5 biggest things that happened at UFC 289
UFC 289 wrapped up this past Saturday and there's plenty to cover. It was the promotion's first event on Canadian soil since 2019. Unfortunately, the marquee bout that initially headlined the card fell apart after Julianna Peña withdrew from her scheduled trilogy bout with Amanda Nunes due to injury.
Instead, the heavy-handed Irene Aldana stepped in to replace her. It was her first-ever title fight and the opportunity of a lifetime. Meanwhile, the co-main event featured a highly anticipated matchup between former lightweight king Charles Oliveira and streaking 155-pounder Beneil Dariush.
It was a bout with title implications and arguably the most exciting fight on the card. Other noteworthy matchups include Mike Malott's clash with Adam Fugitt in a bout that showcased the Canadian welterweight's ceiling. Big things happened at UFC 289, and this list covers five of the biggest.
#5. Mike Malott extends his win streak on home soil
While no one is in a rush to crown Mike Malott the next Canadian great to capture welterweight gold, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt made a statement at UFC 289. 'Proper' took on Adam Fugitt in the third-last bout of the evening, scoring one of only two finishes on the main card.
Is Mike Malott the future of Canadian MMA 🇨🇦
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After a brilliant showcase of his striking skills and natural power, Malott managed to floor his opponent with a combination before snatching his neck with a tight guillotine. With no other recourse, Fugitt was forced to tap, awarding his foe his sixth consecutive win and bringing Malott to a perfect 3-0 start in the UFC.
It was a dream come true for 'Proper', whose first fight in Canada under Dana White's banner could not have gone any better. Although he remains unranked, a few more wins could see him crack the welterweight top 15.
#4. Beneil Dariush's UFC title dreams shatter
Beneil Dariush's path in the UFC seemed eerily similar to Leon Edwards. The two men are high-level fighters who allow their work inside the octagon to do their talking for them. Neither man is known for having the gift of gab, and it led to both of them being passed over for title shots despite their lengthy win streaks.
Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush
The always entertaining Charles Oliveira comes back and gets a huge victory over Beneil Dariush in the first round via KO/TKO on the ground. Man, Charles hits so hard it's crazy! https://t.co/2WkrOfewjg
While 'Rocky' has finally reached the summit of the welterweight division and enthroned himself as the 170-pound king, things couldn't have gone any worse for Beneil Dariush. After Dana White was open to awarding a title shot to the winner of his bout, he suffered a crushing defeat against Charles Oliveira.
Worse still, it was a first-round loss that snapped his eight-fight win streak, and at 34 years old, it is unlikely Dariush will ever come as close to UFC gold in such a stacked division, least of all due to how often he's been ignored by the promotion's top brass.
#3. Charles Oliveira stakes his claim for a title shot
After soundly defeating Beneil Dariush via first-round TKO, former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira set his post-fight interview alight by openly declaring himself as the champion despite his prior loss to Islam Makhachev. Furthermore, he dazzled the crowd in attendance by speaking in English for the first time.
Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2 LFGGGGGGGG! 💯
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With vengeance on his mind, 'do Bronx' implored UFC president Dana White to give him the next crack at Islam Makhachev's divisional crown. It will be hard to deny the Brazilian phenom given his stellar performance and the fact that he finished a fighter who was previously riding an eight-fight win streak.
While his Dagestani rival, or perhaps his manager Ali Abdelaziz, took to Twitter to claim that there were still levels between him and Oliveira, there is no other clear contender at lightweight for Makhachev to face come UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
#2. The UFC women's featherweight division likely ends
To no one's surprise, the UFC women's featherweight division has exceeded its shelf-life. The women's 145-pound weight class was initially created to accommodate all-time great power-puncher Cris Cyborg, whose weight-cutting struggles made a bantamweight debut impossible and even life-threatening.
Dana White on whether Amanda Nunes' retirement spells the end for the women's featherweight division: "The answer is probably yes." #UFC289 https://t.co/vRradxudCb
However, after Amanda Nunes flatlined her in a massive upset to capture the women's featherweight title, there was little else the division had to offer. The talent pool is so shallow that it consisted primarily of large bantamweights who didn't want to cut weight and very few actual featherweights.
There have been almost no women's featherweight bouts that didn't include Nunes defending her title. The UFC official rankings page doesn't even list any women's 145-pounders besides 'The Lioness'. Lastly, at the post-fight press conference, Dana White openly spoke about the division's likely end after Nunes' retirement.
#1. Amanda Nunes retires from MMA
The GOAT of women's MMA has had her fill of fighting. For now, at least. After Irene Aldana froze in front of her, Amanda Nunes imposed herself on her foe as she often does. While she didn't score an emphatic finish, she was dominant and in control of the fight barring a well-timed right hand from her foe in the first round.
Amanda Nunes Retires After DOMINATING Irene Aldana At UFC 289 bars.tl/3470416 https://t.co/Xic5mvNVTl
After securing her win, 'The Lioness' announced her retirement from the sport. In doing so, she leaves MMA as the undisputed greatest women's fighter of all time, with a resumé that will be difficult for anyone to match, let alone surpass. Her departure means that her bantamweight throne is now vacant.
Furthermore, her trilogy bout with Julianna Peña is now off the table as 'The Lioness' walks into the sunset.