The appetizer is served.
And it’s not some bush-league appetizer, either. No spinach and artichoke dip here. Not a raw bell pepper in sight.
No, the first course of perhaps the best tripleheader in UFC history—culminating Saturday with the scrumdiddlyumptious UFC 194—began Thursday night with UFC Fight Night 80, which went down from Las Vegas and was available to the American audience only through Fight Pass, the UFC’s subscription streaming service.
Headlining the action were two fighters UFC leaders have tabbed as future stars.
In the main event, California blonde Paige VanZant squared off with Rose Namajunas—a short-notice replacement who definitely stood a chance to beat her.
Earlier on the main card, 19-year-old human Ken Doll Sage Northcutt met Cody Pfister. Northcutt is also a pretty good fighter, going 6-of-6 in his young career in pro MMA.
There was plenty of intrigue up and down the full card, and as usual, the final stat lines only reveal so much. Here are the real winners and losers from UFC Fight Night 80. Dig in.