Between Bellator’s Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Christian M’Pumbu and Titan FC’s event on Friday night, MMA fans have had a brutal 16-hour stretch.
It was an up-and-down day for the UFC, though, which finds itself as both the biggest overall winner and loser.
How did the UFC win? Well, it owes a debt to Dong Hyun Kim. The Korean welterweight had been an anonymous body in the UFC’s deepest division for the better part of a decade but has taken on new life since his fluke loss to Demian Maia.
Before The Ultimate Fighter: China finale, he was already on a hot streak, riding high on his one-punch knockout of overhyped semi-prospect Erick Silva, but he delivered what is potentially the 2014 Knockout of the Year when he cleaned John Hathaway’s clock with a devastating spinning elbow.
Buckle up, fans, because you’re going to see that highlight a lot for the foreseeable future. It’s the first good thing the UFC can point to and say “only available on Fight Pass.”
How did the UFC lose? There is no way it won over China with that card.
TUF finales are always interesting and tend to be either an indictment or endorsement of the entire season. TUF 18, for example, got a strong nod when all eight female contestants were brought back for the finale. TUF 16, meanwhile, was basically covered up, as just four fighters got a real shot in the Octagon.
TUF: China was much closer to the latter. Everyone who watched the series on Fight Pass knew this was inevitable. The season has been marred by the generally low-quality fighters, and that fact was on full display, as just two bouts on the card featured cast members. Neither fight was particularly impressive.
Worse yet, none of the other Chinese fighters on the roster wound up making a good showing. Hailin Ao remains missing, Zhang Tiequan didn’t fight, and newcomer Jumabieke Tuerxun was a complete dud.
So who, and what, else ended up winning or losing the night (or morning, if you’re stateside)?
Find out here!