These UFC 200 highlights could go on forever. In the last week we had 4 UFC events totalling nearly 50 bouts. Among those 50 bouts were some pretty spectacular ones, and also a few that fell by the wayside. We can’t cover them all, but here some UFC 200 highlights as well as the other events that took place in the past week.
UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs Lineker Highlights
‘El Cucuy’
UFC Fight Night brought the UFC to South Dakota for the first time. Originally headlined by Tony Ferguson and Michael Chiesa, it was going to feature a sensational lightweight bout among two of the fastest rising contenders. Unfortunately Chiesa had to pull out, and was replaced by UFC newcomer Lando Vannata. Ferguson won, not surprisingly, but had to overcome some adversity. Vannata caught a kick and delivered one of his own to Ferguson’s head. Ferguson was rattled, but recovered and submitted Vannata in the second round.
I point this fight out first because it’s a similar scenario to what Khabib Nurmagomedov found himself in. Khabib was supposed to fight Tony Ferguson, but after “El Cucuy” pulled out, UFC newcomer Darrell Horcher stepped up. Khabib dominated the fight, but received some flack from Ferguson for taking on such an unknown opponent. Hopefully we’ll get to see Ferguson and Nurmagomedov finally square up and fight as they are two of the most promising fighters in the 155 lb division. There are other awesome lightweights highlights to hit too.
John Lineker
Dynamite bantamweights Michael McDonald and John Lineker threw down in the main event. Lineker, a renowned brawler, did what he does best. He backed the larger man up against the cage and teed off with vicious hooks to the body and head. Lineker’s style is so barbaric yet so genius. He has an iron chin and is willing to eat flush punches so long as he gets to swing back. It’s a style not meant for longevity, but Lineker is smashing through the bantamweight division right now. I wonder if that style would work agaisnt a Dominick Cruz or TJ Dillashaw.
Louis Smolka
Another bright contender emerged from this card as Louis Smolka dispatched fellow prospect Ben Nguyen. The question with all these flyweight prospects is always whether or not they can offer anything that may somewhat resemble to threat to reigning champion Demetrious Johnson. While I’m still skeptic anybody can threaten Mighty Mouse’s throne, I do think Smolka is an entertaining contender that could make an exciting fight. He floored, smothered, scrambled, and beat down Ben Nguyen to get the TKO win last night to move his latest win streak to 4.
UFC 200 Highlights
Going backwards, we last had the colloseus PPV card – UFC 200. Given how many bombs this card took up until it finally kicked off I’m surprised it stuck together. It didn’t offer up as much action as expected, but you have to take other factors into consideration. There are still a lot of UFC 200 highlights. Let’s start with the biggest story of the night (other than Jon Jones).
Brock Lesnar
Four and a half years out of action and unknown amount of preparation, Brock Lesnar performed as good as he could have. He took on one of the most dangerous fighters in the heavyweight division, and used his athletic advantages to get the job done. He’s the biggest part of everyone’s UFC 200 highlights.
But where does Lesnar go from here? I think most would like to see Lesnar come back and attempt to reclaim his heavyweight title. In order to do so, he’ll need at least one (maybe two) more wins. I think a bout between Lesnar and Junior dos Santos is the logical next step. Whether not this can happen is a different question though. One that hasn’t really been answered.
The Champ, Daniel Cormier
The next biggest story was Anderson Silva’s last-minute fill-in against Daniel Cormier. While Silva came into this fight with little pressure on his shoulders, Cormier did. Many were upset at the “safe approach” that Cormier used, but I don’t think anyone can blame him. Cormier was “win at all costs” while Silva was “survive at all costs”; those are ingredients for a boring fight. Nevertheless, it was a sound performance by Cormier, and Silva showed again that even past his prime, he is still dangerous against anybody you put in front of him.
The Champ, Amanda Nunes
Shocking events unfoiled when Amanda Nunes dispatched champion Miesha Tate to take her belt. While some were upset at this being the headliner for UFC 200, it didn’t disappoint. Tate came into the bout as a heavy favorite, but time and time again we learn that there are no such things as favorites when it comes to the elite level. The title has now changed waists three times since Ronda Rousey’s reign. Ronda Rousey’s eventual return will be huge, Holly Holm is one win away from getting another crack at the belt, Julianna Pena picked up a big win over Cat Zingano, Miesha Tate is always in the mix, and now Amanda Nunes is on the throne. Exciting things are to come.
Cain Velasquez
Speaking of exciting, former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez took out Travis Browne in the first round. Velasquez used a spinning wheel kick to stun Browne, and followed up with a killer instinct to get the finish. With this win, Velasquez could be next in line for a title shot following the result of Stipe Miocic vs Alistair Overeem at UFC 203. He looked as sharp as ever.
Jose Aldo
Another man made a big mark, and that is Jose Aldo. The former featherweight champ defeated Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision in order to become the interim featherweight champion. This sets Aldo up for a fight with Conor McGregor to unify belts. A timeline for this is a big mystery though. It’s no secret that McGregor seeks a future at heavier weight classes, and the Nate Diaz rematch could be his attempt to secure that future. Win or lose against Diaz, McGregor will have to come back down to defend his title if he wants to hold on to it. Otherwise, expect Aldo to be promoted to featherweight champ while McGregor fights at lightweight and above.
Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum defeated former welterweight champ Johny Hendricks to pick up the biggest win of his career. Ever since he lost his belt to Robbie Lawler, Hendricks has not been able to put together consistent performances. In this particular outting, Hendricks started out very slow as he let Gastelum tag him at will with crisp one-two combinations. Even though Hendricks made it competitive, it was a disappointing performance. Gastelum now rockets up into the top 10 in the division while Hendricks falls way down.
TUF 23 Finale Highlights
Joanna Champion
A fantastic event paved the way for UFC 200. In the headlining spot, women’s bantamweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk defended her belt against Claudia Gadelha. We got to see Joanna respond to some early adversity as Gadelha imposed her wrestle-heavy gameplan on her. Joanna showed just how much of a champion she is when she stayed composed let Gadelha tire herself out. Joanna went on to dominate the fight from there. Jedrzejczyk lost some fans after her appearance on TUF 23, but her performance Friday night more than made up for it. Gadelha showed she could very well be the silver medalist at 135 lbs, but there are other worthy contenders to keep track of. Rose Namajunas is a name to watch; she takes on Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC 201. The winner could be next in line for a title shot.
TUF Winners
The TUF 23 Finale also did what it was meant to do – crown another Ultimate Fighter winner. Tatiana Suarez and Andrew Sanchez both came out ontop as they dominated their opponents. While Sanchez’s win left much to be desired, Suarez captured an impressive d’arce choke victory over Amanda Cooper. Suarez could very well be the next big thing at 115 lbs.
Will Brooks and Doo Ho Choi
Speaking of the next big thing, Will Brooks and Doo Ho Choi saw their stocks rise dramatically after they both notched wins. Will Brooks made his highly anticipated UFC debut, and looked like he could really be a solid top 10 lightweight. With a fresh name added to the roster, I’m sure he’ll be a sought-after opponent.
I’m not sure the same can be said for Doo Ho Choi though. “The Korean Superboy” picked up his third straight KO win as he pieced up Thiago Tavares in the first round. Choi showed off his takedown defense early on, which makes him a very real threat to most wrestle-heavy featherweights. I suspect a bright future for both Brooks and Choi.
UFC Fight Night: dos Anjos vs Alvarez Highlights
The Champ, Eddie Alvarez
You can’t discuss all the UFC 200 highlights and happenings without mentioning what took place two nights prior. Yet another favorited UFC champion bit the dust as Rafael dos Anjos was taken out in the first round by Eddie Alvarez. Not many suspected Alvarez to put on a performance like he did. This is mostly because his three Octagon perfomances were fairly lackluster, but he really rose to the occasion. He’s out celebrating his win, and he should be, but not for too long. There is a long list of killers gunning for that lightweight belt. Khabib Nurmagomedov, Tony Ferguson, and Michael Chiesa are at the top of this list. Not far behind are Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier, and Beneil Dariush. You also can’t forget about Joe Duffy as he notched a quick KO victory earlier on this card.
Summary
Obviously, a lot happened the last week. Titles changed hands, contenders were created, and prospects emerged. Yes, there were some let downs, but the UFC 200 highlights and all the shenanigans that went with it more than made up for it. It’s a great time to be a fight fan.
