3 winners and 3 losers from UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2
UFC 263 is officially in the books after producing some marvelous performances. Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya bounced back from his first MMA loss at the hands of Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259, defending his title against Marvin Vettori in dominant fashion. Brandon Moreno, Paul Craig, and others pulled off the least-expected results.
As we always say, though, wins and losses go beyond the official results. In this article, we take a look at 3 winners and 3 losers from UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2.
Winners from UFC 263
#3. Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya was considered an invincible force possibly capable of displaying dominance in three divisions not too long ago. However, the loss to light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 shattered that image. Some even assumed that the Polish champion had set the blueprint to defeat 'The Last Stylebender'.
With a dominant win over Marvin Vettori at UFC 263, Israel Adesanya proved that he is the undisputed king of the middleweights, irrespective of what happens in other weight classes. Not only did Adesanya defeat Marvin Vettori, but he also delivered on his promise to leave no doubt about who the best middleweight in the world is.
#2. Nate Diaz
There should be no qualm that Leon Edwards defeated Nate Diaz from a competitive standpoint at UFC 263. However, Diaz is still a winner because he was considered nothing more than a sacrificial lamb. Being one of the biggest underdogs on the card, Nate Diaz was expected to raise the stock of a lesser-known but dominant fighter like Leon Edwards.
The Englishman proved to be better than Nate Diaz in every area for the most part at UFC 263. However, Nate Diaz did not allow Leon Edwards to make a statement and left fans wondering what would've happened if Diaz landed that left hand a little bit earlier!
#1. Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo
Ironically, one of the most dominant champions in MMA history, Demetrious Johnson, ruled a division that was never on a must-watch list of fight fans. Fierce rivalries, interesting self-promoters, and fighters making a name for themselves by beating bigger fighters are roughly the elements that make a division interesting.
Apart from Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson, the flyweight division has historically lacked these factors. After Henry Cejudo instilled some star power in the division with his short but significant title reign, Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figuereido have given fight fans a reason to tune in to watch flyweight contests.
Irrespective of the outcome of their fight, Brandan Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo are the biggest winners of UFC 263.
Losers from UFC 263
#3. Marvin Vettori
The biggest storyline heading into Marvin Vettori's UFC 263 title fight against Israel Adesanya was that Vettori was the only fighter to win a scorecard against Adesanya in the UFC middleweight division. Adesanya's loss to Jan Blachowicz paved the way for Marvin Vettori to improve upon the techniques he employed against the champion and exploit the holes in Adesanya's wrestling to shift the momentum in his own favor.
Vettori put up a valiant effort against his old foe and managed to land four takedowns on Israel Adesanya at UFC 263. Adesanya was coming off the first loss of his professional MMA career and was arguably at the lowest point of his career so far. However, Vettori fell short of getting even with the champ and lost a dominant decision.
#2. Glendale Fans
Everyone would admit that there has been a different energy level in the arena since the UFC has brought live audiences back after the COVID-imposed restrictions. Of course, fans are one of the most important elements of the UFC experience, but just like performers, sometimes fans do not live up to the expectations either.
Every fan has the right to demand an entertaining performance. However, fans also have a responsibility to respect fighters that put their well-being on the line, especially after the fights are over.
UFC 263 took place in the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Be it Leon Edwards, Deiveson Figueiredo, or Marvin Vettori, Glendale fans seemed to be too hard on the fighters they didn't necessarily support. A similar sight was visible at UFC 261 in Florida.
#1. Referee Al Guinee
The opening bout of the UFC 263 main card had one of the most absurd stoppages in recent times. Light heavyweight prospect Jamahall Hill essentially got finished twice in his UFC 263 fight against Paul Craig as referee Al Guinee failed to notice Hill's arm injury and let the fight continue.
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt himself, Al Guinee intervened only after Hill failed to defend himself against Paul Craig's vicious ground strikes, ruling the fight a TKO loss for Jamahal Hill. It is a herculean task to officiate an MMA fight as the referee is the only person standing between life-altering damage and a fighter.
While a mishap can happen too quickly or outside of a referee's line of sight, Jamahall Hill's arm was lying lifeless right in front of Al Guinee to notice. Guinee has since earned the nickname 'Arizona Mazzagatti' from Dana White. The name refers to retired referee Steve Mazzagatti, who was notorious for not stopping fights in time.