What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 23 in Busan, South Korea? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. Frankie Edgar’s future unclear
It’s hard to assess Frankie Edgar after his TKO loss to Chan Sung Jung. He got hurt and stopped in the first round. But before the finish, he showed the trademark durability that’s given him a reputation as one of the toughest fighters in MMA history.
We’ve seen from Jung’s highlight reel that he’s one of the hardest hitters at 145 pounds, so losing to him via strikes isn’t exactly an indictment on Edgar. Many others have met the same fate, but because Edgar is 38 and had only been stopped by strikes once prior, the questions about how much he’s lost will come up.
There’s no doubt Edgar has endured a lot of punishment in his more than seven hours of UFC fight time, which is the most in company history. Perhaps the loss to Jung marked the beginning of a downward trajectory, but with Edgar being just one fight removed from competing for UFC gold, more evidence is still needed.
Edgar will likely make the drop to bantamweight next in a long overdue move. Whenever that does happen, a close eye will surely be kept on “The Answer.”
2. ‘Korean Zombie’ delivers … again
Jung provided yet another reminder why he’s arguably the most consistently exciting fighter in the sport when he stopped octagon legend Edgar faster than anyone before him with a heavy TKO in the opening round.
“The Korean Zombie” has now had eight UFC fights, and with it has cashed eight fight-night bonuses. That’s a streak unlike anyone in the sport’s history (Justin Gaethje is right on his tail), and if nothing else, Jung is reliable to put on a memorable fight no matter whom he is pitted against.
It’s always an exhilarating moment when Jung enters the cage, and he’s become nothing short of must-see TV. Beating Edgar is a tough task in and of itself, but to do it in a spectacular fashion like Jung accomplished, is just one reason he’s so special.
3. Jung’s win further complicates featherweight landscape
Yes, that win from Jung was unreal. He used the platform of his big moment to call out UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, which of course is smart decision. However, we’re not ready to forget about Max Holloway so soon, are we?
After a long and dominant title reign, Holloway dropped the strap in a competitive decision against Volkanovski at UFC 245 earlier this month. UFC president Dana White said post-fight that he would like to host the rematch in Australia, and everyone involved seems willing.
The issue, however, is Volkanovski just underwent surgery on his broken hand and will be out for a bit. There’s already some who have suggested Holloway fight someone else – potentially Jung – in the interim, but that’s ridiculous. “Blessed” has had four title fights and fought 19 full rounds since December 2018, and the Hawaiian has more than earned the right to take some time to re-calibrate before his rematch.
Would seeing Jung fight for the title again nearly seven years after failing in his first opportunity be a great moment? Absolutely. Recency bias seems to be somewhat in play here, though. Hopefully once the dust settles everyone will see that Holloway, so long as he wants it, should still be next to fight for the belt.
4. Ciryl Gane’s strong start
After picking up submission wins in his first two UFC appearances, undefeated heavyweight up-and-comer Ciryl Gane showed he can go three solid rounds, too, in edging out Tanner Boser by decision to improve to 6-0.
UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard has done a very good job of building up some new faces in a historically thin weight class. Jairzinho Rozenstruik is the poster boy for that, but it may not be long before Gane is considered right up there with him.
With a good head on his shoulders and a team that appears to revolve largely around him, the pieces are in place for Gane to become a player at heavyweight. He still only has a half dozen MMA fights, though, and at just 29, there’s no need to rush him.
5. Flyweights deliver again
Questions are once again lingering about the long-term future of the UFC flyweight division after its biggest star, Henry Cejudo, relinquished the title to make way for a Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo.
For his part, Alexandre Pantoja delivered about as good an argument as one can for why the division belongs. He stopped Matt Schnell by first-round knockout in absolute banger that led to a “Performance of the Night” award, and it’s hard to imagine just letting that type of fighter go.
The 125-pound weight class is always going to the red-headed stepchild in the UFC. Key fights will get buried on preliminary cards, title fights will be featured on Fight Night cards rather than pay-per-view, and the athletes simply won’t get the overall appreciation they deserve. It’s a shame, but still, better than not having them at all.
