5 Biggest winners from UFC 289: Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana
The UFC returned to Canada last night for its latest pay-per-view, and while the card took some hits coming in, it turned out to be a pretty memorable show.
UFC 289 saw some huge performances from some of the world’s best fighters, but who were the biggest winners on the night?
Naturally, there were a number of options to choose from, but a handful definitely stood out over and above the rest.
Here are the five biggest winners from UFC 289: Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana.
#5. Marc-Andre Barriault – defeated Eryk Anders in a UFC middleweight bout
Last night’s Fight of the Night award went to middleweights Marc-Andre Barriault and Eryk Anders. The two hard hitters opened the main card in a fight that really wasn’t highly anticipated, but in the end, they produced an entertaining brawl.
Early on, it looked like Barriault would finish ‘Ya Boi’ quickly. He dropped Anders with a straight right and then flurried on him in an attempt to finish.
Anders was able to survive, though, and while ‘Power Bar’ largely got the best of most of the exchanges for the remainder of the fight, it was overall a close one to call.
In the end, though, this was just about Barriault’s fight, and while he isn’t going to break into title contention any time soon, he’s now on a two-fight win streak. That should keep him afloat in the UFC for some time, and the $50k bonus he earned last night won’t harm things either.
#4. Stephen Erceg – defeated David Dvorak in a UFC flyweight bout
Arguably the biggest upset at UFC 289 was produced by debutant Stephen Erceg on the preliminary card. Despite taking his bout on just over one week’s notice, he was able to edge out No.10 ranked flyweight David Dvorak and may find himself in the top 15 next week.
After getting through a tricky first round, ‘Astro Boy’ came on particularly strong in the second. He decked ‘The Undertaker’ with a right hand into a head kick, and then looked to finish him with a guillotine choke.
Dvorak was able to survive the round, but by that point, the fight was clearly only going one way. Sure enough, while he didn’t hurt the Czech fighter again in the third, he did manage to outwork him throughout the round and claimed a unanimous decision.
BIG debut for Astro Boy 🚀👏
Steve Erceg gets the decision on short notice over David Dvorak! #UFC289 https://t.co/lJb7cE5EmS
Given the late notice, as well as an eight-fight winning streak prior to this bout, it’s clear that Erceg has plenty of talent. Judging by this, Dana White and company may well have stumbled upon a pretty special fighter.
#3. Mike Malott – defeated Adam Fugitt in a UFC welterweight bout
While a win over an opponent who was just 1-1 in the octagon isn’t likely to move him into contention for the UFC welterweight title, it’s still fair to label Mike Malott one of last night’s biggest winners.
After all, ‘Proper Mike’ came into his clash with Adam Fugitt as arguably the most popular Canadian fighter on the card, following his two prior wins in the octagon.
This time around, while his fight didn’t finish in the first round, Malott still put his foe away impressively, claiming his second $50k bonus in the process.
The fight ended in impressive fashion. ‘Proper Mike’ used a combination to knock Fugitt down, and then locked up a mounted guillotine to force his foe to tap out pretty frantically.
What’s next for Malott? Realistically, it has to be time to move him into a bout with a top-15 opponent, as he clearly seems ready. If he can succeed, then the promotion may well have found a new Canadian star.
#2. Charles Oliveira – defeated Beneil Dariush in a UFC lightweight bout
The best performance at UFC 289 undoubtedly came from Charles Oliveira. The former lightweight kingpin was competing in his first fight since losing his crown to Islam Makhachev last year, and more to the point, he was faced with Beneil Dariush.
Despite Dariush walking into the clash on the back of an eight-fight win streak, ‘Do Bronx’ simply didn’t let him get out of first gear.
After an interesting ground exchange that saw Dariush land on top, only to have to fend off a leglock attempt from Oliveira, the fight then came back up to the feet.
From there, ‘Do Bronx’ basically starched the Iranian fighter with a head kick, and finished him off with a flurry of punches on the ground.
The win will almost certainly put the Brazilian in line for another shot at Makhachev. While he still may not have enough to beat the Dagestani, he remains a uniquely dangerous fighter.
More importantly, this was his 20th finish in the octagon – a UFC record – and gave him his 19th post-fight bonus, too. Put simply, he’s a living legend.
#1. Amanda Nunes – defeated Irene Aldana to retain the UFC bantamweight title
In the world of the UFC, it’s almost impossible for a fighter to go out on top. In fact, over the three decades that the promotion has been around, the number of fighters to do this can probably be counted on one hand.
After last night – assuming she doesn’t return – Amanda Nunes can now be added to the list that includes the likes of Frank Shamrock and Georges St-Pierre.
‘The Lioness’ easily defeated challenger Irene Aldana to retain her bantamweight crown and then chose to hang up her gloves afterward, walking away from the octagon as the greatest female fighter of all time.
The win was hardly Nunes’ most impressive. Despite Aldana looking gunshy and unsure how to approach the fight, which she took on late notice, ‘The Lioness’ didn’t really come close to finishing her, even if it was a clear victory.
However, in reality, that didn’t matter. The win was Nunes’ sixth successful defense of her bantamweight title and she will walk away from MMA as a reigning double champion.
Overall, ‘The Lioness’ will go down as a true legend of the octagon and if this really is it, she ought to be inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame too. This wasn’t her best showing, but it made history anyway.