The positives and negatives from UFC 263
Another UFC pay-per-view has passed us by and with it came some memorable talking points. The usual faces on hand when a big fight is going down were in attendance. In the absence of Daniel Cormier, Paul Felder joined Jon Anik and Joe Rogan at the commentary desk, with Bruce Buffer providing his always-electrifying introductions.
At UFC 263, the promotion welcomed an audience of 19,000+ to the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The event marked the third to be held in front of a full crowd since the easing of restrictions following the Covid-19 outbreak.
This weekend represented a card with some of the top names in the promotion. Alongside a blockbuster rematch between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori for the middleweight title, the likes of Deiveson Figueiredo, Brandon Moreno, Nate Diaz and Leon Edwards also featured.
With that said, here are the positives and negatives from UFC 263.
Positive - A third consecutive PPV with fans
Despite thinking that after UFC 262 I'd be used to fans being back for pay-per-views, it still hasn't gotten old. It took one round between Carlos Felipe and Jake Collier to make me realize how much I miss events being held in sold out arenas between PPV's.
Nothing will beat the sound of the Jacksonville crowd at UFC 261 when fans enjoyed live UFC action in the flesh for the first time in over a year, but the last two PPV's have still felt extra special with their presence.
Here's hoping it won't be too long until the promotion returns to the road weekly. But with Covid-19 as unpredictable as it appears to be, we should never take a sold out arena for granted at the moment.
Positive - The fastest stoppage in UFC lightweight history
Terrance McKinney!
If anyone had heard McKinney's story before his debut at UFC 263, they'd know why he was emotional after his victory and likely felt the same. The 26-year-old found his way to MMA's biggest stage after surviving multiple near-death experiences and some tough struggles in life. To see him achieve his dream in Arizona was truly special.
A few days ago, I highlighted McKinney as one of the five fighters to watch this weekend. He didn't give us a lot of time to watch, but what he did provide was more than enough to establish his name.
Against a tough opponent in Matt Frevola, 'T.Wrecks' finished the fight in just seven seconds. The brutal knockout came after a vicious two-punch combination seconds after the pair touched gloves. Remarkably, that's now four first-round KO's in his last four fights, spanning just over three months and totalling just 1:52 inside the cage. That's a record Francis Ngannou would be proud of.
After notching the fastest lightweight stoppage in UFC history at UFC 263, it's clear Terrance McKinney is one to watch.
Positive - A future star at 145-pounds
How good is Movsar Evloev? He's another of the five fighters I pointed out earlier in the week and he's another one that delivered. Against Hakeem Dawodu, another of the hottest prospects in the UFC, Evloev was dominant.
Not many names have arrived in the UFC with as much hype as Evloev, especially from across the Atlantic. In his ten fights before the UFC, the Russian won the M-1 challenge bantamweight title and defended it twice. An unbeaten 10-0 record and title around his waist made it impossible for the UFC to ignore Evloev.
Five decision victories, including against Mike Grundy, Nik Lentz and now Dawodu, have boosted the 27-year-old's MMA record to 15-0 and gotten him off to the perfect start in the sport's leading promotion. His performance at UFC 263 was Khabib-esque and if he continues his form, perhaps he can repeat the success of his compatriot in the UFC.
Positive - A featured prelim to remember
Wow.
What a fight. There aren't enough adjectives to describe how good the featured prelim bout between Drew Dober and Brad Riddell was. After a disappointing and lackluster matchup between Eryk Anders and Darren Stewart, the Arizona crowd needed something to pick them back up and boy did they get it.
The American and the New Zealander swung hard from the very first second. The 13th-ranked Dober rocked Riddell early and looked on his way to a finish. After recovering, Riddell played his part in a crazy remaining 12 minutes. After getting into his swing, the City Kickboxing lightweight began piecing Dober up on the feet with a stiff jab and a vicious right hand that was never far behind.
After some heavy shots left Dober wobbling and changing levels as the fight drew to a close, Riddell secured a unanimous decision win and, in doing so, showed he belongs in the 155-pound rankings.
After the tragic death of Fau Vake, it was great to see Riddell dedicate his victory to his fallen friend and teammate.
Positive - "Like a wet fish dancing all over my body"
Not only did Scotland's Paul Craig give us one of the performances of the night, but he also gave us the quote of the night. Jamahal Hill's damaged arm flailing around as Craig delivered strikes and the ref stood there aimlessly could have been described in many ways. I think it's safe to say "like a wet fish dancing all over my body" was not what anyone expected 'Bearjew' to describe it as.
The performance itself was remarkable. As soon as the fight hit the ground Craig went to work. He adjusted position until he found what worked and once he had a hold of the arm, he wasn't letting go. The elbow dislocation was brutal but it was good to see the pair exchange respect after the fight, despite their bad blood before hand.
Craig's post-fight interview was entertaining and perhaps a good thing for the crowd given the rough injury they'd just seen. Although I'm not sure what was worse to see, the dislocation or the reaction of the referee...
Positive - A bloody brawl courtesy of Birmingham and Stockton
Thank goodness they made this fight five rounds. A battle between Nate Diaz and Leon Edwards had to be. The term 'delivered' barely comes close to what the pair gave us at UFC 263. It was entertaining, enthralling and bloody. What more could you ask for from the UFC's first non-main event and non-title five-round fight?
The Englishman looked superb and certainly placed himself in position for a title shot, while Diaz played his part in the great scrap with his unique offense and gamesmanship. The final round almost provided one of the craziest comebacks in history. Although Edwards survived to hear the final horn and have his arm raised, not many moments this year will have an audience go crazy like they did when Diaz rocked 'Rocky'.
Positive - A UFC championship crowning for Mexico
Mexico, your guy got it done.
What a performance from Brandon Moreno. 'The Assassin Baby' dominated 'Deus Da Guerra' and took him out in the third round with a well-worked and perfectly executed rear-naked choke. I'm a big fan of Deiveson Figueiredo and the work he's done to make the flyweight division exciting and back to its best, but it's impossible not to be happy for Moreno.
Not many championship crownings have been as heartwarming and emotional as Brandon Moreno's at UFC 263. Whether it's a trilogy fight with Figueiredo or a rematch with Askar Askarov, Moreno's reign is set to begin with a blockbuster title defense.
Negative - "Boring!"
With the positivity of having fans back in the arena once again, inevitably comes some form of negativity. Usually, with UFC crowds, it comes in the form of a chant.
UFC 263's installment of ridiculous chanting got underway in the very first bout. While Jake Collier and Carlos Felipe fought an entertaining opening bout of the night, the Glendale crowd decided it wasn't enough for them, chanting "Boring!" towards the end of the second round and while the heavyweights were in their corners.
The worst part was the fight wasn't even slightly boring. Both men exchanged hard and Felipe played up to the crowd throughout. Paul Felder said it best when he questioned whether those chanting would be brave enough to enter a cage themselves. I think we know the answer to that one...
Negative - Pain amidst the jubilation
Oh Terrance. Terrance, Terrance, Terrance...
The hard bit was done. Terrance McKinney received a call-up to the UFC on short notice after fighting just eight days prior. He entered the cage for his promotional debut and faced a tough opponent in Matt Frevola. He knocked 'Steamrolla' out in just seven seconds with a vicious combination, securing his name in the history books with what was the fastest stoppage in UFC lightweight history. Only to go and injure himself while celebrating. Insert facepalm emoji...
After jumping down from the cage, McKinney blew his knee out. Nevertheless, I'm not sure he cared too much given what he had just accomplished. Hopefully the injury isn't as serious as initially feared and we'll see 'T.Wrecks' back in action for his second octagon walk soon. It would be a real shame if, as it looked, the 26-year-old suffered an ACL or MCL tear after such a massive victory. Our fingers are crossed for Terrance McKinney.
Negative - A rematch we didn't need
In a night of highly anticipated rematches, there was one we could easily have gone without. After their first meeting in March ended in a no contest following an illegal knee from Eryk Anders, the UFC decided a rematch between 'Ya Boi' and Darren Stewart was necessary. The booing of the Glendale crowd suggested they disagreed.
It was the kind of grappling fight that always teetered on the edge of the pair being split up by the referee but never quite reached it, aside from once in the final round. We were left with a largely uneventful clash, with the fight's most exciting moment coming when Anders rained heavy punches on Stewart in the final few seconds of the bout.
I'm not sure we'll be seeing a trilogy fight...
Negative - The 60's injury curse
I thought it was crazy when we saw back-to-back devastating injuries at UFC pay-per-views, but three in a row? Passing over from the 250's to the 260's has brought with it some excruciating and gruesome injuries.
At UFC 261, we saw one of the worst injuries in UFC history when Chris Weidman suffered a horrific broken leg against Uriah Hall. It was quite the welcome back for the Florida fans. A month later at UFC 262, we had perhaps one of the worst audible injuries, as Andre Muniz turned the tables on grappling legend Jacare Souza. The prospect broke the veteran's arm and the sound of the snap was sickening.
To complete the hat-trick and continue the streak, Paul Craig brutally wrenched the arm of the previously unbeaten Jamahal Hill at UFC 263. The elbow dislocation was gruesome, the stoppage was late and the flopping limb as Craig threw strikes to finally force the stoppage made it that extra bit grimace-worthy. Whether it's the curse of the 60's or the curse of the returning fans, something's in the air when it comes to bone-damaging moments.
Viewer discretion is advised...