Oliveira is Lightweight Champion Even if it Means No Belt to Show For It
Champion or not, Charles Oliveira is a man possessed. It seems like every fight he is getting punched into serious danger, but survives to then hunt down his opponent and finish them. He had done this to Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier in his previous two fights and tonight he accomplished the same thing against Justin Gaethje. I
t’s hard to describe the chaos of the first round rear naked choke victory, but it included an overly aggressive Gaethje attempting to take Oliveira’s head off with body swinging haymakers. Oliveira appeared to be nearly finished on a couple occasions, but kept coming forward like vintage boogeyman Tony Ferguson. Gaethje was maybe one good strike from ending it, but he showed some of his former self in overcommitting to strikes that may have left him vulnerable. Eventually, “Do Bronx” connected with a barrage of strikes on Gaethje and in a mad scramble sunk in a fight ending rear naked choke that looked seconds away from putting him to sleep.
Oliveira now will find himself as a certainty to fight for the title that he never lost to another fighter. Due to a controversial missed weight for the title fight, the Oliveira win means the title is now vacated and he will need to fight to regain the belt back. The opponent possibilities would likely be a rematch with Gaethje, Connor McGregor, or Islam Makhachev if he defeats Beneil Dariush. I’m completely against the idea that McGregor deserves any form of title shot, but right now I believe Oliveira would be the favorite in anyone of those fights. If anything, it would be a great time for Khabib Nurmagomedov to return for one last fight. I don’t think any of us expected to see any fighter this dominant so soon after Khabib’s retirement.
Esparza Takes Strawweight Title From Namajunas in Historically Forgettable Championship
The saying “styles make fights” is frequently used and if that’s the case, Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza II makes for a pretty bad one. There’s not much to say about this fight even with the changing of title hands. It was an example of two fighters with huge advantages in different areas. Namajunas held a large advantage in the striking game and Esparza held an equal one in the grappling. Those two factors equaled a bout in which neither fighter really engaged and nearly every round could’ve been decided by the flip of coin. Ultimately, Esparza defeated “Thug” Rose for the second time to win the 115 pound title after winning the split decision. If I had to decide and that’s a big “if”, I probably would’ve agreed that Esparza won just based on a few successful (and brief) takedowns. The truth is this is a fight where neither fighter or their team had any right to complain about a decision.
Chandler Punt KO Victory Over Ferguson
WOW…Michael Chandler just about booted Tony Ferguson’s head off his body. One of the greatest kick knockouts in UFC history against the man who never had been KO’d before. Chandler’s second round finish instantly puts him right back in the title picture after his previous two losses. The performance is even more impressive after Ferguson opened the fight looking like his old “Boogeyman” self by piecing up Chandler with stiff jabs. In the back half of the first round, Chandler used his powerful wrestling to violently take Ferguson to the ground and caused some bleeding near El Cucuy’s left eye. It wasn’t long into the second round before Chandler landed a front kick knockout that might be the most violent in the sports history. In the post fight interview, Chandler called out a variety of fighters including Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Connor McGregor. No matter what his next fight brings, it’s bound to be a big time fight. For Tony Ferguson, it’s another disappointing end to a fight that started out very promising.
Saint Preux Wins Rematch Snoozefest Over Shogun
I expected Mauricio “Shogun” Run vs Ovince Saint Preux to be a slog and it was most definitely that. Recent fights have shown that these two are no where near their former selves and that was certainly clear in this Light Heavyweight bout. The first two rounds were practically mirror images of one another with a continuous pattern of Saint Preux left kicks from the southpaw stance and Shogun leg kicks. The third round seemed to be more clear with Saint Preux stalking Shogun more and initiating exchanges. That appeared to be enough for Saint Preux to win a split decision victory for his second career victory over the Brazilian. Gun to my head, I would’ve said Shogun just barely took rounds one and two, but the reality is neither fighter took an obvious victory.
Brown Range Enough to Squeak Out Split Decision Victory
Randy Brown’s wiry frame and length was the difference in his split decision welterweight victory over Khaos Williams. The fight replaced the Donald Cerrone/Joe Lauzon fight that was originally scheduled on the main card after Cerrone pulled out hours before with an illness. Quite honestly, Brown and Williams deserved the right to be on the main card more if you consider actual UFC upside and rankings. The first round went to Williams as he stalked Brown for most of the round. Brown adjusted in the second and third rounds by using his long reach to stay at range and jab away to Williams’ face. The second round appeared to be a clear win for Brown. The third round was a little tighter with Williams connecting with a punch that knocked Brown down for the second time, but his top position was short lived. Brown returned to his feet and continued the jab and move that had been successful in round two. The 6’ 3″ Brown and tallest fighter in the 170 pound division has now won five of six fights and should be itching towards a ranked opponent in his next fight.
Other Notes
Brandon Royval and Matt Schnell made for an extremely exciting, albeit short ranked flyweight match. Schnell, the #9 ranked 125 pounder, charged Royval like he was shot out of a cannon with an aggressive combination of strikes. Schnell eventually dropped the #6 ranked Royval and nearly submitted him with a guillotine before Royval was able to scramble out. Once Royval was able to get the more dominant position, he slipped in a guillotine submission of his own which cause Schnell to quickly tap out after a wild fight that only last two minutes and 14 seconds. With the win, Royval likely positions himself within one win of a title shot.
Andrea Fialho won his second straight UFC welterweight fight after knocking out Cameron VanCamp in the first round. VanCamp, who was a big underdog, caught Fialho early but the confidence he built may ultimately have been his demise as he continued to pressure his opponent. With VanCamp pushing forward with swinging strikes, Fialho eventually stopped and connected with a brutal left hook that landed directly on VanCamp’s open chin. With the victory, Fialho continues to validate he has some of the best hands in the UFC’s 170 pound division.
Tracy Cortez extended her win streak to 10 after defeating Melissa Gatto in their Women’s Flyweight bout by unanimous decision. It was a hard fought victory for Cortez, who easily took round one by taking Gatto down and controlling her on the ground. The second round brought more success for Gatto as she used her length to gain a striking advantage before eventually taking Cortez down and nearly submitting her with an armbar. The deciding round three turned into more wrestling control for Cortez who won the battle on the ground to clinch the victory and continue her impressive streak. Cortez should have a chance to be ranked this week.
Lupita “Loopy” Godinez looked like a future Women’s Strawweight Champion in her unanimous decision victory over Ariane Carnelossi. With violent takedowns that mimicked the tackles you would see in a Terry Tate “Office Linebacker” commercial, Godinez dominated the fight from the opening bell. The fight was rarely on the feet, but Godinez looked great in those moments as well with quick, crisp combos. She quickly becomes another future potential contender in what is already the UFC’s most loaded women’s division.