Another UFC event is in the books, and boy did it deliver. Legends faltered, new legacies were cemented, and contenders emerged looking strong enough to dethrone their divisions’ champion. With standout performances by Eddie Alvarez, Francis Ngannou, and Max Holloway, Saturday night in the Motor City proved to be a rousing success for the UFC, […]
Another UFC event is in the books, and boy did it deliver. Legends faltered, new legacies were cemented, and contenders emerged looking strong enough to dethrone their divisions’ champion.
With standout performances by Eddie Alvarez, Francis Ngannou, and Max Holloway, Saturday night in the Motor City proved to be a rousing success for the UFC, so let’s talk a look at what all went down:
Raj Mehta for USA TODAY Sports
6. Henry Cejudo still isn’t ready for Demetrious Johnson
Cejudo got obliterated by the flyweight champ when he was given his title shot at 2016’s UFC 197, and initially showed big improvements in the performances thereafter.
But Saturday night didn’t help his case for a second crack at Demetrious Johnson. Cejudo’s wrestling was on point against Sergio Pettis, yet he didn’t do anything with his position and never threatened to finish the fight, in spite of controlling where the fight went and when.
And that wrestling that worked so flawlessly against Pettis still won’t be nearly as effective against “Mighty Mouse,” who was only taken down once by the Olympian and quickly got back to his feet before ending the fight with a series of knees to Cejudo’s breadbasket.
A submission game for the wrestler such as an arm-triangle choke could do wonders for Cejudo, who needs more options to finish fights before being a serious threat to Johnson.
UFC 218 went down tonight (Saturday, December 2, 2017) from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The night was headlined by a championship rematch between new featherweight king Max Holloway defending against 145-pound GOAT Jose Aldo. Their battle, which Holloway once again won by third-round TKO, would have been a lock for Fight of […]
UFC 218 went down tonight (Saturday, December 2, 2017) from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The night was headlined by a championship rematch between new featherweight king Max Holloway defending against 145-pound GOAT Jose Aldo. Their battle, which Holloway once again won by third-round TKO, would have been a lock for Fight of the Night on any normal card. But not UFC 218.
On the prelims, welterweights Yancy Medeiros and Alex Oliveira made a gentlemen’s agreement to eschew any form of defense. Instead, they mercilessly bludgeoned each other for the better part of three rounds. The first was particularly violent and insane. Medeiros broke “Cowboy’s” nose, which spurt blood everywhere, then got dropped multiple times himself. Oliveira seemed on the cusp of getting Medeiros out of there on several occasions but never could.
Despite the beating, the Hawaiian stayed relatively fresh as Oliveira faded down the stretch, perhaps sped along by the shattered nose. Yancy put the nail in the coffin with one final salvo on the retreating and obviously spent Brazilian. Their unforgettable war – and contender for Fight of the Year – garnered them both an extra $50,000.
The fight that was targeted as a FOTY contender going in was between Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez, and they delivered, but in a different way. We didn’t see both men repeatedly stagger one another, only to come back from the brink and return the favor, as we’ve seen them do countless times before. Instead, the lightweight sluggers stood toe-to-toe and consistently put hands and feet on each other in a technical but ultra-violent chess match.
Gaethje went to his patented leg kicks, but perhaps not often enough. A noted weakness of Alvarez, the former champion soon showed signs that they affected him, finally dropping in the third round. But “The Underground King” had been putting body shots in the bank as well. Alvarez threw tight, multi-punch combinations to the head and body, gradually breaking down the inhumanly durable Gaethje.
Alvarez ended the war with one well-placed knee to the face in the third round, instantly raising both hands in the air as Gaethje collapsed at his feet. The two warriors took the second Fight of the Night and the matching $50,000 checks that go with it.
Keep it locked to LowKickMMA for all your UFC 218 post-fight news, notes, and analysis.
UFC 218 popped off tonight (Saturday, December 2, 2017) from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The headliner was a championship rematch from new titlist Max Holloway and featherweight GOAT Jose Aldo. Holloway took care of business again, TKO’ing Aldo in the third round once more. Aldo utilized his trademark leg kicks slightly more […]
UFC 218 popped off tonight (Saturday, December 2, 2017) from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The headliner was a championship rematch from new titlist Max Holloway and featherweight GOAT Jose Aldo. Holloway took care of business again, TKO’ing Aldo in the third round once more. Aldo utilized his trademark leg kicks slightly more this time around, but Holloway was unfazed and ratcheted up his pace until he drowned Aldo. The Brazilian had his moments and at times showed off gorgeous head movement, but he could not slow the “Blessed” freight train.
The co-headliner pit rising heavyweight star Francis Ngannou against former K-1, DREAM, and Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem in a number-one contender matchup. Ngannou stamped his ticket to a title shot in crushing fashion, deading Overeem with one left uppercut after stuffing a takedown.
And maybe the most anticipated fight of the night, between Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje, delivered the non-stop violence we were all hoping for. The fighters did not rock each other again and again, but instead stood toe-to-toe, nearly forehead-to-forehead for the duration. Alvarez hammered the body and head with multi-punch salvos while Gaethje tore into his lead leg. Alvarez ended the spirited war in the third with a sudden knee strike to the face, his body work seeming to wear Gaethje down.
See how Twitter reacted to these explosive bouts below:
Aldo threw his leg kicks this time, but he needed more than that. Max still manipulated him into a fight he had very little chance of winning. Aldo just can't see the big picture in his fights.
Knowing @stipemiocicufc he’s licking his chops. For as dominant as Francis has looked, the chance to stop him intrigues a guy like Miocic. When I left Cleveland the last Stipe told me was, u can put King Kong out there and he couldn’t beat me.
Alvarez's jab is totally brilliant tonight. Almost as brilliant as his body work. He's just looking sharp, in general, and Gaethje is slowing down. But Gaethje has a special ability to fight through fatigue. He's still in this.
This is like when @TheZaneSimon said that Chas Skelly couldn't outdo the OG Darren Elkins at his own game. Justin Gaethje just ran face-first into the original.
While it wasn’t necessarily loaded with tons of pre-fight bad blood or hype (although it most likely should have been) tonight’s (Sat., December 2, 2017) UFC 218 in the rearview mirror from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. In the main event, surging young featherweight champion Max Holloway took on decorated longtime former champion Jose […]
While it wasn’t necessarily loaded with tons of pre-fight bad blood or hype (although it most likely should have been) tonight’s (Sat., December 2, 2017) UFC 218 in the rearview mirror from the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
In the main event, surging young featherweight champion Max Holloway took on decorated longtime former champion Jose Aldo in a rematch of their UFC 212 meeting which “Blessed” won by impressive third-round TKO. The surging Hawaiian champ repeated that feat by finishing the all-time great by TKO in the third round yet again.
The co-main event saw a passing of the guard at heavyweight when longtime top contender and former Strikeforce champion Alistair Overeem was knocked out stiff by hyped up-and-coming force of nature Francis Ngannou.
Finally, the main card saw another hyped rising contender in Justin Gaethje meet another former champion when he locked horns with Eddie Alvarez in a fight that was many fans and media members’ pick for a potential “Fight of the Year,” praise it did not fail to live up to when “The Underground King” stopped Gaethje in the third round of a war. There’s a lot to unpack and digest after a pay-per-view (PPV) event of such impact, so join us for the event’s post-fight press conference live after the main card right here:
Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez had a war at UFC 218 and Alvarez emerged victorious. The second bout on the main card of UFC 218 featured a lightweight fracas. Gaethje and Alvarez did battle inside Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Gaethje opened up with a leg kick at the start of the fight. A […]
Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez had a war at UFC 218 and Alvarez emerged victorious.
The second bout on the main card of UFC 218 featured a lightweight fracas. Gaethje and Alvarez did battle inside Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Gaethje opened up with a leg kick at the start of the fight. A right hand was there for Gaethje, while Alvarez connected with an uppercut. “The Highlight” kept going to the leg kicks. Alvarez lost his balance a bit from another stiff leg kick.
Alvarez caught a kick, but couldn’t capitalize. An uppercut landed for Gaethje, who fired back with a left hook. Blood started to trickle down the nose of Gaethje. A left hook was there for Alvarez. A body combination was there for Alvarez. Now blood dripped down the side of Gaethje’s face. The round ended and Alvarez was starting to get in a groove.
Alvarez got the second stanza started with a leg kick. A hook landed for Gaethje. Alvarez responded with a right hand upstairs. Gaethje connected with his own uppercut. He appeared to slow down, but he still landed some shots. Alvarez got in a knee to the body. He followed that up by ripping shots to the body.
Gaethje connected with a right hand over the top. He then landed another leg kick. Alvarez landed a left hand. Gaethje looked for a takedown, but couldn’t get it. He ate a knee near the end of the round.
The two weren’t shy to trade at the start of the final frame. Gaethje chopped away with the left leg kicks. He landed another one and shrugged Alvarez off from a tie-up attempt. A knee to the body found the mark for Alvarez.
Gaethje continued to punish the left leg of his opponent. Alvarez ducked under a punch and briefly took his opponent down. Gaethje quickly got up. Another leg kick was able to bring Alvarez down for a moment. The two looked spent, but still stood active.
A clean uppercut landed for Gaethje. A knee to the jaw knocked Gaethje out. What a fight!
Final Result: Eddie Alvarez def. Justin Gaethje via TKO (knee & strikes) – R3, 3:59
It is what it is.
UFC 218 took a hit when Frankie Edgar was replaced just weeks ago before tonight’s main event at the Little Caesars Arena In Detroit, but a worthy contender re-entered the mix in the form of Jose Aldo, who lost the featherweight title…
It is what it is.
UFC 218 took a hit when Frankie Edgar was replaced just weeks ago before tonight’s main event at the Little Caesars Arena In Detroit, but a worthy contender re-entered the mix in the form of Jose Aldo, who lost the featherweight title to Max Holloway back in June.
While it may not be the matchup fight fans hoped for, it’s still one of the top fights that can be made in the 145-pound division.
Holloway is set on making his run as champion the “Blessed Era,” and who could blame him? The Waianae native has been the most dominant fighter in the featherweight division and deserves a place in the conversation as the pound-for-pound best in the world.
But in his way is the greatest featherweight champion the UFC has ever known—sorry ConorMcGregor, but you didn’t defend your belt. Every fight Aldo has fought inside of the Octagon has been for either the interim or unified 145-pound belt. Title fights are all he knows.
Although the fight is on short notice for the former champion, he has no excuses. He made weight on Friday, he is injury-free this time around after supposedly being injured in their first fight earlier this year, and there is no real pressure on him as he’s fighting outside of his native Brazil.
Tonight’s main card has a lot to live up to after an incredible UFC 217, but there’s no doubt that fans won’t be disappointed with tonight’s bouts.
Here’s a quick look at the night’s lineup of fights:
A motivated and healthy Aldo is as dangerous as it gets in MMA. After all, he was revered as the sport’s pound-for-pound No. 1 until 13 seconds against McGregor changed the course of history.
Aldo beat Holloway in the first two rounds of their championship fight back in June, but his cardio got the best of him. As Aldo faltered, Holloway only grew stronger.
Here’s a look at how close Aldo was to taking out Holloway the first time the fighters met in June, courtesy of UFC India’s official Twitter account:
Coming in on three weeks notice is tough, especially for a fighter who still has to cut weight to 145 and is never in the greatest of shape. How will Aldo’s cardio fair if Holloway brings him into deep water?
Holloway did look pretty gaunt when he stepped on the scales yesterday morning, but he looked in incredible shape during the ceremonial weigh ins later that day.
Here’s a look at how haunt Holloway looked as he tipped the scaled at 145 pounds, courtesy of MMAjunkie’s official Twitter account:
The reason that this fight might not be getting as much love as it should be could be because the co-main event featuring Alistair Overeem and Francis “Destroyer of Worlds” Ngannou is a heavyweight blockbuster with serious title implications on the line.
It’s the ultimate test for both fighters. For one, it’ll be great for Overeem to test out the durability of his chin when Ngannou connects a nasty right hook to his face. It will also showcase the next step in the evolution of Ngannou as a mixed martial artist, all while bringing him one step closer to UFC gold, which will be wrapped around his waist before the end of his career.
But even before that fight, there’s the people’s main event; or what should be referred to as the “Rock Em’ Sock Em'” fight to the death featuring Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje.
In all honesty, this is the fight most fans (and even MMA journalists!) are excited about.
Here’s a look at their weigh in stare down from yesterday, courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:
If Alvarez vs. Gaethje ends up being the fight it’s billed to be, it’ll win all of the fight honors: Fight of the Night, Performance of the Night, Knockout of the Night, you name it. Of course, the most logical strategy for either fighter would be to make this a grappling match to eliminate the risk of getting knocked out.
But who are we kidding, it’s time for a war.
This is only the beginning of Holloway’s reign
The culminating bout of UFC 218 between Holloway and Aldo will be entertaining, no matter what happens. But it’s hard to imagine that much has changed for either fighter, particularly Aldo, in such a short amount of time.
Aldo didn’t know he was going to fight Holloway until just recently, so there’s no way he managed to fix any glaring holes in his game plan. The only thing he can improve on are his leg kicks, which Holloway prepared for the first time around, or shoot for a takedown.
By shooting for a takedown, Aldo can take Holloway’s striking out of the picture. But Holloway is no joke on the ground and has proved his ability to submit his opposition on the canvas, like against Cub Swanson.
Holloway was preparing for a grappler/wrestler in the form of Frankie Edgar for months, so to think that Aldo could all of the sudden take Holloway down and keep him there with ease is a tall task. Aldo’s best strategy in this fight will be to march forward and try to take Holloway out.
It’s a solid game plan, and it nearly worked back in June. But Holloway has a granite chin that withstood McGregor, Ricardo Lamas, Jeremy Stephens and Aldo in his young career.
Holloway will remain patient like he did in their first fight and look for openings on counters. If all goes according to plan, Aldo will wear himself out again and Holloway will pounce, becoming the first fighter to ever defeat Aldo inside of the Octagon twice.
Tonight will mark the first time that Aldo will have lost consecutive fights in his career as Holloway defends his title for the first of many times after knocking Aldo out cold in the second round.
It is what it is.