The 10 best UFC moments of 2018 so far
2018’s been an up-and-down year for the UFC – for the most part the quality of the shows put on by the biggest MMA promotion in the world has been fantastic, but unfortunately, TV ratings and pay-per-view buyrates haven’t quite reflected that.
With that said, there have still been a ton of tremendous moments this year thus far – with hopefully more to come as the year goes on.
Here are the ten most memorable moments from the UFC in 2018.
#10: Ortega knocks out Edgar and arrives as a contender
UFC 222 was supposed to see Frankie Edgar finally take his shot at Featherweight champion Max Holloway, but in the end, he was hit with a major curveball – in the form of a vicious uppercut from Brian Ortega.
Holloway ended up sidelined with a leg injury and so Edgar bravely did something few other fighters would’ve done – he accepted a fight with red-hot contender Ortega instead, with the winner gaining the coveted shot at the champ later down the line.
But if he expected to knock off a potential contender early, he was gravely mistaken. The fight began with Edgar’s usual footwork and in-and-out striking working well, but despite being more known for his grappling than his striking, Ortega seemed strangely cool.
Suddenly, he struck back. ‘T-City’ caught Edgar with an elbow as he stepped in, and ‘The Answer’ was stunned. Ortega quickly followed with a series of uppercuts, and for the first time in his career, Edgar was knocked out.
The win not only made Ortega the undisputed top contender at 145lbs – but it sent a notice to every Featherweight on the roster. And now Holloway vs. Ortega – which is scheduled for UFC 231 – has everyone salivating.