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#4. Marlon Vera – defeated Frankie Edgar in a UFC bantamweight bout
While Marlon Vera has long been recognized as one of the most improved fighters in the UFC bantamweight division, prior to last night ‘Chito’ had never quite been able to beat an elite-level opponent.
His most recent attempt at doing so – a clash with Jose Aldo last December – saw him come up slightly short. However, last night, the native of Ecuador finally stepped up and delivered the biggest win of his UFC career.
Sure, Frankie Edgar isn’t the same fighter he once was, but he’s still a very tough out, even at the age of 40. After all, ‘The Answer’ was able to defeat Pedro Munhoz – himself a high-level contender – in 2020.
Early on, it looked like he might have his way with Vera, too. He won the first round with his wrestling, grounding ‘Chito’ and neutralizing him. By the second round, though, Edgar began to slow down – allowing Vera to take over with his striking.
While it looked like Vera was on his way to a win in the third round, few fans expected him to deliver a highlight-reel knockout in the form of a front kick to the jaw.
The win should elevate him into genuine title contention in the UFC bantamweight division. It may end Edgar’s UFC career, but it also won Vera a bonus of $50k – clearly making him one of the night’s biggest winners.
#3. Justin Gaethje – defeated Michael Chandler in a UFC lightweight bout
The lightweight clash between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler was definitely one of those fights where neither man came away looking like a loser.
The two action heroes exchanged bombs from the opening seconds of their clash right the way through to the final buzzer. While Gaethje ended up with his hand raised, Chandler probably gained just as many fans for his sheer toughness.
However, it’s ‘The Highlight’ who will likely go onto better things from here. In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, he essentially demanded a shot at the UFC lightweight title – the only question is whether the UFC will give it to him.
Much may depend on who wins the upcoming title bout between champion Charles Oliveira and challenger Dustin Poirier. If Oliveira wins, then it might be hard to deny Gaethje his shot.
If Poirier comes out on top, though, ‘The Diamond’ already has a win over Gaethje – meaning Islam Makhachev may well leapfrog him.
For now, though, the fact is that Gaethje is clearly, at worst, the fourth-best lightweight in the world at present. The crazy win over Chandler only cemented that further.
