What mattered most at UFC 242 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. ‘The Eagle’ continues to soar
What can you say about Khabib Nurmagomedov? The UFC lightweight champion continued to prove he’s one of a kind inside the octagon when he added another dominant victory to his flawless record by submitting Dustin Poirier in the third round of their championship unifier.
Only one other fighter in UFC history has done what Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) has by starting his octagon tenure with 12 consecutive wins, and that was all-time great Anderson Silva. But even “The Spider” lost some rounds along the way, which the Russian titleholder has only had happen a single time throughout his UFC run.
It’s wholly impressive watching Nurmagomedov break down opponents time after time and sap their will. UFC president Dana White said post-fight that Nurmagomedov is on the cusp of “GOAT status,” and while there’s arguments to be made against that right now, if he gets his record to 30-0 and possibly beyond, that label would be nearly impossible to deny.
2. It’s Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson or bust
The most important fight the UFC can make right now is Nurmagomedov against Tony Ferguson. It’s failed to materialize four times before, but that doesn’t matter because their career trajectories continue to line up and the matchup is completely needed in order to determine the top lightweight in UFC history.
I’m confident it’s going to get done, too, and I am not overly concerned about where Conor McGregor is going to fit into this picture. There’s a good chance “The Notorious” doesn’t ever step inside the octagon again, regardless of what he expresses in interviews or Dana White leads the world to believe. Would be happy to be proven wrong on that front, but that’s the impression I get from persons with credible knowledge.
That should open the door for a smooth road to Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson. It doesn’t matter where it happens, it doesn’t matter when it happens. It just needs to happen.
3. Dustin Poirier isn’t done
It was genuinely surprising to see Dustin Poirier (25-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC) take to social media the morning after his loss to Nurmagomedov and make this statement on Twitter: “If I choose to fight again I’ll be back strong. If not I’ll see what God has in store for me.”
Knowing “The Diamond” as long as I have and as well as I do, this appears to just be emotions getting the better of him. He cares about succeeding in this profession as much as anyone in this sport, and you could feel his pain as he wiped tears from his eyes during an agonizing post-fight news conference session in the aftermath of having his undisputed championship dream swept away by Khabib.
Poirier likely made significantly more money for this fight than any other in his career, though, so if he made a choice based of being financially stable, then that would be understandable. But he said himself that there’s “a lot of tread left in these tires” after the loss, and at 30, there’s plenty of time for him to get back to this spot.
For a man and fighter who prides himself on perseverance it’s hard to believe he would consider hanging up the gloves now. He’ll have a lot of time to think on the long trip home from Abu Dhabi, and I suspect once he’s back in Louisiana and surrounded by friends and family, he will see this moment as a mere bump in the road.
4. Good luck with that appeal, Edson Barboza
Watching the fight live from cageside I thought it was obvious Edson Barboza had beaten Paul Felder for a second time in a 29-28 decision. Some of the rounds were close, but a 30-27 scorecard for Felder is utterly ludicrous.
Barboza’s team informed MMA Junkie post-fight that there are plans to appeal the outcome, but let’s be honest: When does that ever work? Sometimes referee blunders are corrected through the appeal process, but judges are almost never held accountable for their scorecards, especially in a fight like Barboza vs. Felder.
With the event being self-regulated, perhaps Marc Ratner, the UFC’s vice president of regulatory affairs, will surprise us all and do something unprecedented. It seems doubtful, though, and Barboza would likely have better luck pushing for a trilogy bout with Felder.
5. Fortis MMA does it again – this time with Diego Ferreira
It feels like this is becoming almost a weekly talking point in this column, but once again we need to credit Fortis MMA and coach Sayif Saud for their octagon success. The latest moment came from a thoroughly impressive performance from Diego Ferreira, who snapped Mairbek Taisumov’s six-fight winning streak by unanimous decision.
Over the past two years the win-loss ratio of the Dallas-based gym has been astoundingly lopsided in favor of victory, and it’s not because the members are getting advantageous fights. In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. The gym is quickly gaining a reputation for taking on all comers, and while it seems the MMA world is slowly taking notice, it’s time for that respect to come quicker.
