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The UFC has put on plenty of ‘cursed’ shows over the years, and last night’s UFC Fight Night 173: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan was definitely among them.
Last week’s UFC show featured a seven-fight main card. This weekends? By the time all was said and done, the main card had just four fights on tap, and the whole show was only eight fights deep.
Thankfully though, for the most part, we were treated to some fun fights. However, it was a painful reminder that things aren’t getting back to normal by any means.
Here are the best and worst moments from UFC Fight Night 173: Brunson vs. Shahbazyan.
#1 Best: Brunson remains the UFC’s best gatekeeper at 185lbs
The word ‘gatekeeper’ is often frowned upon in the world of MMA, but it honestly shouldn’t be taken as an insult. In the case of Derek Brunson, it simply means that while he’s not quite a title contender, to become one in the UFC’s Middleweight division, you have to get past him.
Robert Whittaker and Israel Adesanya – who both went onto claim the UFC Middleweight title – were able to do it. Elias Theodorou and Dan Kelly on the other hand failed to get past him. Last night was Edmen Shahbazyan’s turn, and despite garnering more hype coming in, ‘Golden Boy’ was unable to get the job done.
Still just 22 years old, Shahbazyan fought well in the opening round. He escaped a couple of takedowns and even stunned Brunson with a right hand at one point. But Brunson remained calm under fire and came back strongly in the second round.
He took the fight to Shahbazyan, who seemed to be wilting the longer the round went on. By the end of the stanza, the fight appeared to be over. Brunson destroyed ‘Golden Boy’ from the top position, almost knocking him out before the buzzer sounded.
The fight probably should’ve been stopped there, but Shahbazyan was allowed to continue. He didn’t last much longer though, as Brunson overwhelmed him just 26 seconds into the third round.
The setback shouldn’t really harm Shahbazyan in the long run – it showed him that he is vulnerable and needs to improve if he wants to reach the top. Brunson on the other hand re-affirmed his spot as the division’s toughest gatekeeper. And on this form, he might even climb into title contention yet.
#1 Worst: Things fall apart for the UFC upon their return to Vegas
After the UFC’s four-show stretch on Abu Dhabi’s ‘Fight Island’ went largely without a hitch, things fell apart entirely this weekend for the promotion upon its return to Las Vegas.
No fewer than 11 fights that were scheduled for last night fell apart – with COVID-19 responsible for five of those cancellations.
It was living proof that the pandemic is far from over, even for the UFC, who have handled things incredibly well over the past few months.
The show wasn’t just cursed by COVID-19, though. Somehow, five of the 11 canceled fights were scrapped with just 36 hours to go before show-time.
The latest was the Middleweight clash between Trevin Giles and Kevin Holland, which fell through when Giles fainted just moments before his walkout – giving longtime fans memories of a similar incident that befell then-UFC champ Kevin Randleman all the way back at UFC 24.
Obviously, all of the cancellations were out of the UFC’s control, but to see a show cut to its bare bones on such late notice was still alarming. Hopefully, the shows coming in the next few weeks – particularly UFC 252 – avoid such a curse.
#2 Best: Vicente Luque’s amazing run continues
In one of last night’s most exciting fights, Welterweight contender Vincente Luque picked up his 12th UFC win by TKOing Randy Brown. Incredibly, of those 12 wins, just one has gone the distance. ‘The Silent Assassin’ has finished all of his other foes in violent fashion, and Brown was no exception.
Despite giving up some height and reach, Luque never looked to have any trouble with ‘Rude Boy’. The Brazilian targeted his foe’s leg early on, breaking him from the bottom up. And despite Brown surviving the first round due to a takedown, Luque overwhelmed him in the second.
The final barrage saw him land a picture-perfect knee to the head that put Brown down. From there, a series of punches had the Jamaican out, forcing an end to proceedings.
Luque currently sits at #11 in the UFC’s Welterweight rankings, and after last night, it’s clear he needs a step up. Demian Maia, Rafael Dos Anjos, or Michael Chiesa would all make good opponents for him.
Either way, ‘The Silent Assassin’ remains a must-see fighter in the UFC – up there with the likes of Niko Price and Drew Dober for guaranteed excitement every time.
#2 Worst: Calderwood’s UFC title hopes go up in smoke
UFC Flyweight title contender Joanne Calderwood was supposed to take her shot at champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 251. But unsurprisingly for such a strange year, that fight went by-the-by back in March when the champion suffered a leg injury.
Calderwood probably could’ve sat out and waited for her opportunity, but needing a paycheque desperately, she instead risked it all. When Viviane Araujo was sidelined following a positive COVID-19 test, former Invicta champion Jennifer Maia needed a new opponent on last night’s show. And ‘Jo-Jo’ decided to step in.
It turned out to be a huge mistake. Calderwood was simply outgunned by the Brazilian. And despite securing a takedown, she soon found herself submitting to a tight armbar with seconds to go in the opening round.
The Scotswoman’s night then went from bad to worse when she passed out backstage following the loss and had to be taken to hospital. Hopefully, she’s okay, but overall the decision to fight last night will probably be looked upon as a mistake. She’ll probably never secure another UFC title shot – and that’s just sad.
#3 Best: Is Maia now Shevchenko’s greatest threat?
When the UFC announced Joanne Calderwood as Flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko’s next title challenger, it sounded like business as usual for ‘The Bullet’. But following last night’s show, Shevchenko may be faced with a much greater threat.
Former Invicta champion Jennifer Maia has largely flattered to deceive since arriving in the UFC in 2018. Last night though, she stepped up – big time – and displayed all of her skills to take out Calderwood in the first round.
Maia lit ‘Jo-Jo’ up on the feet with some clean boxing, and once the fight hit the ground, she stayed calm on the bottom before securing a beautiful armbar for the tap out.
The win puts Maia 3-2 in the UFC and while that doesn’t sound too impressive, in a thin division it should be enough to net her a title shot.
More to the point though, she should be able to provide Shevchenko with her toughest test to date. Maia appears to be a better striker than Liz Carmouche, and a better grappler than Jessica Eye and Katlyn Chookagian.
Will that be enough to overcome the champion? Most likely not, as Shevchenko is probably the best pound-for-pound female fighter in the UFC. But she’s definitely earned her shot at the champion now, and hopefully, the UFC gives it to her in the near future.
