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#2 Worst: The weird refereeing in the Magomed Ankalaev vs Ion Cutelaba fight
The Light-Heavyweight clash between Magomed Ankalaev and Ion Cutelaba was, in my opinion, the best fight on this card outside of the main event as both men were coming off tremendous wins, are amongst the best athletes in the 205lbs division, and come into the Octagon with massive amounts of aggression. Unfortunately, things went entirely wrong from the get-go, leaving us with a big anti-climax.
Firstly, things got bizarre when Cutelaba strode across the Octagon and got into Ankalaev’s face during the ring introduction – causing the Dagestani to grab him in a body lock and spin him onto the cage. Security quickly flooded the Octagon to sort things out, but it was clear we were going to be in for a crazy fight.
Sure enough, ‘The Hulk’ came out with his trademark aggression, windmilling at Ankalaev – but unfortunately for the Moldovan, he appeared to be badly outgunned. A short punch from the Dagestani had him wobbled, and a flurry of kicks and punches then saw referee Kevin MacDonald step in to stop the fight.
Cutelaba was furious with the stoppage – and replays appeared to prove him correct. It looked like he’d been wobbled by one of the early punches, but the majority of Ankalaev’s head kicks didn’t land cleanly, and it appeared that ‘The Hulk’ was swinging back at the time of the stoppage.
Quite what MacDonald was thinking is anyone’s guess, but to me, this looked like one of the worst refereeing gaffes I can recall in the UFC. Cutelaba simply wasn’t out on his feet, and while he was in trouble, the stoppage also robbed Ankalaev of a chance to put him away properly. Simply put, this was a huge disappointment. The UFC ought to consider running it back – although I suspect they’ll push Ankalaev up the ladder instead.
#3 Best: So many finishes!
While none of the other performances on the card stood out – Brendan Allen looked good in finishing Tom Breese while Kyler Phillips’ debut went well, but neither was truly memorable – the show at least featured a bunch of finishes and went quickly, which was just what the doctor ordered after a couple of shows that were largely longer and filled with decisions.
In comparison, for instance, UFC Fight Night 167, which took place 2 weeks ago, saw 7 of its 13 fights go the distance, with a further 2 reaching the third round. Sure, some of those fights were fun, but realistically it’s a hell of a lot of fighting to sit through, particularly when the entire show from the prelims onwards is now televised.
Last night, on the other hand, saw just 4 fights go the distance, with 5 first-round finishes dotted around the card with 3 second-round finishes too. That made for a far more enjoyable experience that never outstayed its welcome. It’s something the UFC can obviously never control, but when it does happen and you get a show that’s over before any boredom kicks in, it’s worth noting. Bravo to the fighters who stepped into the Octagon last night!
