Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) was back in action last night (Sat., March 3, 2018) as UFC 222 took place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event of the evening, Cris Cyborg knocked Yana Kunitskaya to retain her women’s Featherweight title (recap).
In the co-main event, Brian Ortega knocked out Frankie Edgar in impressive fashion to secure his shot at the title against featherweight king, Max Holloway (full recap here).
Biggest Winner: Brian Ortega
“T-City” has arrived. If he wasn’t on everyone’s radar after submitting Cub Swanson, Ortega opened everyone’s eyes by becoming the first and only man to ever stop former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Indeed, Brian took it to “The Answer,” clipping him with a short elbow, then putting the finishing touches with a vicious uppercut and a few hammer fists.
The win — and the way he did it — is a huge feather in his cap, and he now gets his chance to shock the world, yet again, as he earned himself a shot at dethroning Max Holloway later this year. And that should make for one hell of a title fight. A star was born last night, and something tells me he is just getting started.
Runner Up: Ketlen Vieira
Ketlen just keeps chugging along, a she improved (10-0, 4-0) after edging out former women’s Bantamweight title contender Cat Zingano in a hard-fought battle. Admit it, most of you didn’t have Ketlen on your radars, but she made sure to get there after her win, as she now boasts four straight wins inside the Octagon.
Prior to the bout, she stated she would ask for a shot at the title. While that is a very bold move, there is not telling if the promotion is ready to give it to her just yet. But, she is close. If she doesn’t get a title fight next, she certainly made a case for a title eliminator.
Honorable Mention: Alexander Hernandez
Hernandez made a splash in his Octagon debut, knocking out longtime veteran Beneil Dariush in the very first round to earn a quick finish after getting the call up on short notice. Indeed, it couldn’t have been scripted better for the young up-and-coming lightweight, who also cashed in with an extra $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award to boot.
With the UFC jitters out of the way, it will be intersting to see if he can capitalize onhis big win moving forward. One thing is for certain, though, Alex let the division know he isn’t here just to be a part of the roster.
Biggest Loser: Frankie Edgar
It’s hard to call Edgar a loser, as he is and always has been one of the most respected and game fighters in the sport. But, the fact remains it was a rough night at the office for “The Answer,” as not only did he get knocked out for the first time in his storied career, but he lost a title shot he has secured has he chosen to play the waiting game. Still, props has to be given to Edgar for taking a fight against Ortega that he was not obligated to do. It goes to show what kind of a warrior Frankie is. And while he lost last night, “The Answer” still has plenty of fight to give. His road back to the title, though, just got a bit tougher.
For full UFC 222: “Cyborg vs Kunitskaya” play-by-play updates and results click here.