video review : UFC 261

video review : UFC 261

Despite Jake Paul, this is one of the best events in the history of The UFC. Every bout on the main card ends early either shockingly or spectacularly. The first two are TKOs in the loosest sense. Anthony Smith continues the trend of leg kick finishes after a doctor steps in to give an injured Jimmy Crute the MMA equivalent of a sobriety test. Uriah Hall, in a surreality destined to be a viral sensation, breaks Chris Weidman’s leg the same way he (Weidman) broke Anderson Silva’s.

Jéssica Andrade’s loss to Valentina Shevchenko, a TKO by strikes, serves as an intermission as its the one fight that ends as expected. Then, just when you think you can breathe again, Rose Namajunas shocks the world by knocking out Weili Zhang with a first-round head kick; the aftermath of which provides the most endearing moment of the night. “I’m the best,” Namajunas chants just before becoming champion and weeping with the belt around her waist. Joe Rogan apparently cries too.

The main event was unwarranted; Jorge Masvidal didn’t deserve another title shot and I figured he’d lose again, even with a full training camp; but Kamaru Usman delivers a surprisingly impressive finish by knocking him out. If you hadn’t been putting respect on Usman’s name up to this point; the crowd boos not only him but also Weili Zhang on their way to The Octagon; it’s about time you start. The Nigerian fighter is on his way to becoming, much like this UFC event, one of the best ever.

my rating : 4 of 5

2021

Dana White on The Bill Simmons Podcast

2021

theringer.com

video review : Weili Zhang versus Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248

video review : Weili Zhang versus Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248

Joanna Jędrzejczyk suggested this would be the greatest strawweight title fight in UFC history, which doesn’t mean much as she’s known for making grandiose claims. Remember her Boogeywoman shtick? She delivers on this one though with the help of opponent Weili Zhang, who happens to hold her former championship title.

This bout, an epic strikefest, is close, but, though I was rooting for Jędrzejczyk, I think the judges get it right. Weili Zhang gets hit more, but she hits harder, so Jędrzejczyk gets the worst of it. By the end, her face is drastically deformed. She leaves The Octagon with a swollen (“Frankenstein”) forehead and a crooked nose.

my rating : 4 of 5

2020

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2020

ufc.com

UFC 242 Embedded

2019

ufc.com