10 Things We Learned at UFC 261
What a night.
Baptized
Kamaru Usman baptized Jorge Masvidal on Saturday night, becoming the first fighter to knock out “Gamebred,” flooring him with a perfect right hand down the pipe to successfully retain the welterweight title.
After a first round where Usman showed solid striking and continued control in the wrestling department, the champion came out and blasted Masvidal with the kind of power shot the challenger believed he didn’t have in his arsenal. It was the kind of shot that sent sweat flying into the air as Masvidal’s head torqued around, with Usman dropping a couple academic follow-ups before the bout was halted.
Many wondered why the champion wanted to run it back with a guy he dominated and this is why.
Masvidal talked non-stop junk about the first fight, about Usman’s skill set, about what he was going to do to the champion, and Usman wanted to silence him, once and for all. This was a star-making performance, even though some will never except Usman as the superstar he is, and the kind of effort that forces everyone in the welterweight division re-write their scouting report on the champion.
And Here’s the Scary Part…
Kamaru Usman is still getting better.
The guy that faced Masvidal on Saturday night was a dynamically different fighter than the one who won the welterweight title 25 months ago; the wrestling is still there, but now he’s got hands too.
Quick hands. Sharp hands. Powerful hands.
In the span of 71 days, Usman finished Masvidal and Gilbert Burns to push his record to 14-0 inside the Octagon, leaving him two shy of matching Anderson Silva’s record for the most consecutive victories in UFC history. He’s earned four successful title defences and looked outstanding in three of them, finishing each of them.
What Usman is doing is incredible and it becomes more and more impressive with each successive appearance.
Colby Covington is next in line and the man that gave Usman his toughest test to date, but that wasn’t the same fighter that we saw on Saturday night.
This current version of Usman is different, man — one that just keeps levelling up with each camp he spends with Trevor Wittman, one that continues to push himself to be better, to add to his arsenal, to continue chasing records and history.
And he’s not going to stop getting better either.
As he’s said throughout his career, that man is a problem.
Rose Namajunas Reclaims the Throne
Rose Namajunas is now the two-time UFC strawweight champion, reclaiming the title with a first-round knockout win over Zhang Weili in the UFC 261 co-main event.
The first 60 seconds of the bout were a feeling out process, with Namajunas moving in space, looking to find her range, as Zhang connected with a series of low inside leg kicks. As they stood in the center, Namajunas went high with a kick and landed flush, catching Zhang on the jaw, sending her crashing to the canvas.
Namajunas is the first female fighter to reclaim championship gold after losing the belt, returning to the throne just under two years after being unseated by Jessica Andrade.
Just when you thought Zhang was poised to rampage through the division and enjoy an extended reign, here comes a former champion, surrounded by question marks, delivering an incredible performance to return to the top of the division, shaking things up for the second time in her career.
‘La Femme Valentina’ Obliterates Jessica Andrade
Valentina Shevchenko didn’t just retain her title on Saturday night — she absolutely steamrolled former strawweight titleholder Jessica Andrade, taking her down seven times and finishing her with hellacious elbows from a mounted crucifix position midway through the second round.
“Bullet” attacked with body lock takedowns right out of the gate, twisting the Brazilian to the canvas with ease, repeating the process each time Andrade climbed back to her feet. After putting her on the deck for the second time in the second round, Shevchenko quickly worked from side control to the crucifix, beginning her attack with punches before switching to elbows, opening up Andrade and forcing referee Dan Miragliotta to step in and halt the action.
There is no challenger for Shevchenko at this weight, and I say that will all due respect for hopefuls like Lauren Murphy, Joanne Calderwood, and anyone else envisioning a championship turn in the 125-pound ranks. They can try, but they will be turned back the same way each of her first seven flyweight opponents have thus far.
Shevchenko is a dynamic talent inside and outside of the cage, speaking three different languages flawlessly in her post-fight interview after executing her trademark celebratory dance. She’s the living embodiment of the “La Femme Nikita” character and it would be a real surprise if the UFC (and its parent company, Endeavor) didn’t find some way to parlay that into crossover opportunities for the superstar champion.
A Brutal, Cyclical Situation
Seven-and-a-half years ago, Chris Weidman checked a leg kick thrown by Anderson Silva and the Brazilian’s leg snapped, bringing their championship rematch to a sudden, sickening halt.
Saturday night, Weidman opened his bout with Uriah Hall by throwing a low kick. Hall readied for it, planting his lead leg, and history repeated itself. Weidman’s leg shattered and he stumbled to the mat, bringing their rematch to a sudden, sickening halt.
Moments like this are the hardest part of watching this sport and covering this sport; they’re inevitable, but no less difficult to stomach when they happen, and all you can do is extend wishes for a quick, healthy, full recovery for Weidman as he deals with this gruesome injury.
This was a highly anticipated fight and not at all the way that Hall wanted to extend his winning streak to four, and the Fortis MMA captain showed what a class act he is in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, promising Weidman another fight whenever he’s able to return, regardless of where he stands in the rankings.
With the next middleweight title fight recently announced and contenders continuing to jockey for position in the Top 15, it will be really interesting to see who the UFC pairs Hall off with next.
For now though, let’s just hope for the best for the former champion.
Anthony Smith Shines, Buckles Jimmy Crute
Anthony Smith picked up his second consecutive victory, turning back emerging Australian Jimmy Crute in the main card opener, earning an anticlimactic stoppage win between the first and second round when Crute was deemed unable to continue by the doctor.
After picking apart Crute with jabs throughout much of the first round, Smith hammered Crute’s lead leg with a heavy kick that buckled the Contender Series grad, and when he tried to stand, it was clear that his leg was compromised. Each time Crute tried to step, his foot wasn’t there, leaving him staggering in a manner reminiscent to Michael Chandler when he fought Brett Primus the first time. To his credit, “The Brute” drove through for a pair of takedowns to avoid further damage and reach the break, but it was clear as he shuffled to his corner that the bout would be halted.
While not the in-action finish he was likely looking for, this was still a tremendous showing for Smith, who suffered a pair of frustrating losses to begin 2020 before getting back into the win column with a first-round submission win over Devin Clark. As much as this was a test for the upstart Crute, it was a “prove something to himself” moment for Smith as well, and the youthful veteran showed he's still a very real threat in the light heavyweight ranks.
‘Rude Boy’ Keeps Improving
Randy Brown has been in the UFC for a minute now, but it’s clear that the former Lookin’ for a Fight standout is still working towards is final form, and is becoming more dangerous in the process.
Matched up against Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira in Saturday’s final preliminary card fight, Brown dropped the Brazilian veteran with a picture-perfect right hand down the pipe, twisting Oliveira’s jaw and opening the door for the 30-year-old Queens resident to work towards a finish. After searching for opportunities to land ground-and-pound, Brown attacked the neck in transition, lacing his forearm under Oliveira’s neck while standing, pulling him to the canvas and securing the finish one-armed.
Brown is a potential matchup nightmare in the welterweight division because of his length and he showed flashes of his well-rounded skill set on Saturday. His last couple losses in the UFC have been against very good competition and he’s exhibiting quality finishing instincts as well, all of which makes him a potential late bloomer to look out for in the welterweight division.
This win should elevate him into a higher profile pairing in the second half of the year, and if keeps levelling up the way he has of late, “Rude Boy” could become a player in the 170-pound weight class.
Bounce Back Effort from Brendan Allen
Middleweight Brendan Allen got back into the win column with a first-round submission finish of Karl Roberson, snatching up an ankle lock in the final five seconds of the frame.
This was a tremendous bounce back effort from Allen, who had his three-fight UFC winning streak and seven-fight overall winning streak snapped last time out, showcasing his grappling for the majority of the frame while re-establishing himself as one to watch in the 185-pound weight class. Now training at Sanford MMA in South Florida, the Louisiana native fought a tough slate on the way to the Octagon and has faced quality competition since, and Saturday’s victory is a reminder of his upside.
While Allen certainly looked good and was smooth in securing the ankle lock finish, the opportunity to do so only emerged because Roberson made a questionable decision, opting to attack a leg after finally getting some space on the ground rather than scurrying to his feet. As soon as the kickboxer attacked Allen’s leg, “All In” responded in kind and forced Roberson to tap. Now back in the win column, it will be interesting to see if Allen can keep this momentum going when he gets another step up in competition in the second half of the year.
Don’t Sleep on Danaa Batgerel
Danaa Batgerel is quickly establishing himself as a dangerous finisher in the ultra-competitive bantamweight division.
Thirteen months ago, “Storm” starched veteran Guido Cannetti, dropping the Argentine “Ninja” with a left hook three minutes into their clash at UFC 248. Saturday evening in Jacksonville, Florida, the 31-year-old from Mongolia needed just 50 seconds to land a left hand check hook on the chin of Kevin Natividad, earning his second straight first-round stoppage finish.
Now training with the crew at Jackson Wink MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we could be witnessing the start of a solid run for the emerging bantamweight, as Saturday was just his 11th professional appearance and third trip into the Octagon. You don’t have to train at a large outfit in order to succeed in this sport, but the benefits of doing so are incalculable for a fighter like Batgerel who is still in the developmental stages of his career.
He’s clearly got power and his last two knockouts have shown his smooth technique as well, and with additional time training in ABQ, learning from the coaches and fighters in that facility, Batgerel could become someone his contemporaries would prefer to avoid as they work their way up the divisional ladder.
Introducing Jeff Molina
A member of the Contender Series Class of ‘20, Jeff Molina introduced himself to the wider UFC audience on Saturday night, registering a unanimous decision victory in his shared debut against Aoriqileng in a wild flyweight affair.
The newcomer from the UFC PI in Shangai dictated the terms of engagement through the contest, pressing forward relentlessly, keeping Molina from getting into a real rhythm or lead the dance. But after the first round, the Glory MMA & Fitness product started having more success, catching Aoriqileng as he came forward, building confidence with each blow, and dropping “The Mongolian Murderer” twice in the middle frame, including right before the bell.
In the third, it was all Molina, as he continued to pick apart Aoriqileng, stinging his with combinations and slipping out of range of the return fire. Just when it felt like he was poised to finish with a flourish, Molina gave Aoriqileng the old “let’s stand and bang” signal, and Aoriqileng obliged, rocking “El Jefe” with a shot that put him on rubber legs.
Molina survived and secured the unanimous decision win, establishing himself as an entertaining new addition to the 125-pound weight class and someone to keep tabs on going forward.