Last night (Sat., March 27, 2021), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) remained in UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC 260. Unfortunately, the excellent co-main event of Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega was cancelled due to COVID-19 a little over a week ago. That left the pay-per-view (PPV) card a bit top-heavy, but fortunately, the main event survived fight week, making the whole show a worthwhile endeavor.
Let’s take a closer look at the slickest techniques and best performances of the night:
Francis The Destroyer
Francis Ngannou was not going to be denied last night in his title rematch with Stipe Miocic. He improved in every area from the first bout. He lead effectively with both kicks and punches, didn’t charge recklessly, and even scored a takedown of his own opposite the wrestler.
It was remarkable, and I wrote a full piece on the performance HERE!
Woodley’s Last Stand
I’ve written a fair amount about Woodley’s predicament as an older veteran who’s largely been figured out. It’s an incredibly difficult situation to rebound from.
Credit to “T-Wood,” he tried to reverse his fortunes. He came out firing both right hands and takedowns. At one point, he genuinely stunned Luque with a big shot. He didn’t give away the fight without trying his damnedest.
Commendable.
Unfortunately, Vicente Luque is good. Really good. Rocking him is an accomplishment, because that man’s jawline is iron. When Woodley pursued the finish, Luque confidently fired back, and his left hook found the mark.
Once Woodley’s legs were gone, the bout was nearly over. Woodley didn’t quit, but Luque countered a takedown attempt with his trademark D’arce choke, ending Woodley’s best performance in four fights inside the first round.
Return Of The Suga Show
Ignoring his mentally undefeated memeing, O’Malley was certainly aware of his precarious position following his knockout loss to Marlon Vera. Another loss — let alone another ankle injury of some kind — would remove O’Malley from the ranks of would-be contenders, as well as the main card of PPV events.
His following would still keep him in the news, but O’Malley had to perform to stay relevant.
O’Malley’s movement was far too much for Thomas Almeida. From the first bell, he was landing straight punches and kicks far more often, and they were landing hard. He dropped Almeida with a crisp Southpaw left and tried to score the walkoff, but when it didn’t happen, O’Malley went right back to work.
The Brazilian hung tough, but he was outgunned. In the third, an O’Malley fading left hand again put Almeida down again, and once more he tried to walk-off. When the referee refused him again, “Suga” absolutely smashed his foe with a right hand to leave no doubt.
It was a great and needed reminder that behind all the BS, O’Malley is a talented and exceptionally exciting fighter.
Technique Osmosis?
In his last bout, Alonzo Menifield squared off with an experienced veteran in Ovince Saint Preux. The bout did not at all go well; Menifield failed to find his range, eating lots of kicks and straight punches before getting stopped in the second round.
A rough night, but perhaps one that paid off in the long run? Early in his bout last night vs. Fabio Cherant, Menifield scored a power takedown, and his foe hooked onto his head. Menifield stole a page from Saint Preux’s book, applying heavy shoulder pressure to secure a Von Flue tap. That’s an ultra rare submission, one almost certainly reinforced into Menifield’s brain due to his preparation for “OSP!”
Additional Thoughts
- Jamie Mullarkey defeats Khama Worthy via first-round knockout: Two knockout artists entered, one man hit the canvas just 45 seconds into the fight! Mullarkey didn’t have much momentum after an 0-2 start to his UFC career, but he still opened the PPV with a brutal knockout courtesy of a tight left hook.
- Marc-Andre Barriault defeats Abu Azaitar via third-round knockout: Barriault technically entered this bout winless in four trips to the Octagon, putting a ton of pressure on the Canadian to perform here. Azaitar started strong, likely taking the first round with some high output. He couldn’t maintain that pace, however, as his bruiser foe continued to push hard into the second. By the final frame, Azaitar was absolutely exhausted, allowing Barriault to gain top position. From side control and mount, Barriault abused his opponent, landing dozens and dozens of strikes en route to the stoppage.
For complete UFC 260: “Miocic vs. Ngannou 2” results and play-by-play, click HERE!