The UFC 314 delivered memorable moments from Miami on Saturday evening, from the crown of a new (former) champion of 145 pounds to stars performance for some members of the next generation.
Here are the five biggest dishes to remember from the Pay-Per-View event on Saturday UFC:
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1. The father's time will have to work a little harder to bring Alexander Volkanovski back
Normally, this is where you expect to see signs of a sharp decline. On the wrong side of 35 years. Leaving the consecutive losses of KO. Against a harshly busy young man who is larger and stronger. In this situation, many great aging could eventually discover the hard time that their best years are in the rear view mirror.
But for Volkanovski, which resumed the featherweight title of the UFC with a victory in unanimous in the main event of the UFC 314These are just more challenges to overcome. Against Diego Lopes on Saturday evening in Miami, he was the clearer technician and the smartest fighter. He knew exactly when pressing and staying and surviving. He opened his face in annoying places and remembered a real difference in the power of punching more than once, but he never panicked or stolen.
He fought like a champion, in other words. And now, once again, there is one.
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2. Diego Lopes is better as we thought – and just as hard as we expected
At the end of the first round, he seemed to be above his head. He had been too patient, dragging and leaving Volkanovski separating him. He sometimes seemed lost, as if he was not even sure where the punches came from.
But at one point, it was as if Lopes had decided that he didn't really care. The punches could come. He almost welcomed them. If he ate at least blows, it told him that Volkanovski should be somewhere, waiting to be retaliated. The best moments of Lopes came when he could use his power to create chaos. A clean and ordered fight was not in its interest. And, in short moments, he almost obtained the kind of fight he needed. It was only the veteran of the champion who helped him restore the order of the Bedlam.
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There is no questioning of the tenacity of Lopes or his heart after that. He always has room to grow in certain regions, but he is already very far, very quickly.
Diego Lopes showed his heart in an exhausting loss against Alexander Volkanovski at the UFC 314. (Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
(Megan Briggs via Getty Images)
3. In a brand fight or break for the two men, Paddy Pimbett was done while Michael Chandler broke
Admit it, even if you had Pimbett winning this, you did not expect it to look like that. He didn't just beat Chandler – he overthrowed him. He surprised the whole world of the MMA, leaving us with the view of Chandler panting in the blood in the third round, stuck under the assault mounted with Pimbett with all the hope moving away.
When this fight did, it seemed to be strangely brilliant, mainly because none of the guys could afford to lose it. Pimbett went far beyond winning it, however. He took the opportunity to make a very clear declaration on the seriousness of his merit of being considered a real actor in the light division of the UFC.
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Before Saturday, it would have seemed almost a joke for “Paddy the Baddy” to stand there, calling for fights with Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje. No one laughs now.
Paddy Pimbelett, light competitor of the UFC? You better believe it. (Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
(Megan Briggs via Getty Images)
4, it was a bad night to be a Bellator import
Chandler was a truck. Patricio Pitbull began his career UFC 0-1. The organization is officially dead and its former standard carriers find it difficult to cut new careers.
Pitbull's unanimous decision loss against Yair Rodriguez was not disastrous. He looked solid, but also far from his best self. The sad truth is that its move to the UFC can have arrived too late. Chandler has spent the past few years paying in the blood just to learn a similar lesson. I suppose everything is on the still very young shoulders of Aaron Pico now.
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5. Jean Silva is perhaps a lot, but shy
MMA can sometimes be such a diverse playground of bizarre. Such strange and unique characters find their way in this cage, aren't they? As you cast eyes on Silva, you can say that here is a person who is very comfortable being the center of attention, without an ounce of doubt or self -awareness.
Here he I must be the hero who sent Hitler's potential fishing boyfriend, Bryce MitchellAnd he made it as easy as it was fun. It was not a narrow fight. Mitchell was outclassed on the feet and in imminent danger each time the fight hit the carpet. Normally, grappling game is the place where it redeems. This time, it was there that he was finally drowned, putting an end to the night to hang on to consciousness after typing a strangulation of Silva in the second round.
Silva has a certain maniac magnetism that you hesitate to call charisma, but it is at least adjacent charisma. It also seems very, very Good to fight – and he knows it. A guy like that could go far in this sport, barking all along.
