Fight fans witnessed many storylines play out this weekend at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi. The stacked card was built to be one of the best combat events of 2021 and it certainly did not disappoint. From high-stakes title fights to improbable returns to the cage, UFC 267 offered a little bit of everything. Not to mention it was free to current ESPN+ subscribers.
Luckily, we’ve compiled the best performances from the night. Check them out below and let us know your thoughts.
Age Is Just a Number
Glover Teixeira had already defied the odds by winning five-straight fights into his 40s and securing his second UFC light heavyweight title shot. Most had Teixeira pegged as a gatekeeper just a few years ago and now we’re calling him champion on Halloween morning in 2021. It’s incredible to say the least.
What makes Teixeira’s journey even more memorable is the fact that he actually won the belt. He didn’t just show up and fight a good fight and have the crowd cheer for him as he exited the Octagon a veteran without a title. The 42-year-old fighter pulled himself up by the bootstraps and absolutely dominated Jan Blachowicz to claim the 205-pound throne. It was Teixeira’s sixth-straight win and his fifth finish during that streak.
While the UFC’s light heavyweight division seems to have this weird sense of being unfinished following the departure of Jon Jones we can’t keep feeling like that. The division was open the second Jones relinquished his title in 2020 and now Teixeira sits atop it. It is proof that age is just a number and opportunity has no time limit. Teixeira’s second UFC title shot knocked on his door seven years after his first and he answered it with a full welcome party.
A Torch Has Been Passed
If we can’t have Khabib Nurmagomedov then Islam Makhachev will surely do.
Following the retirement of Khabib in 2020 fight fans weren’t sure how the UFC’s lightweight division would turn out. With Nurmagomedov no longer in the driver’s seat veterans like Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, or even Tony Ferguson, lined up to stake their claim to the lightweight crown.
While Oliveira eventually claimed the title and Poirier smashed McGregor twice to exponentially raise his UFC stock, there may now be another possible successor to the 155-pound throne. It comes in the form of Makhachev.
The streaking Russian fighter sliced through Dan Hooker at UFC 267 to claim his ninth-straight win. It is Makhachev’s third victory and third submission finish of 2021, making him one of the most productive fighters of the calendar year. And while he is not on the same exact level as Khabib when it comes to pressure and grappling Makhachev is pretty darn close. He looks primed to fight his way to a title shot in 2022 and try to capture the same glory that Nurmagomedov did in 2018.
Smeshing Has No Limits
Fight fans didn’t exactly know what to expect from Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 267. The undefeated sensation looked tremendous in his three UFC fights in 2020, but he hadn’t competed in over a year and was coming off a serious bout with COVID-19. Some felt that Chimaev may look like a completely different fighter. One who wasn’t going to dominate the competition like he was when he first burst onto the scene.
Fortunately for “Borz” fans everywhere, Chimaev proved at UFC 267 that smeshing has no limits. Despite his long layoff and compromised state of health, the Chechen fighter was able to rebound and look even better in his welterweight matchup with No. 11-ranked contender Li Jingliang. Chimaev was able to pick the Chinese fighter up and talk to Dana White cageside while he held him in the air. He was able to take Jingliang down and batter him before securing a dominant submission in the first round.
While Chimaev is going to quickly ascend the 170-pound ladder and find himself against better quality opponents there’s no reason to believe he can’t continue to smash his adversaries. The sample size is now big enough to fully understand the potential of Chimaev as he digs his heels in and focuses on one weight class.
Additional Thoughts
- Lerone Murphy is someone we should be talking about: There seems to be a new wave of English fighters hitting the UFC and it’s awesome to watch. Outside of Leon Edwards and his obvious stranglehold on the welterweight division, guys like Tom Aspinall and Paddy Pimblett have already begun their promotional ascension. Murphy, who knocked out Makwan Amirkhani with a knee at UFC 267, seems to be next in line. The 30-year-old fighter already has a few UFC wins under his belt, but this weekend was a coming out party and the undefeated contender is now going to be fast tracked to the featherweight top 15.
- Amanda Ribas is exactly the fighter we thought she was: There were some questions involving Ribas heading into her clash with Virna Jandiroba at UFC 267. Ribas was coming off a blistering knockout loss to Marina Rodriguez her last time out and needed to prove that she’s still the top contender that everyone thinks she is. Well, the talented Brazilian fighter passed her test with flying colors by breaking down Jandiroba over the course of three rounds. Jandiroba isn’t some unstoppable force, but she had only lost to Carla Esparza and Mackenzie Dern before running into Ribas in Abu Dhabu. I think it’s safe to say Ribas has righted the ship and is now ready to pursue the title shot that we all believe she’ll get to.
For complete UFC 267 results and coverage click here.