On a night where the top three promotions in the United States were all simultaneously clamoring for your attention, UFC 180 didn’t disappoint.
From the preliminary card on up, there were solid, entertaining fights—a near miracle, when one considers how much green talent was on the card, and the fact that the event took place 7,000 feet above sea level. Whether you like technical ground matches, big knockouts or good ol‘ fashioned brawls, this card had something to enjoy.
So who were the biggest winners and losers on the night?
The biggest winners, of course, were the fans. All three cards, UFC 180, Bellator 131 and WSOF 13, put on solid fights. The ability to switch between Dennis Bermudez vs. Ricardo Lamas, Melvin Manhoef vs. Joe Schilling and Jessica Aguilar vs. Kalindra Faria is an absolute treat, and it’s something that will hopefully happen again! When all the promotions bring out their A-games, the fans will always be the biggest beneficiaries.
The biggest losers of the night? Fringe contenders. Former high-level welterweight Jake Ellenberger, former Invicta title contender Leslie Smith and surging featherweight Dennis Bermudez all found themselves losing emphatically. For Smith and Ellenberger, it removes what little job security they had and for Bermudez, it nullifies what should have been a title-shot-worthy streak.
Who else won the night? Who else came up short? Find out here.