The ultimate successful promotion of the game on the world’s most prominent stage.
At the very least, the marketing force ensured that the UFC’s annual event in Midtown Manhattan would deliver a memorable Saturday night.
The 28 fighters on the 14-fight map also tried their best to make this happen, led by the presence of Israel Adesanya and Carla Esparza making big-name defenses on top of the pay-per-view game of the grand show UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden.
Adesanya risks his middleweight belt for the sixth time since winning 3 years ago and met a familiar foe while doing so at two-time kickboxing opponent and fourth competitor Alex Pereira in the main event.
Meanwhile, Esparza made the impression for the first time since snatching the strawweight belt from Rose Namajunas in May and has become one of the few fighters to have multiple reigns in the smartest weight class. 3 months between 2014 and 2015.
The pay-per-view display produced through ESPN, and the B/R fighting sports team in position to solve it all and compile a definitive list of the real winners and losers of the event. Scroll down to get our reactions and leave a shot or two in the comments section.
At the moment in 3 months, it happened.
For some, it was unexpected that Carla Esparza, the reigning strawweight champion, was the biggest loser and evidently not the crowd favorite in New York.
But it took just over six minutes for it all to make sense.
Former champion Zhang Weili of China joined the American as a two-time 115-pound champion, surviving a first-and-forth to score a quick out on the spot and block the decisive backbar. His coronation at 1:05.
“I came back here. Now it seems like a dream,” said Weili, who lost her belt in April 2021 to Rose Namajunas, the fighter Esparza defeated earlier this year to begin her reign. “Every day since I lost [to Namajunas], I dreamed that this belt would come back. Every moment. “
Weili lost a split resolution to Namajunas in a rematch last November and has fought and won once since. terrestrial.
“I feel everything about you,” he said. I am the Weili who belongs to the total world. “
First, Esparza held the strawweight belt in 2014 and 2015 and had an 8-3 record in non-title fights before regaining the belt. He was able to periodically pursue submissions against Weili, but never controlled the common stampedes.
“I hope he’s smart everywhere,” Esparza said. At this level, when you fight former champions, you can expect the best. “
Polling stations are closed. The vote is complete.
The 2022 fight took place. And Dustin Poirier won.
The fan favorite known as “Diamond” came close to squandering KO in the first round and was forced to escape a series of submissions in the moment, but bounced back in the third for a dramatic choke of Michael. Chandler bloodied and exhausted at the height of a rivalry he had decidedly bitter.
The end came at 2:00 a. m. after Poirier crossed Chandler’s slam to catch his opponent.
It was Chandler’s third loss in five bouts since joining the UFC in early 2021. But he produces action-packed instant classics, and the fight with Poirier was none other thanks to a tumultuous first lap in which he seriously injured Poirier with a series. of hard forehands before the Louisiana venue stood up and Chandler was almost upstairs when the horn sounded.
Chandler’s loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 was widely regarded as the most productive fight of 2021, and he had already been the favorite for the 2022 bout of the year after knocking out Tony Ferguson with a head-on kick in May.
“I couldn’t see,” he said Poirier. Es clever guy who shoots in a loop. If I had shot direct shots, I would have gotten out of there. It’s very explosive. “
Poirier started the circular moment at the breaking point of a knockout victory, but Chandler immediately retired, put him on the ground and held him for the full five minutes thanks to positioning.
However, he was never able to block after several attempts to strangle the rear, which exhausted him further when he entered the 3rd and left him exhausted again. he accelerated to an impressive position and temporarily opted for his own naked rear choke when he regained Chandler’s back.
The fighters and their corners gave the impression of exchanging words without delay, and Poirier angrily told referee Dan Miragliotta that Chandler had used an illegal hook maneuver while chasing choke submission in the second.
The cooler heads nevertheless prevailed, however, and slapped their fists and congratulated each other before leaving the cage.
“It’s a little more resilient than I imagine,” Poirier said. “I think if I hurt him, he wouldn’t be here. “
So for retirement parties.
Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar earned the adoration of the MSG crowd on his way to the Octagon and received smiles from his wife and children on the edge of the cage, but the party was temporarily interrupted by promising opponent Chris Gutierrez on the night. Devastating knockout.
The 41-year-old announced the preparation of the exhibition that would be the last fight of his UFC career. He made his debut with the promotion 15 years ago at UFC 67. He was 18-10-1 in 29 bouts since then, but hadn’t won since 2020 and lost back-to-back matches in 2021.
Gutierrez flew around the canvas as Edgar chased in the first minute and beyond, but the lights went out, literally, as he jumped forward with a left knee that slammed into the right side of Edgar’s face, triggering a rapid wave at 2:01. of the first round.
“I love this game,” he said. I didn’t need to faint like that, however, this game is a b—h. I have my circle of relatives here, and that’s all that matters. “
Edgar had a 3-0-1 record in his first 4 name fights in 2010 and 2011 before squandering his last five attempts at featherweight names. He finished with a career record of 23-11-1.
“The vast majority of our heroes come out like this, from behind,” Cormier said. “And it sucks. When they walk away, they faint like that, in front of a young fighter who hasn’t completed the things they have. “It’s not fair, but it’s the game we’re playing. “
Rumors about Dan Hooker’s death were greatly exaggerated.
The 32-year-old came into Saturday’s main card mired in the worst streak of his career, having lost 4 of five fights and stopped in 3 of them, a first-round knockout against Arnold Allen in March.
But just when it looked like 26-year-old phenom Claudio Puelles would drive the final nail into Hooker’s competitive coffin, Hooker found himself master of his destiny.
Puelles won five consecutive fights and subdued 3 enemies in the process, and temporarily attempted to hit Hooker’s left leg with a series of Imanari rollers. But Adesanya’s education teammate worked on the only full attempt halfway through the first round.
Peruvian export continued to roll on Hooker’s legs, but he never controlled to block his enemy’s back and temporarily had the crowd turn their backs on him.
From there, Hooker took over standing, arming Puelles with punches and kicks from a status distance and ending his evening with a hard frontal kick to the stomach.
Puelles went to the floor and didn’t get up, ending the fight by TKO at 4:06 of the second round.
“They didn’t believe in us. No one did. No one did,” Hooker said. “I’m 6-foot with a vicious hook. When I bite down on this mouthpiece. I make nails look soft.”
Jon Anik simply.
“That,” referring to Renato Moicano’s F-bomb-laden verbal exchange with Joe Rogan, “was the largest post-fight interview in UFC history. “
The usually reserved Brazilian took his microphone promotion skills to another stratosphere after doing exactly the same thing in the opening final, knocking opponent Brad Riddell to the ground and causing his naked rear choke at 3:20 of the first round.
By the time the New Zealander clapped, Moicano’s tension threatened to force blood to gush from a cut on his face.
“There’s a moment when a guy goes into his own sense and reaches the level,” Rogan said. After submission, Moicano is tenth of 17 professional wins and sixth in the UFC.
But neither Riddell, Rogan, nor the rest of us had noticed it yet.
The 33-year-old snatched the microphone from Rogan and went into full-blown fanboy mode, referring to him as the smartest guy in the world and claiming he listens to the Lightning Rod podcast online every day.
And then the fight.
“Let’s move on to New York,” he said. “Let’s make a damn noise. “
“I’m here to take over,” he said. I lost to the best, but I’m the best. I need the fucking bonus. Moicano needs money. Moicano doesn’t care. “
Dominick Reyes may have been a world champion.
In fact, he is not the only one who recommends having been a world champion.
But since a February 2020 loss to Jon Jones, he never got the bun again.
Now 32, the seventh-ranked light heavyweight saw a chance to hurt him Saturday night, being knocked down with No. No. ‘s left hand. 12 Ryan Spann and knocked out in the first round after just 80 seconds.
Reyes was 12-0 before the fight with Jones. He is now 12-4 and hasn’t won since 2019.
It is his third consecutive stoppage loss since the disappointment of Jones, who followed through to the second-round finals through Jan Blachowicz later in 2020 and Jiří Procházka in 2021.
He had already been shaken by the punches of 6’5″ Spann, who had finished 17 of his 20 wins from distance, before the decisive left hand and a pronation forehand that cut off the back of his head when Spann connected on a left punch. Blow of hand to his defenseless chin while referee Marc Goddard pushed away the winner.
Spann is 21-7 as a professional, 7-2 in the UFC and has now won back-to-back games.
“I trained. I had never trained for a fight before today,” he said. “I only came here to express myself and be free. I’m afraid I’m tired. I’m not afraid I’m cansado. se looked good. “
Attention, Valentina Shevchenko: there is possibly a challenger among you.
Erin Blanchfield, a resident of nearby New Jersey, booed a New York crowd as she entered the cage to meet popular British exporter Molly McCann, but crowd discontent was the only adversity she faced Saturday night.
The 23-year-old was ranked 12th among the world flyweights ahead of the encounter with her opponent in 15th place, and looked poised to jump several places as she dominated McCann on the floor on her way to a submission victory via kimura.
Dubbed the “meatball” by the adoring crowds in England, McCann was cheered by MSG enthusiasts but soon found herself on the side of a retreat in the first minute. She was soon trapped in an upside-down crucifix position that allowed Blanchfield to strafe her. with punches and elbows.
The fight did not stop despite a 93-7 merit in strikes, so Blanchfield chased and finally blocked a kimura on McCann’s left arm, taking one at 3:37.
“It’s the natural domain through Erin Blanchfield,” ESPN analyst Daniel Cormier said. “What a performance. “
It was Blanchfield’s tenth win in 11 professional fights and his fourth straight UFC flyweight fight, propelling him to tie the department’s third-longest winning streak, Shevchenko’s nine and Manon Fiorot’s five.
“It was fine, and I think it was worth 50,000 right there,” Blanchfield said. “I was surprised that [referee Kevin MacDonald] didn’t stop it. I think I arrested him much earlier. “
Given Ottman Azatatar’s first-round run, it’s no surprise that his first feature film on Saturday night ended in less than five minutes.
What came here as a shock, however, the result.
The only undefeated boxer among the 28 on the card tasted defeat for the first time as a professional when a left-footed counterattack from opponent Matt Frevola knocked him to the ground and left him defenseless to prompt referee Dan Miragliotta to intervene at 2:30.
“It’s unreal,” Frevola said. Now it seems like a dream. “
Azaitar also struggled to master the truth in his semi-conscious state, asking his corner what had happened to end the fight so abruptly. He entered the cage with 13-0 as a professional and 2-0 in the UFC, with everything still 3 wins in the first round.
The German-born Moroccan had not made the impression in the octagon for more than two years since Khama Worthy stopped in 93 seconds in September 2020.
Azaitar was memorably fired from the company for violating COVID-19 protocols ahead of a meeting scheduled for January 2021 with Frevola at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, but was reinstated within months. However, he hadn’t fought since.
Frevola, a local on nearby Long Island, came to the cage with trumpet music made last summer through New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz.
He emphasized Azaitar at first, but pushed him back with one left hand when his enemy began to take the competitive initiative. Azaitar stepped forward when Frevola hooked him along the fence with a right hand, then followed him with the left that triggered the wave.
Before leaving, Frevola called up Britain’s Paddy Pimblett, who is scheduled to fight Jared Gordon at UFC 282 in December.
“Paddy has to faint and win his fight,” he said, “because he’s the guy I want. “
Main card
Alex Pereira beats. Israel Adesanya by KO (punches), 2:01, Round 5
Zhang Weili defeated. Carla Esparza for submission (naked rear start), 1:05, Round 2
Late Dustin Poirier. Michael Chandler for submission (naked rear choke), 2:00, Round 3
Chris Gutierrez beats. Frankie Edgar by KO (flying knee), 2:01, Round 1
Dan Hooker won. Claudio Puelles by KO (Body Kick), 4:06, Round 2
Previous games
Renato Moicano beats. Brad Riddell submission (starter without backrest), 3:20, Round 1
Ryan Spann beats. Dominick Reyes by KO (punch), 1:20, Round 1
Erin Blanchfield defeats. Molly McCann submission (kimura), 3:37, Round 1
André Petroski beats. Wellington Turman by unanimous resolution (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Previous games
Matt Frevola beats. Ottman Azaitar by KO (punch), 2:30, Round 1
Karolina Kowalkiewicz beats. Silvana Gómez Juárez by unanimous resolution (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Michael Trizano beats. Seungwoo Choi by KO (punch), 4:51, Round 1
Montel Jackson beats. Julio Arce by unanimous resolution (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Carlos Ulberg beats. Nicolae Negumereanu by KO (punch), 3:44, Round 1
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