UFC President Dana White delivered an apropos summary of UFC 166: “… From the first fight of the night, right up to the Heavyweight championship, it’s the best fight card we have ever had,” per Thomas Myers of SB Nation’s MMA Mania.
Looking back on the series of vicious knockouts paused to make room for savage wars, it’s tough to argue otherwise.
Cageside fans in Houston’s Toyota Center erupted in applause countless times over the course of the evening’s 13 bouts—seven explosive knockouts, five back-and-forth exchanges that went the distance and a lone submission to boot.
Though we might recall each and every blow vividly, it’s important to respect and admire the fighters who are sometimes left without similar luxuries.
At UFC 166, several fights—with emphasis on Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez and Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos—were highlighted by fighters willing to push past the proverbial envelope.
There was much to be learned from Saturday night’s affairs, so let me take this opportunity to point out some of the most valuable lessons gleaned from UFC 166.