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A massive pay-per-view in UFC 263 lived up to its promise of non-stop entertainment in front of thousands of fans at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The featured prelim between Drew Dober and Brad Riddell was a barn-burner, while several other bouts like Movsar Evloev vs Hakeem Dawodu entertained big-time. The main card, as expected, was mostly spectacular.
Here are the best and worst moments from UFC 263: Israel Adesanya vs Marvin Vettori 2.
#6 Best: Terrance McKinney dazzles in UFC debut
Taking the UFC 263 fight against Matt Frevola on four days' notice, former LFA star Terrance McKinney had a brilliant UFC debut.
'T.Wrecks' charged in at the start of the fight and connected with his first flurry, dropping Frevola and setting the record for the fastest knockout in UFC lightweight history (7 seconds). The 26-year-old seems like an extremely exciting prospect, and his willingness to step up to the occasion has already endeared him with the fans.
Unfortunately for McKinney, he appeared to suffer a serious knee injury while celebrating his win. Hopefully, he'll be back in action soon as he looks to capitalize on what was a dream UFC debut.
#5 Worst: The refereeing in Paul Craig vs Jamahal Hill
The opening bout of the main card, Paul Craig vs Jamahal Hill, was a mouthwatering clash of styles. Hill, the patient and previously undefeated boxer, was up against a Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace in the Scotsman. The referee in charge of the fight, Al Guinee, is reportedly a BJJ instructor.
What followed was both gruesome and inexcusable in equal measure. Hill, who had talked up his BJJ ahead of the fight, was willing to engage as Craig pulled guard. After escaping a submission or two, 'Sweet Dreams' got caught in a nasty arm triangle that snapped his arm at the elbow.
As Craig implored Guinee to stop the fight, choosing to attack Hill with elbows from the bottom instead of cranking the submission, the American's arm flopped about alarmingly. It took several seconds for the referee to finally bring the contest to a close, handing 'Bearjew' a TKO victory.
Hill's toughness was commendable, and thankfully his arm is only dislocated and not broken. But the refereeing left a lot to be desired.
#4 Best: Leon Edwards vs Nate Diaz delivers everything it promised
In a bit of curious matchmaking, Leon Edwards took on Nate Diaz in a welterweight bout that was touted as one that would have a major impact on the title picture. And the first five-round non-main event non-title fight in the promotion's history delivered on everything it promised.
Edwards, understandably the favorite, started in the ascendancy, using the traditional blueprint against Diaz. 'Rocky' chopped away at the lead leg and refused to engage in the pocket, keeping his distance and using his positional awareness to negate Diaz's lethal submissions.
But as the fight entered the championship rounds, the hallmarks of a Nate Diaz fight made their presence felt. Diaz was cut and bleeding heavily as he showboated, flexed and raised middle fingers in trademark style at Edwards. And finally, as the fifth round wound down, the Stockton native had 'Rocky' horribly wobbled.
Shockingly, Diaz chose to taunt his opponent instead of going in for the kill, giving the Brit some time to recover. And although fans were left wondering what could've been had Diaz been more clinical at the end, that's just what makes him great.
#3 Worst: Demain Maia and Belal Muhammad put on unconvincing displays
As his former opponent Leon Edwards grabbed all the headlines with his fight against Nate Diaz, Belal Muhammad was resigned to the back page after a dull fight against welterweight veteran Demain Maia.
At 43 years old, Maia doesn't have a lot left in the tank. His only plan of action was to use the single-leg takedown to put 'Remember The Name' on his back and then bank on his jiu-jitsu to pull out a submission. But Muhammad, an accomplished wrestler, had no problems defending the takedowns of Maia, who simply didn't have a Plan B.
Muhammad edged the striking exchanges to clinch a unanimous decision victory, but the unconvincing win didn't do him much good. He has been campaigning for a rematch against Edwards, but that doesn't seem likely at all now.
As for Maia, he's entering dangerous territory and should probably consider walking away from the sport, especially after everything he has achieved in the UFC.
#2 Best: Brandon Moreno and Mexico have their crowning moment
One of two title-fight rematches on the UFC 263 main card, Deiveson Figueiredo vs Brandon Moreno 2 wasn't as high-octane and intense as the first meeting. Instead, a clinical performance from 'The Assassin Baby' helped him become the first Mexican-born champion in UFC history.
Moreno had the backing of the fans in attendance at the Gila River Arena as he started the first round on the offensive. He dropped the champion with a sharp jab late in the first, before explosively reversing positions in the grappling exchanges to snatch the belt away from 'The God of War'.
Moreno, who was cut by the UFC three years ago after suffering consecutive losses, had his crowning moment in the flyweight division. He was understandably emotional, while Figueiredo - who appeared to have had a tough weight cut - was classy in defeat.
#1 Best: The king of the middleweights reigns supreme
A vintage Israel Adesanya performance sent a clear message to the UFC's middleweight division after 'The Last Stylebender' appeared to have lost a bit of his aura with his defeat to Jan Blachowicz.
Adesanya is the best middleweight on the planet. And the scary part is that he's improving rapidly. He showed impressive takedown defense and explosive transitions from the bottom, piecing Marvin Vettori up with elbows in the clinch and using his immense kickboxing pedigree to stay out of range.
The performance was one we've become used to seeing from Adesanya, who's clearly a couple of notches above the rest at middleweight. And with his marketability only increasing by the day, good days are ahead for the UFC.
