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The UFC returned to California for the primary time since earlier than anybody knew what COVID even meant for UFC 270, with two basic championship fights. First, Deiveson Figueiredo took the UFC Flyweight Championship belt again from Brandon Moreno of their third bout towards one another, after which Ngannou retained his UFC Heavyweight Championship over Ciryl Gane in some of the weird and anticipated heavyweight title fights of all time.
After all, there was additionally loads of different motion over the course of the evening, and SPIN was on the Honda Middle in Anaheim for all 11 fights. Right here’s The Finest, The Mess & The Remainder of all the things that went down on Saturday evening.
The Finest
Vanessa Demopoulos — Simply the second combat of the cardboard already noticed a possible Struggle of the Evening contender. Silvana Gomez Juarez dropped Vanessa Demopoulos with an enormous proper hand, just for Demopoulos to come back again and submit Juarez with a slick armbar after surviving on the bottom for a bit. After her first UFC win, Demopoulos earned some further followers with a particularly excited post-fight interview ending along with her leaping into the arms of an unsuspecting Joe Rogan. Speaking to the media later within the night, the 7-4 fighter admitted she “awoke on the bottom” and has no recollection of the strikes she survived — after which credited her background as an unique dancer for her capability to do the splits and a few of her jiu jitsu prowess.
Bruce Buffer’s Gold Jacket — UFC in-ring announcer Bruce Buffer just about at all times seems to be nice, however his shiny gold jacket for the UFC’s first return to the Golden State since August 2019 was significantly acceptable and classy. Buffer’s closet should be brighter than most Las Vegas casinos at this level, and it actually doesn’t really feel like a significant UFC occasion with out seeing what he has in retailer every time.
Two Title Fights — Lots of the large UFC pay-per-views nowadays function two title fights, and it’s in all probability one of the best determination the corporate’s made in years with regards to guaranteeing a top quality evening of fights each trip. Gone are the times of 1 dud title combat ruining an evening, and UFC 270 was no exception. Having Mexico’s favourite MMA son Brandon Moreno’s first title protection in Southern California was a genius transfer, and coupling it with one of many greatest heavyweight fights in UFC historical past was a surefire solution to make extra informal followers care in regards to the flyweights as properly. Figueiredo reclaimed the belt towards Moreno in a tremendous back-and-forth battle (establishing the primary tetralogy in UFC historical past) and that made up for the 25-minute puzzle that was Ngannou-Gane.
Stunning Followers — Look, the followers at an MMA occasion are at all times a blended bag. You would see a combat get away one minute, a dance battle the following, and folks ingesting beer out of sneakers by the top of the evening. However not solely have been the followers out in full drive for the 2 championship fights on the finish of the evening, the stands have been already filling in surprisingly early for the primary few preliminary bouts. Possibly folks have been simply desperate to get again to a stay occasion since they’ve develop into a lot much less widespread the final couple of years — or maybe there have been simply extra pals, households and diehard followers of the fighters current — however for a card that critically lacked excessive rankings and starpower outdoors of the final two matchups, the viewers was nonetheless ready to benefit from the full six hours of fights.
Michel Pereira vs. Andre Fialho — Each time Michel Pereira fights, you recognize it’s going to be a present. Will he ever win a UFC title? Most likely not. However he’s at all times going to throw some insane spinning kicks, superman punches off the cage, and a wide range of different loopy strikes. So when he will get partnered up with a extra standard boxer, like UFC newcomer Andre Fialho, it’s just about assured fireworks. These two didn’t let anybody down, placing on a 15-minute brawl filled with insane moments that raised each of their shares going ahead.
The Mess
Modifications and Cancelations — Lots of playing cards have been decimated by COVID cancellations and accidents in latest months and UFC 270 bought hit about as exhausting because it may outdoors of two championship bouts. After all kinds of opponent adjustments and canceled fights within the weeks main as much as the occasion, UFC 270 misplaced two extra of its most fascinating fights simply hours beforehand. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend Rodolfo Vieira’s matchup with Wellington Turman fell aside late within the week and Ilia Topuria pulled out of his bout with Charles Jourdain on the eleventh hour after complaining about his authentic opponent pulling out prior. The 11 fights that have been nonetheless scheduled on Saturday evening went off with no hitch, however it might’ve been good to nonetheless have a number of the extra anticipated undercard bouts intact.
Native Employees/Logistics — So far as large-scale stay occasions go, the UFC is mostly higher than most different massive names. Whereas most sports activities leagues are used to internet hosting occasions at their groups’ stadiums, the UFC places on reveals all around the planet usually with much more effectivity and fewer scandal than one thing like Reside Nation. Likewise, the Honda Middle is mostly a reasonably good place for an occasion. Except for internet hosting the Geese for hockey, they’ve had no scarcity of large live shows, fights, and different arena-filling occasions. They have to’ve wanted to rent a complete new workers throughout COVID, as a result of it appeared prefer it was everybody’s first rodeo there. From the police poorly trying to direct site visitors into parking heaps outdoors of the stadium to workers giving conflicting instructions or simply seemingly not realizing info they need to’ve, it was clear that the one individuals who knew what they have been doing was the UFC’s workers. You are able to do higher, Anaheim.
Most Parlays — Playing on MMA fights is at all times a little bit of a crapshoot even in comparison with different sports activities betting. Something can occur in a combat, and choosing a multi-fight parlay is just about a assure that at the very least one of many “assured” matchups you’re feeling actually good about will go in precisely the wrong way. Whereas there was no single parlay-buster at UFC 270 like Amanda Nunes shedding at UFC 269, there have been sufficient surprising outcomes, upsets and toss-ups that almost all parlays in all probability went the best way of the dinosaur pretty early within the evening.
UFC NFTs — Actually? Simply actually? The UFC has by no means been an organization to show down a chance to take more cash from followers, however leaping on the NFT craze in 2022 simply appears somewhat thirsty even for them.
The Relaxation
Frank Trigg — Random enjoyable truth: UFC 270 was UFC fighter-turned-referee Frank Trigg’s first MMA look since becoming a member of the Star Wars universe as one of many Gamorrean guards in The Guide of Boba Fett.
Debuting Fighters — It’s not unusual for a significant UFC occasion to have a couple of fighters making their organizational debut throughout the early preliminary fights, however UFC 270 had a whopping 8 fighters making their UFC debut, together with two on the principle card. Some regarded nice (like Jack Della Maddalena and Michael Morales) others may’ve used some further time away from the highlight, nevertheless it’s nonetheless spectacular that over a 3rd of the fighters on the cardboard have been moving into the Octagon for the primary time (not counting Dana White’s Contender Sequence).
Victor Henry’s Tattoo — MMA fighters have by no means been recognized for his or her style in tattoos, however UFC newcomer Victor Henry actually made a splash along with his “Say Uncle” shoulder tattoo. Henry placed on a hell of a efficiency to beat Raoni Barcelos and had MMA legend Josh Barnett as his coach in his nook, however phrases actually can’t describe this magnificence.
All-Time Violence Champions — It’s exhausting to consider many different UFC champions who’ve had a penchant for violence like Deiveson Figueiredo and Francis Ngannou. Even by MMA requirements, the 2 of them will at all times be among the many most violent finishers to ever maintain their belts (at reverse ends of the scale spectrum), up there with guys like Robbie Lawler. Clearly, they went into UFC 270 in several eventualities and had very completely different fights, however spotlight reels will most probably look kindly upon each of them for an extended, very long time — even when the combat towards Gane solely added a robust slam to his highlights.
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