Five Biggest Takeaways From UFC 225

Check out the five biggest takeaways from last night’s blockbuster UFC 225:

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The UFC finally delivered on a big card after a few consecutive lower-level Fight Night cards, bringing fight fans a blockbuster event in Chicago featuring what should have been two title fights and a preliminary card that could pass for a high-profile FOX Sports 1 card.

Prospects turned into contenders, a new champion was crowned, and overall UFC 225 was exactly the kind of card fight fans had been waiting for.

Let’s take a look at the five biggest takeaways from Saturday night:

5. Rashad Evans Needs to Hang ‘Em Up

Former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans moved back to the weight class where he had his most success on Saturday night after a dismal run at middleweight.

Evans took on Anthony Smith, who was also moving up from middleweight. A few years ago, “Suga” would have likely dominated the likes of Smith with his suffocating wrestling and power doubles.

But that Evans is long gone these days, and Evans paid dearly for it against Smith, who leveled the former champion with a knee in the clinch less than a minute into the fight.

Evans had been knocked out before, but never this quickly. 53 seconds to be exact. It’s clear now that no change in weight class is going to save Evans’s fighting career, and with his job working the UFC on FOX desk to fall back on, there’s absolutely no reason why he should continue fighting.

The former champion has been fighting at the elite level for almost a decade, and really has nothing left to prove.

On the flip side, Smith looked incredible at his new weight class, and the callout of Sam Alvey is on point for both men.

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Contender Explains Why RDA vs. Colby Covington Shouldn’t Be For Interim Title

If it was up to this former title contender, there would not be a title on the line for this fight.

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There is one former title contender who has made his stance known on the upcoming fight between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington.

That contender is Stephen Thompson, who is slated to fight Darren Till in a welterweight bout at the upcoming UFC Liverpool, which is set to take place on Sunday, May 27, 2018, at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England.

It’s well known that the UFC is moving forward with the welterweight division while Tyron Woodley is on the sidelines after undergoing surgery.

Thus, the reason that they have booked the former UFC lightweight champion against Covington for the interim welterweight title at the upcoming at the upcoming UFC 225 pay-per-view.

If it was up to Thompson, there would not be an interim title bout between these two fighters.

“I don’t think so at all,” Thompson told BloodyElbow.com. “If [Woodley]’s out for another year or two, then probably yeah, I think you should. But if he’s saying he’s gonna be back in July or August, there’s no reason why you should be fighting for an interim title.”

Thompson believes creating the second title takes away from Woodley’s run as champion in the division.

“It almost diminishes the value of the title, because they’re just throwing it out there — it’s like, ‘You can fight for an interim title, sure,’” Thompson said. “I don’t think they should be fighting for an interim title. If [Woodley] says he’ll be back in July or August, then just say, ‘Hey, the winner of this will fight for the title.’ I don’t know what the UFC is playing at or what their thinking is when it comes to the interim title. But they’re just like, ‘You can fight for it anytime. Anybody can fight for an interim title.’”

“I think it’s just politics,” Thompson said. “I think that they are trying to make that market out there (in Liverpool). And he’s calling me out, so why not make that happen? I fought for the title twice, and I guess they don’t want to see it again until I prove myself again. I think that’s just what the UFC is thinking.”

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Colby Covington Makes Controversial Comments Towards UFC Staffers Robbed In Brazil

UFC employees working Saturday’s UFC 224 event in Rio de Janeiro were robbed outside the host hotel on Thursday according to President Dana White (via ESPN’s Brett Okamoto). Just spoke to UFC president Dana White about an incident that is a…

UFC employees working Saturday’s UFC 224 event in Rio de Janeiro were robbed outside the host hotel on Thursday according to President Dana White (via ESPN’s Brett Okamoto). Just spoke to UFC president Dana White about an incident that is apparently ongoing right now in Brazil. White was just told several employees and others associated […]

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Spoiler Alert: Colby Covington Ruins Avengers: Infinity War For Fans

UFC welterweight and all around ‘bad boy’ Colby Covington has made more enemies than friends, and his latest social media stunt has made him even more haters. Covington, who will be fighting former UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos for the interim welterweight belt at UFC 225 in June, posted spoilers to the movie ‘The […]

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UFC welterweight and all around ‘bad boy’ Colby Covington has made more enemies than friends, and his latest social media stunt has made him even more haters.

Covington, who will be fighting former UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos for the interim welterweight belt at UFC 225 in June, posted spoilers to the movie ‘The Avengers: Infinity War’ in a self-proclaimed effort to rile up some nerds.

If you haven’t seen the film and don’t want any spoilers, don’t look down!

Covington’s subtweets are awash with many an angry Avengers fans. Now your average non-MMA fan knows who Colby Covington is, and for the worst kind of reasons.

Covington has been making a name for himself in the UFC with his abrasive form of trash talk. Coupled with a career-defining win against Demian Maia in his last outing, Covington’s platform for talking trash has gained new dimensions.

‘The Avengers’ was released on Thursday night, and Covington was there the next day posting spoilers to ruin it for everyone.

How do you feel about Covington’s brand of self-promotion?

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Colby Covington Is Now Calling Out Female UFC Fighters

Controversial UFC welterweight Colby Covington has trash talked his way into an interim title shot against Rafael Dos Anjos at June 9’s UFC 225 from Chicago, Illinois, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing his verbal assaults. Now, Covington is targeting Raquel Pennington, who told the press she wasn’t a fan of his brand of […]

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Controversial UFC welterweight Colby Covington has trash talked his way into an interim title shot against Rafael Dos Anjos at June 9’s UFC 225 from Chicago, Illinois, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing his verbal assaults.

Now, Covington is targeting Raquel Pennington, who told the press she wasn’t a fan of his brand of trash talk after sitting nearby him at last week’s UFC 25th-Anniversary press conference.

Pennington said she wanted to ‘slap Covington in the back of the head’ after listening to his over-the-top smack talk, but ‘Chaos’ recently revealed he isn’t buying it.

Covington says she’s mad at him for a much different reason, however ( via Flo Combat):

“Who is Raquel Pennington? What is she, 9-5 in the weakest division in the UFC? Let me tell you the real reason Raquel Pennington is mad at me. She’s mad at me ‘cause her wife, when she was at American Top Team, Tecia Torres, was always googly-eyed over me, staring at me across the mats. She must have walked in on her wife one day looking at my Instagram ‘cause I’m so sexy, American raw steel and sex appeal. There’s the real reason. She’s not mad at what I said at the press conference. She’s just mad that her wife has googly eyes for me.”

Covington is referring to Pennington’s significant other Tecia “Tiny Tornado” Torres, who according to Covington, made “googly eyes” towards him when the two trained together at American Top Team. Pennington and Torres two wed back in 2016.

Is this just another case of Covington’s trash talk or is he actually telling the truth about why Pennington doesn’t like him?

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