Each fighter in the main event of UFC 219 needed something very specific from the other. Each one had things in her core identity that perfectly filled in the gaps of her opponent’s.
Holly Holm has fame and cross-demographic admiration. Cris Cyborg has dominance, an aura of true greatness.
Make no mistake: This went beyond Cyborg’s featherweight belt. The champ wants Holm’s profile, to finally step into the spotlight as the fighter to watch in women’s MMA, no matter your interest level in the sport as a whole. Holm wants Cyborg’s MMA gravitas, a legacy that extends beyond that Ronda Rousey head kick.
The stakes couldn’t be clearer. It was just a matter of who brought home the spoils.
It was a compelling matchup in and out of the cage in the main event in Las Vegas. But the intrigue was dense across this relatively brisk 10-fight lineup. In the co-main, super-phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov continued his halting climb toward a lightweight title bout when he returned (again) from injuries and bad weight cuts to face one of the best strikers in the entire UFC in Edson Barboza.
And don’t forget about the return of Carlos Condit. The Natural Born Killer is less active than he once was. A collision with the excellent Neil Magny would determine if he still has it.
As always, the final stat lines only reveal so much. These are the real winners and losers from UFC 219. For the literal-minded among us, full results appear at the end. And hey…happy new year.