The UFC returned to Phoenix tonight for an absolutely stacked card at UFC 274. The pay-per-view event was headlined by two championship bouts but it was a lightweight bout in the middle of the main card that stole the show by delivering maybe the most brutal knockout in UFC history.
Let’s take a look at some of the highlights of the night and break down the three fights we looked at in our UFC 274 preview.
Prelim Highlights
In a frantic flyweight bout, sixth-ranked contender Brandon Royval scored a first round submission victory over ninth-ranked Matt Schnell. But that result doesn’t really tell the story of this fight. Schnell came out firing and cracked Royval with a few good shots early. He even got Royal to the ground and landed some big ground and pound. Royval managed to attempt some submissions and eventually reverse the position though. After briefly standing up, he pounced on an opportunity to grab a guillotine choke and sunk it in tight. It was only a matter of seconds before Schnell was forced to tap. After the fight, Royval said he wants the title shot next, which could be in the cards.
In a women’s featherweight bout, Macy Chiasson fought a brilliant fight against Norma Dumont, keeping her at range for much of the first round and dominating the grappling game for most of the rest. Dumont did land a good shot in the third and got the fans excited, but Chiasson was able to recover and grind it out until the final bell. She was awarded the split decision victory in a very close fight.
In the final fight before the main card, the 43-year-old Francisco Trinaldo impressed once again in a three-round war with Danny Roberts. Roberts had it working early, using his length to stay on the outside and land some kicks. Right from the beginning though, it was clear that Trinaldo was the heavier striker and he hurt Roberts on multiple occasions, staggering him twice. Roberts showed a lot of heart to make it the distance, but Trinaldo was awarded a one-sided decision victory.
Main Card Highlights
The opening fight of the main card got things off to a hot start as welterweights Randy Brown and Khaos Williams put on a show. Williams stung Brown with a good right in the first and put him on his back. Brown was able to recover though and in the second he really opened up and showed a renewed confidence. He landed some big shots and showcased some great head movement that was reminiscent of Anderson Silva in his prime. The third round saw both guys landing big shots and hurting their opponents but both showed tremendous heart and made it to the final bell. Brown was awarded a split decision victory but these two guys will likely meet again down the road as they both show a lot of promise.
The only other fight on the main card before the three I previewed doesn’t really belong on the “highlights,” but there’s nothing else for me to put here, so here we go. Ovince Saint Preux and Shogun Rua fought to a decision that saw two counter punches being very patient looking for their opportunities. Saint Preux had some success with front kicks to the body and Shogun countered here and there but it was largely an uneventful fight. Saint Preux scored the split decision victory but it wasn’t one that is going to raise his stock much.
Michael Chandler def. Tony Ferguson
The energy in the arena turned a corner when the crowd saw that this fight was up next. These guys are not only two of the best the lightweight division has to offer but also two absolute warriors and very exciting fighters. And this was a war right from go. They both came out swinging and it didn’t take long for Ferguson to hurt Chandler a couple of times. Chandler recovered though and scored a huge takedown before going to the second round. Only seconds into that round, Chandler landed a devastating front kick right on Ferguson’s chin and scored possibly the most instant and brutal knockout in the history of the UFC. There was a brief scary moment as Ferguson was unconscious for quite a while after the kick landed but eventually he came to and they got him up on a stool as Chandler celebrated the stunning win. After the fight, Chandler screamed for the next title shot and if he can’t get it, he called out Conor McGregor and specifically asked for the fight to take place at welterweight. Not only is this guy a great fighter but he knows how to handle a microphone as well.
My pick: Chandler via decision
Result: Chandler via 2nd round knockout
Carla Esparza def. Rose Namajunas
It’s probably the oldest cliche in MMA: styles make fights. Namajunas is a cautious-but-powerful striker. Esparza is a dominant wrestler. That all added up to maybe the most uneventful championship fight ever. It was confusing to watch as it appeared both fighters seemed confident they had the fight locked up in the later rounds, despite the fact that neither had really done much of anything at all. Esparza scored a few takedowns but Rose got right back up each time. Rose landed maybe a couple of punches, but Esparza was unphased. No one in the building knew how to score this fight but the judges awarded a split decision to Esparza to crown a new champ. Normally, a title fight this close would result in an immediate rematch for the former champ, but no one is going to want to see that.
My pick: Namajunas via decision
Result: Esparza via decision
Charles Oliveira def. Justin Gaethje
Coming off of a dud of a co-main event, the two best lightweights in the world wasted no time getting the crowd right back on their feet. They traded bombs right off the bat and Gaethje was the first one to get hurt. Oliveira wobbled him twice but he survived and started firing right back. Then it was Oliveira who got dropped twice but Gaethje couldn’t put him away. Oliveira pulled guard for a brief moment but Gaethje wasn’t about to mess around with him on the floor and they both stood back up quickly. Just seconds later, Oliveira dropped Gaethje and punched on his opportunity. Gaethje was able to recover but Oliveira showed off his world class grappling and put his opponent in one dangerous position after another. Eventually, he sunk in a rear naked choke and forced Gaethje to tap. It was a wild three and a half minutes that resulted somehow in another unforgettable performance from Oliveira.
There are two big takeaways from this fight. First is the fact that Oliveira has found a way to get dropped early in a fight and still somehow go on to secure a dominant victory. It seems contradictory, and that’s because it is. You either get dropped and recover long enough to scrap your way to a win, or you dominate all the way. Oliveira somehow does both. The second big takeaway is the fact the, before this fight even started, Oliveira was stripped of his lightweight title for failing to make weight for this main event. It’s an unfortunate turn of events, but at least we know the best lightweight in the world will fight for the title again his next time out. After the fight, Oliveira said he doesn’t care who he fights next, but he did drop Conor McGregor’s name.
My pick: Oliveira via 5th round submission
Result: Oliveira via 1st round submission
The UFC will return to ESPN on Saturday, May 14th for UFC Fight Night: Blachowicz vs. Rakic. Be sure to check back for a preview of the event.