What mattered most at UFC on ESPN+ 24 in Raleigh? Here are a few post-fight musings …
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1. Curtis Blaydes’ ‘Plan Z’ ain’t too shabby
It was no surprise that Curtis Blaydes was a winner over Junior Dos Santos in the main event. He was a roughly 3-to-1 betting favorite, but even his strongest supporters didn’t see it unfolding like that.
Not only did Blaydes stop Dos Santos with strikes, but he did so without getting a single takedown. All six of his attempts were denied, forcing him into what he labeled post-fight as “Plan Z.” He revealed he’s got some talent there, as well, landing solid shots before a massive one rocked Dos Santos and led to the second-round TKO.
Blaydes’ preferred method of victory still would’ve been to take down Dos Santos and batter him, he said, but that’s what was expected if the fight went his way. This performance was much more eye-opening, and it helps generate a better understanding of Blaydes as he continues to jockey for position in the heavyweight title picture.
2. Blaydes’ perception not reality
Speaking of the heavyweight title picture, that thing is a bit of a mess. All signs point to the anticipated trilogy between champion Stipe Miocic and former titleholder Daniel Cormier going down this year, but Miocic is beginning to play some games, so it remains to be seen what happens.
Even if something were to happen to that fight, though, Blaydes is not next in line, despite him thinking to the contrary. His three-fight winning streak is nice, but it doesn’t much compare to the three-fight streak of Francis Ngannou or the four-fight run of Jairzinho Rozenstruik, whom face off with each other at UFC on ESPN 8 in March.
Never mind the fact Blaydes has two stoppage losses to Ngannou; there’s no way he could get a title shot first unless “The Predator” suffers a defeat. It’s possible that happens, but it’s not in Blaydes’ interest to wait for it. His focus should be on getting more wins and more experience, and eventually his opportunity will come.
3. Rough times for Junior Dos Santos
Dos Santos is going to have a difficult time digesting this one. The happy-go-lucky former UFC heavyweight champ is on a two-fight losing skid for the first time in his storied career, and the outcome with Blaydes in particular will force closer examination.
The Brazilian came into the fight boasting about his boxing being the best in the division. That matters not in MMA, though, because he ended up being outstruck and stopped by a fighter with a wrestling-heavy approach. To his credit, Dos Santos stopped every takedown that came his way, but that clearly exposed him to be punched. Blaydes may not have the striking credentials, but the presence of a wrestling threat sure made his standup effective and threw Dos Santos for a loop.
Ahead of the event, Dos Santos was adamant that he would be UFC champ again: “I really believe I can surge to the top of this division as a champion. I will get there. I got there once. I will get there again.”
We’ve seen crazy career resurgences in the UFC, but the odds are stacked against Dos Santos at this point. He’s 35, and although he’s only lost to the elite of the elite in the heavyweight division, these are the fights he needs to be winning, not losing in a fashion where he’s beaten at his own game.
4. Angela Hill finding her form
Angela Hill is not even recognizable to the fighter who made her official UFC debut with a 1-0 professional record in December 2014. It’s taken more than five years of fine-tuning her craft and two stints in the UFC, but finally Hill has managed to put together a two-fight winning streak inside the octagon.
It may not sound like much, because fighters win consecutive bouts in the UFC all the time. But Hill was thrown onto the sport’s biggest stage early, though, and as essentially just a muay Thai fighter was tossed into the deep end. Hill fought some of the very best from the outset, and the results did not go her way.
Hill never complained about her path, though. She’s kept her head down and worked hard, taking unrealistic challenges and stepping up for the UFC on short notice any time she was needed. The results of that effort are staring to pay dividends, because Hill’s second-round TKO of Hannah Cifers gave her consecutive stoppage wins for the first time.
Can Hill parlay this momentum into something bigger in the strawweight division? Her next performances will tell the tale. But if it’s going to happen, it seems “Overkill” is fitting the pieces of the puzzle together better than ever.
5. Sara McMann, the curious contender
After a two-year layoff and three years without a win, Sara McMann did exactly what was needed to get herself back on a path of success in a clear-cut decision over a hapless Lina Lansberg.
It wasn’t the most entertaining affair, but McMann exposed her massive grappling advantage to get lopsided scorecards. She’s going to be able to do that to most inside the octagon, because her Olympic-level wrestling skills are that good.
Although the women’s bantamweight division underwent some changes in recent years, it’s not massively different from when McMann last fought prior to her break, which included the pregnancy and birth of her second child. McMann appears to have renewed focus for what, at 39, will likely be her final big title run.
Another win or two – especially if she can make it impressive – could put her right in the conversation to rematch Amanda Nunes.
