What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 21 in Moscow? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. Zabit Magomedsharipov deserves praise not criticism
For some reason Zabit Magomedsharipov is taking criticism over a perceived cardio issue instead of getting praise for beating Calvin Kattar in a “Fight of the Night” bout that resulted in his 14th consecutive win.
It’s somewhat understandable since Magomedsharipov (18-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) called out the winner of the UFC 245 featherweight title fight between Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. Holloway in particular has a style and gas tank that cripples opponents in the later rounds, and Magomedsharipov showed an apparent chink in his armor by fading toward the end of the fight with Kattar.
The Russian said afterward an infection that plagued him pre-fight impacted his training camp and conditioning. I’m inclined to believe him. Magomedsharipov is no fool. He’s got a good team around him, and if he were to get the title shot it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t do everything possible to ensure he’s prepared for 25 minutes.
Would that be enough to beat Holloway or Volkanovski? Maybe, or maybe not. Magomedsharipov is as skilled as they come, though, and he showed the flashes of brilliance in the fight with Kattar that have caused him to be so hyped.
Now it’s on Magomedsharipov to do what MMA fighters are supposed to do: Learn from this one and be better next time, whether it’s for the title or not.
2. Credit to Calvin Kattar
Calvin Kattar had every right to be upset or frustrated following his unanimous decision loss to Magomedsharipov. He has an argument that he should’ve won the decision (albeit not a very strong one in my mind) and a laundry list of other things to be irritated about with this fight.
Instead, Kattar (20-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) displayed nothing but class in the fallout of the most high profile loss of his career.
Not once did Kattar complain about have his original booking with Magomedsharipov ripped out of his backyard in Boston in October. Nor did he object when the fight was rescheduled on the other side of the world in Magomedsharipov’s native Russia. The entire time, Kattar just went with the flow.
Did Kattar internalize his anger about the situation because venting about the UFC’s business tactics publicly wouldn’t have done him any service? Only he knows that. However, from an outside perspective he handled every twist and turn like a pro. Given what he’s shown us in the past, that attitude seems genuine.
3. Greg Hardy is here to stay
Whether you were rooting for or against Greg Hardy, the outcome of that fight with Alexander Volkov wasn’t particularly satisfying. The critics were hoping to see him brutally knocked out. The supporters wanted him to win emphatically. Neither of those things happened, though.
Instead, what we learned is that Hardy (5-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The controversial former NFL standout held his own in the unanimous decision loss, and apparently did so with a damaged hand for the second and third rounds. Stripping away everything else and judging the performance purely on talent, what he did was admirable for someone with eight pro bouts.
There’s an ugly stench that arises every time Hardy fights in the UFC due to his checkered past. When he first was signed there was a debate about whether he deserves to compete on this platform. Those storylines were rehashed five times in 2019 due to the record amount of times he was booked. Fans, media and fighters may still object to his presence, but the UFC has left no doubt Hardy is going nowhere.
Many predicted (and even hoped) Volkov would beat Hardy so badly it would make him rethink his place in the sport. Instead Hardy proved he’s far from the worst heavyweight on the roster. If he chooses to make MMA a longterm career path, he’s going to be someone who gets good opportunities in the UFC.
4. Alexander Volkov holds down his spot
The common takeaway is Hardy performed valiantly in the fight with Alexander Volkov, but it’s slightly more challenging to gauge what that means for the Russian. He admitted post-fight that he fought “very, very” cautiously because of Hardy’s power and unorthodox style, but it definitely felt like he could’ve done more.
There were certainly moments where Volkov (31-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC) had the chance to do some more significant damage to Hardy and passed up on it. If he put his foot on the gas peddle a little more perhaps he would’ve got the devastating finish of Hardy that many fans tuned in for. Instead, he did just enough to get his hand raised and prove he’s a level above his American foe.
Volkov is definitely amongst the upper tier of heavyweights. If not for succumbing to the greatest statistical come-from-behind knockout in UFC history against Derrick Lewis at UFC 229, “Drago” would be 6-0 in the UFC and had a title shot. The win over Hardy won’t take up much space in his highlight reel, but it’ll get Volkov a fight against a marquee name, so no harm done.
5. Thoughts out to Anthony Rocco Martin
His fight didn’t necessarily meet expectations in terms of excitement, but it was clear victory on Saturday was much more important for Anthony Rocco Martin (17-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) than entertainment value because of what’s going on in his personal life.
After beating Ramazan Emeev by unanimous decision, Martin struggled to fight back tears during his post-fight interview. He revealed his mother had recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, and dedicated the win to her in an emotional statement.
From Martin’s pre-fight demeanor and intensity one would never have known he was going through such a difficult time. It goes to show once again that the public is exposed to such limited portions of these fighter’s lives, but for 15 minutes the world did see, Martin managed to keep it together and get the win.
