What mattered most at UFC on ESPN 9 in Las Vegas? Here are a few post-fight musings …
* * * * *
1. Can Gilbert Burns slide into a title shot?
Gilbert Burns had his breakout moment when he put on a five-round clinic against former longtime UFC welterweight champ Tyron Woodley. If you weren’t taking him seriously as a contender before, it’s time to correct that now.
Burns called for a title shot against good friend and teammate Kamaru Usman after beating up Woodley, and while his moxy is commendable, he’s not the guy who should be fighting for the belt next. However, that doesn’t mean he won’t be.
Welterweight is in a tricky place right now. There’s some real negotiating issues in getting a Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal title fight over the finish line, and the UFC’s patience is beginning to wear thin. Leon Edwards would seemingly be the next most deserving after Masvidal, but travel restrictions amidst the coronavirus pandemic might rule him out of the equation, too.
That could very much open the door for Burns, who has been nothing short of brilliant in the octagon in recent years. He’s not the obvious No. 1 contender, but the Brazilian could be a benefactor of circumstance after dominating Woodley.
2. Don’t discount Tyron Woodley
Speaking of Tyron Woodley, let’s ease up on the guy just a tad. Yes, he lost convincingly, but any negative feedback about his performance should be paired with an equal or additional level of praise for what Burns did.
Burns jumped all over Woodley in the first round and nearly finished the former champ. Woodley kept himself in the fight for all 25 minutes, but he could never get out of first gear and sway momentum in his direction. Now “The Chosen One” finds himself on a two-fight skid for the first time in his illustrious career.
Woodley has lost 10 consecutive rounds between Burns and when he dropped the 170-pound belt to Usman at UFC 235 in March 2019. That statistic combined with his age of 38 is going to raise some valid questions about Woodley’s future in the sport.
It’s not time to write him off just yet, though. Woodley was coming from a career-long layoff, a very static training camp in which he experienced a date postponement and opponent switch, and he simply met a beast in Burns. That doesn’t suddenly make Woodley irrelevant, though. There’s still some meaningful fights out there for him that are quite winnable, too.
3. Event presentation
The UFC returned to Las Vegas for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic rocked the foundation of American sports and led to a drastic change in how event procedures are implemented.
The promotion’s three-event stretch in Jacksonville, Fla., earlier this month had a number of protocols that were not explicitly followed, and things were far more buttoned up in Nevada. At least from all outside appearances, anyway.
There were no in-cage interviews and face masks were mandatory for nearly everyone in attendance. The latter oversight even caused UFC president Dana White to watch the fights from his private room instead of cageside, which is quite on brand.
Nevertheless, the product came off well from the UFC Apex, and it’s only going to get better. No one is completely out of the woods until post-fight COVID-19 tests return negative, but the UFC appears to have found its groove in this new reality. It’s likely things only get more finely tuned as the weeks roll on.
4. Mackenzie Dern’s moment
Mackenzie Dern rebounded from her first loss in an impressive manner when she not only beat Hannah Cifers, but did it in a historic fashion.
Dern became the first female in UFC history to finish a fight with a leg-related submission when she snatched up Cifers’ in a kneebar in the first round. It was a crucial performance to maintain hopes in her strawweight prospect status, especially after the way her previous fight unfolded.
After giving birth to her daughter in mid-2019, Dern returned to the cage four months later against a fearsome foe in Amanda Ribas. It was a blowout loss, and one that raised some question about Dern’s dedication and ceiling in the sport. She reset that conversation by getting in the win column, and her next outing will be fascinating to see.
5. Jamahal Hill is a problem
UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard hasn’t got nearly enough credit for the way he’s rebuilt the light heavyweight division over the past several years. That’s largely because it continues to be controlled by the greatest champion in company history in Jon Jones, but if you take a look below him, there’s a lot to be excited about.
Jamahal Hill is another talent who is beginning to turn heads as part of the next wave at 205 pounds. He completely demolished Klidson Abreu by TKO in less than two minutes to extend his undefeated record to 8-0.
Hill has the demeanor of someone who knows he is going to be an issue for others in his weight class. His talent gives great promise for that, as well, but there’s still questions to be answered. Time will reveal how good he can be, but at the moment Maynard seems to have found another gem.
Put Hill in the same category as the likes of Ryan Spann, Alonzo Menifield, Magomed Ankalaev and more who have the potential to overtake the top 10 rankings in the coming years.
