr by stepping as much as headline playing cards when the promotion wanted him most, and he as soon as once more got here by means of when he stopped Rountree by fourth-round TKO.
Rountree’s sizzling begin within the battle created drama and intrigue, however Pereira’s methodical assault in the end made the end result a bludgeoning in his favor. Your entire circumstances of this win solely grew to become extra spectacular within the post-fight press convention when “Poatan” revealed a litany of struggles he needed to endure to get within the octagon and have his hand raised.
Pereira is little question the 2024 Fighter of the Yr after this stretch. Some will say the winner of Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway at UFC 308 later this month has a case. They do, in equity. Nevertheless it’s not sturdy sufficient. What Pereira has carried out this yr won’t be repeated incessantly going ahead, and the very fact he completed each battle in his path solely provides weight to this.
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