UFC 279 came through with flying colors despite the uncertainty and controversy that hovered over it all week. It's safe to say that all of the last minute changes worked out for the best and as always the world's premier MMA promotion delivers another great evening of fights.
YOHAN LAINESSE won a controversial split decision over DARIAN WEEKS in the curtain jerker. I missed the entire 1st round of this opening fight but I wasn't overly impressed with either fighter nor could I really tell who won the fight but as someone who was on LAINESSE I was happy to get the win.
ELISE REED won a 29-28 unanimous decision victory over newcomer MELISSA MARTINEZ. I saw it 1-1 going into the 3rd round and it looked like MARTINEZ leg kicks were going to seal the deal for her in her debut but for some reason she decided to clinch up which led to her being taken down by REED. MARTINEZ effectively gave away the fight due to poor fight IQ allowing REED to move to 2-2 in her UFC campaign.
ALETANGHEILI won a 30-27 unanimous decision victory over CHAD ANHELIGER. ANHELIGER had his moments which made this a decent fight but it was a clear win for ALETANGHEILI.
NORMA DUMONT won a convincing (30-27×2) 30-26 unanimous decision victory over DWCS debutant DANYELLE WOLF. DUMONT show why it is never a good idea to bet a 1-0 debutant even when said debutant has US NATIONAL BOXING TEAM pedigree, MMA is a different animal with many different ways to victory and DUMONT schooled WOLF in her debut with multiple knockdowns and grappling transitions that clearly demonstrated that there are levels to this game. Credit to WOLF for going the distance in a fight where she was clearly outmatched.
CHRIS BARNETT gets a 2nd round GNP TKO VICTORY over JAKE COLLIER after nearly being finished in the 1st round. This was an amazing fire fight from the opening bell but as someone who was heavily invested in a COLLIER victory I was absolutely heartbroken by the final outcome. Nonetheless it is difficult not to be happy for BEAST BOY BARNETT who absolutely crushed it on the mic in his post fight Octagon victory speech. Congratulations to everyone who took the big plus money shot on BARNETT who continues to defy the odds and provide the MMA masses with top notch entertainment.
DENIS TIULIULIN gets the 2nd round TKO victory over JAMIE PICKETT after losing a point for an accidental groin strike which seemed to light a fire under his ass and make him chase the finish with urgency. Congratulations to everyone who cashed on him as a sizable underdog.
ALMEIDA ran through short notice replacement ANTON TURKALJ and submitted him with a RNC after taking him down with ease. ALMEIDA continues to impress as he moves to 3-0 in as many UFC fights and I look forward to his next outing.
JULIAN EROSA wins an impressive 30-27 unanimous decision victory over HAKEEM DOWADU. EROSA had DOWADU hurt a couple of times throughout the fight but DOWADU managed to go the distance despite what I perceived to be a bad weight cut. EROSA has a penchant for big upsets and he cashes as a sizable underdog yet again.
JOHNNY WALKER gets a 1st round RNC over ION CUTELABA after being taken down and momentarily controlled by CUTELABA. WALKER showed off his composure as well as his jiujitsu skills and he cashes as a sizable underdog. Congratulations to everyone who took the plus money dog shot on him.
IRENE ALDANA TKO'D MACY CHIASSON with a perfectly placed uptick to the liver 8n the 3rd round, which was a first in UFC history. ALDANA won the 1st but CHIASSON roared back aggressively in the 2nd and took the fight to the ground where she had a clear advantage. It looked as though CHIASSON might do the same in the 3rd but ALDANA's liver kick shut her down in what was a very unique finish to an excellent fight.
DANIEL RODRIGUEZ won a split decision over LI JINGLIANG that was somewhat questionable to day the least. However neither fighter really set themselves apart in this one so it's hard to say with any certainty who deserved to win. As someone who was on D-ROD I was glad to get the bounce but I totally understand why JINGLIANG backers would cry foul over the decision. You have to take the good with the bad when you bet on this sport and this was a perfect example of that.
KHAMZAT CHIMAEV absolutely served KEVIN HOLLAND and finished him off with a D'arce choke in the 1st round. CHIMAEV'S insane grappling skills were on full display here as he shot for a takedown immediately and didn't allow HOLLAND to get any offense off whatsoever. People can chastise him for missing weight all they like but this guy is a serious problem for the 170 and 185 pound divisions and if I'm Nate Diaz I'm glad I dodged a bullet in my retirement bout. Chimaev is the truth folks and I look forward to seeing what he does next.
NATE DIAZ goes out in style and finishes Tony FERGUSON with a one arm guillotine in the 4th round of their main event bout. This was a strange fight in my opinion but it was entertaining for as long as it lasted. FERGUSON looked much better than he has in his last few outings despite turning his back to Diaz on multiple occasions. DIAZ almost looked gassed out at times and almost appeared to be quitting at certain times but I have to believe it was showmanship because he found the unexpected finish in the fourth. However as expected DIAZ announced his retirement from the UFC after the fight but he did allude to a potential return at some point. As I said before, if I'm Nate Diaz I'm extremely happy about the way things played out at UFC 279. Diaz ends his UFC campaign in style and goes out on a win. Congratulations to him on an absolutely amazing career and congratulations to everyone who took the plus money dog shot on the legend.
UFC 279 was a dubious offering from the start but it turned out to be a great night of fights. In the words of the great Nate Diaz “I'm not surprised mutherfuckers”, because the UFC doesn't put on bad cards, it's just not the way they do things and 279 is further proof of that.
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