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UFC 263 was one of 2021’s most highly anticipated UFC shows, and it certainly delivered some memorable moments.
UFC 263 saw a new champion crowned in the UFC flyweight division, while Nate Diaz’s big comeback was spoiled by Leon Edwards. With many other fighters also shining, here are the five biggest winners from UFC 263: Israel Adesanya vs Marvin Vettori 2.
#1 Israel Adesanya – defeated Marvin Vettori to retain the UFC middleweight title
UFC 263’s biggest winner was probably UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who defeated Marvin Vettori to retain his title in the main event.
Was this the most impressive showing of Adesanya’s UFC career? Not even close. Sure, he completely shut down Vettori for the most part, and despite giving up a couple of takedowns, he was the clear winner of the fight.
However, he didn’t come close to finishing the Italian, meaning this was also his least-entertaining win since his dull fight with Yoel Romero in 2020. But when you’re able to retain a UFC title this easily, it doesn’t matter all that much.
Adesanya was coming off his first career loss, so plenty of fans expected him to be suffering from a hangover of sorts after that fight. But the fact that he didn’t shows how great a champion the Last Stylebender is.
Adesanya now has three successful title defences under his belt. One more would move him behind only Anderson Silva for the most middleweight title defences in UFC history.
#2 Brandon Moreno – defeated Deiveson Figueiredo to win the UFC flyweight title
While Israel Adesanya was able to hold onto his UFC title, Deiveson Figueiredo failed to retain his UFC flyweight title – making Brandon Moreno the new champion as well as one of UFC 263’s biggest winners.
Moreno wasn’t really favoured in this clash, largely because he had relied on a point deduction to get a draw in his first fight with Figueiredo in 2020. But last night saw the Assassin Baby show massively improved skills as he dismantled Figueiredo in all areas.
The first round saw him drop the Brazilian with a jab, and from there, he outworked Figueiredo both on the feet and on the ground. Eventually, Moreno sealed the deal in the third round, pulling off a surprise rear naked choke submission over the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt.
The win makes Moreno the first-ever Mexican-born UFC champion, and with his natural charisma, he could well become a solid start for the UFC. This could be just the beginning of a tremendous run for the Assassin Baby.
#3 Leon Edwards – defeated Nate Diaz
Leon Edwards’ clash with Nate Diaz appeared to be the 'real' main event of UFC 263 for most fans – particularly for those in attendance.
While Diaz was clearly the fan favourite and almost pulled off a big win when he wobbled Edwards in the final round, the fight largely belonged to the native of Birmingham, England.
Edwards looked fabulous for basically 24 of the 25 minutes. He chopped at Diaz’s legs, caught him cleanly with some huge punches and sliced him open badly with elbows once he had him on the ground.
Rocky has been looking for a signature win for some time now. While he didn’t finish Diaz, he clearly dominated the American and was the better fighter by miles. Post-fight saw Edwards call for a shot at UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman – the last man to defeat him.
It’s hard to argue with the idea that he deserves the next shot. After all, Edwards hasn’t lost since 2015 and has now gone unbeaten in ten UFC fights. To suggest Colby Covington – who only lost to Usman one fight ago – deserves to be ahead of Edwards is asinine. If the UFC is about sporting merit, then Edwards should get the next title shot.
#4 Belal Muhammad – defeated Demian Maia
Last time we saw Belal Muhammad inside the UFC octagon, his night ended prematurely and badly, as he suffered an errant eye poke from Leon Edwards, forcing their fight to be declared a No Contest.
At UFC 263, Remember the Name was given a shot at breaking into the top ten at 170 lbs once again, facing off with veteran title contender Demian Maia. And thankfully, this time, Muhammad pulled through.
It wasn’t the most entertaining bout on the card, but Muhammad clearly won, landing the much better strikes and stopping all of Maia’s attempted takedowns.
Does the win elevate him up into the top five? Likely not, particularly as he didn’t get a finish, but the win should put him in line for a clash with someone like Stephen Thompson or Gilbert Burns – making him one of UFC 263’s biggest winners.
#5 Lauren Murphy – defeated Joanne Calderwood
It wasn’t the most entertaining fight at UFC 263 by a long shot, but it’s hard to dispute the idea that Lauren Murphy was one of the show’s biggest winners. Her fight with Joanne Calderwood was close, and there was probably an argument to suggest the Scottish fighter deserved the nod.
Murphy – who dominated the second round on the ground – just about edged the clash, and the win leaves her on a five-fight winning streak.
More importantly, though, that streak is in the UFC flyweight division – one of the thinnest in the promotion. With no clear-cut top contender for UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko, Murphy could well be the next in line for her.
She’s probably got little chance against the Bullet, but a UFC title shot is still a UFC title shot, right? That alone makes Murphy one of last night’s biggest winners.
