John Locher/Associated Press
Kamaru Usman once again proved he is the most attention-grabbing welterweight on this planet with a third-spherical TKO of Gilbert Burns in the precious occasion of UFC 258 from the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas.
Burns didn’t mosey down with out a fight. The contender who has a protracted history of practicing with the sizzling champion obtained off to a sizzling begin with an overhand appropriate that rocked the champion and had the upset alarms getting warmed up.
But piece of being a champion is rising above some adversity. Usman came wait on in the second spherical and unfurled an appropriate hand of his appreciate that evened the rating and space up what modified into shaping as much as be an legend.
Eating huge appropriate hands from Usman proved to be unsustainable, even supposing. Usman came out in the third spherical as the most aggressive model of himself in the fight, and it signaled a short dwell for Burns. The Nigerian Nightmare saw the opportunity to achieve and pounced until referee Herb Dean modified into compelled to call the stoppage.
The purchase marks Usman’s 13th consecutive victory in the welterweight division, breaking a document held by Georges St-Pierre. As for what’s next, the champion is going to appreciate a exhausting time finding a compelling opponent.
In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he called out Jorge Masvidal, but he already holds a decision victory over him, even supposing Masvidal took the fight on six days’ glimpse.
Right here’s a peek at how the whole card went down with a closer peek at every of the precious card fights.
Predominant Card
- Kamaru Usman def. Gilbert Burns by TKO at 0: 34 of Round 3
- Alexa Grasso def. Maycee Barber by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
- Kelvin Gastelum def. Ian Heinisch by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ricky Simon def. Brian Kelleher by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Julian Marquez def. Maki Pitolo by submission (anaconda choke) at 4: 17 of Round 3
Prelims
- Anthony Hernandez def. Rodolfo Vieira by submission (guillotine choke) at 1: 53 of Round 2
- Belal Muhammad def. Dhiego Lima by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
- Polyana Viana def. Mallory Martin by submission (armbar) at 3: 18 of Round 1
- Chris Gutierrez def. Andre Ewell by unanimous decision (30-26, 29-28, 29-27)
- Gabriel Inexperienced def. Philip Rowe by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Alexa Grasso def. Maycee Barber
The co-most valuable occasion modified into a revealing fight for two younger fighters in the girls folk’s flyweight division. We learned a lot about both Alexa Grasso and Maycee Barber in their three-spherical fight that Grasso took by decision.
First, Grasso’s boxing is legit. She dealt with an unpredictable Barber for the upper piece of three rounds and modified into the extra shining fighter largely on myth of of her sturdy boxing recreation. She stayed silent and threw with fine accuracy.
As for Barber, she would possibly well well also by no design perceive her blueprint of changing correct into a UFC champion, but she’s going to be an exhilarating fighter no topic what. The Future is raw, to position it effectively, but she modified into willing to throw with reckless abandon take care of few construct when she modified into in the wait on of on the cards.
Barber swung for the fences in the third spherical, attempting to compile the attain, and it ended in a fun fight.
Barber has now suffered wait on-to-wait on losses after beginning her profession 8-0. The 22-Three hundred and sixty five days-extinct has various time to create her skills, in conjunction with getting a wiser feel for distance, as she modified into swinging at air typically.
Grasso looks to be to be willing for the massive time now. Now not most attention-grabbing modified into her boxing sturdy, but she additionally showed off some fine jiu-jitsu, nearly sinking in a rear-bare choke.
She ought to compile a great better opponent next time spherical and is not a long way from a title shot.
Kelvin Gastelum def. Ian Heinisch
Kelvin Gastelum has had his struggles in recent fights, but he took the opportunity towards Ian Heinisch to remind fans of how fine a wrestler he will be. The 29-Three hundred and sixty five days-extinct racked up six takedowns en path to a decision purchase.
Heinisch fought exhausting and even landed a handsome flying knee, but Gastelum even turned that correct into a double-leg opportunity that ended with him on top.
Heinisch made a small comeback in the third and final spherical, giving him the spherical on two of the scorecards. Alternatively it modified into a case of too shrimp, too gradual for Heinisch, who modified into attempting to interrupt correct into a brand recent tier of the middleweight division.
That can maybe well appreciate to wait. Gastelum came into the fight on a 3-fight skid, but that modified into towards some huge opponents in conjunction with recent champion Israel Adesanya.
He proved that while he is maybe not in a position to beat the greatest names in the division, he is silent fine adequate to beat anybody who will be having a peek to interrupt into the dwell tier.
Ricky Simon def. Brian Kelleher
Ricky Simon is going to be valid comely ought to he care for to dwell at featherweight. The traditionally 135-pound fighter made the mosey as much as featherweight in his second UFC fight of 2021. All over again, he obtained his hand raised in a comprehensive purchase over Brian Kelleher.
Simon swept all three rounds on every care for’s scorecard in a fight that showcased both his inserting and wrestling recreation.
Kelleher is ceaselessly unsafe, in particular with his capability to latch on to a guillotine in a mosey. Alternatively, Simon showed various savvy in his fret administration, fought off the whole submission attempts and blended issues up adequate to preserve his opponent guessing.
The purchase makes three in a row for Simon. After beginning his UFC profession on a 3-fight purchase high-tail, he misplaced wait on-to-wait on bouts towards Urijah Faber and Capture Font.
Brett Okamoto @bokamotoESPN
Ricky Simon is fine, man. UFC modified into very high on him early on, he stumbled in wait on-to-wait on fights, but the likely is coming through huge time appropriate now. It would possibly well well also not construct sense in injurious yet, but Pedro Munhoz would possibly well likely be a finally fun matchup … Stunning throw that on next week’s card?
If Simon continues to style at this level, those losses will be a a long way away memory and Simon will be willing to construct some noise.
Julian Marquez def. Maki Pitolo
It be been over two years since Julian Marquez has been internal the Octagon, but he obtained various experience to construct up for it in his return towards Maki Pitolo. Marquez locked in an anaconda choke to compile the faucet in the ideal minute of the ideal spherical.
Marquez’s purchase didn’t attain with out adversity, even supposing. Each fighters engaged in a high-output strive towards with every keeping the upper hand for the length of the bout.
Pitolo nearly locked in a submission strive of his appreciate at one level and scored a knockdown with a leg kick. Alternatively, Marquez weathered the storms and locked on to the choke that drew the faucet with valid 43 seconds left in the fight.
The closing time we saw Marquez in the cage he dropped a split decision to Alessio Di Chirico, so it modified into fine to peek him strive towards wait on and purchase a grueling fight.
What he can construct if he remains wholesome is the following huge query.
