The best and worst from UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje
Despite the main card featuring 4 finishes out of 6 fights, UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje was another largely lacklustre card saved by a couple of really hot fights towards the end of the night. Realistically, you can’t complain about the card quality here as most of these fights promised some insane action and well, most of them simply didn’t deliver.
Obviously, it wasn’t all bad for the Philadelphia fans, and it was hardly a surprise to see the fight between Edson Barboza and Justin Gaethje deliver the goods. But next weekend is a break in the UFC schedule and after a packed few weeks, it’ll be a welcome break.
Here are the best and worst moments from UFC on ESPN: Barboza vs. Gaethje.
#1 Best: Gaethje lives up to his nickname...again
Over the last few years of watching UFC shows I’ve tended to call Donald Cerrone the most exciting fighter to watch in MMA, but even ‘Cowboy’ has had the odd stinker – remember his 2015 fight with Myles Jury, for instance, or his slower fight last summer with Leon Edwards?
Justin Gaethje, on the other hand, seems completely incapable of putting on anything other than a firefight, and last night was more evidence that he might be more deserving of the title I once put on Cerrone.
Not only did Gaethje score one of the best knockouts of 2019 so far – a vicious right hook that caught opponent Edson Barboza as he was backing out of an exchange, instantly switching his lights off and knocking him unconscious – but for the 2:30 that the fight lasted, it was incredibly exciting, with some wild exchanges of strikes. And of course, it was Gaethje who was always pushing the action, simply willing to walk through fire to win.
Post-fight Gaethje essentially called out any of the fighters above him in the pecking order; that might be tricky for the time being given they’re literally all booked in fights right now outside of Tony Ferguson who won’t be fighting for some time I’d presume, but regardless of that, whoever ‘The Highlight’ is matched with it’ll be worth watching. He’s must-see stuff and the UFC would do well to recognize that and push him as the star that he is.