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With the next set of UFC shows heading back to Fight Island, UFC Fight Night 178 was a heck of a way to sign off the promotion's recent run in Las Vegas.
Unlike the other recent UFC shows, we only got one last-minute change due to COVID-19. And what looked like an excellent card on paper completely delivered in execution, with just four of the fights on offer going the distance.
Overall, this was a pay-per-view level card from the UFC, and it didn't let us down. Here are the best and worst moments from UFC Fight Night 178: Covington vs. Woodley.
#1 Best: Chimaev's hype train shows no sign of slowing down
While the majority of people – myself included – figured that Khamzat Chimaev would be able to pick up his third UFC win this weekend, a number also felt like the Chechen fighter was overlooking experienced opponent Gerald Meerschaert.
'GM3' had nearly nine times the fights that his opponent had coming into last night's clash, including 11 appearances in the UFC. But for 'Borz,' it didn't matter. He walked right across the cage, nailed Meerschaert with a picture-perfect right hook, and had his hand raised after just 17 seconds.
Simply put, this was a ridiculously good performance.
People will point to Israel Adesanya and Conor McGregor as the last two fighters who found stardom this quickly, but I think the better comparison for Chimaev is Khabib Nurmagomedov. The current UFC Lightweight champion entered the promotion with a similar reputation for violence, and like Chimaev, he took out plenty of lower-ranked opponents as he climbed the ladder.
Chimaev’s KO of Meerschaert in fact was reminiscent of Khabib’s own KO of Thiago Tavares back in 2013.
Next up for 'Borz' is apparently Demian Maia, and while the veteran Brazilian promises to provide a sterner test for Chimaev, it'd be hard to justify picking him right now. Chimaev simply appears to be performing on a different level entirely to his opponents, even in the UFC. The hype is for real.
#1 Worst: Covington's dull win may harm his UFC title hopes
While Colby Covington's win over former UFC Welterweight champ Tyron Woodley in the main event was impressive, that doesn't mean it was entertaining. In fact, particularly in comparison to most of the fights on tap last night, it was dull.
Sure, 'Chaos' won every round of the fight, taking Woodley down at times and out-striking him standing, but it just wasn't much fun to watch. A grinder by nature, Covington lived up to that reputation, and while he picked up a finish, it was due to a freakish injury more than anything else.
Put simply, his win over Woodley wasn't close to being as impressive as Gilbert Burns' win over the former UFC champ back in May.
Covington's behavior post-fight was a turn-off, too. He screamed that he "wanted his belt back" when he never actually held the full UFC title – only an interim belt. Covington then spewed rhetoric against "woke athletes" and Joe Biden. He even slung racist insults towards current UFC champ Kamaru Usman on the post-fight show.
Will this win be enough to earn him another crack at 'The Nigerian Nightmare'? If we're frank, it shouldn't, as Burns should still be ahead of him in the queue for a title shot.
The unfortunate truth is that 'Chaos' almost has to rely on an OTT persona – and often, questionable rhetoric – because last night's fight just wasn't that great to watch.
#2 Best: Mackenzie Dern's grappling was on another level
We've known for a while that Mackenzie Dern – a multiple-time world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu – probably has the best grappling game in the UFC's Strawweight division. However, there were always several question marks over the Brazilian-American, mainly around her striking, wrestling, and cardio.
Well, her win last night over perennial UFC contender Randa Markos should go a long way to quieting those doubters.
Dern came in looking like she was in the best shape of her UFC career. And after a quick flurry, she was able to get the fight to the ground after slipping on a head kick attempt.
From there, it's been suggested by some fans that Markos made an error in jumping into Dern's guard, but was that really the case? It didn't look like it to me. It appeared more like Markos attempted to strike her downed opponent only for Dern to capitalize by grabbing hold of her.
From there, the fight was over. Markos isn't a bad grappler by anyone's standards. But Dern dummied her on the ground, using a triangle attempt to eventually secure top position before locking up a beautiful armbar for the tap-out.
If Dern can remain in this kind of shape and can continue to find novel ways to get her fights to the ground, she'll be a title contender for sure. This was the best showing of her young UFC career.
#2 Worst: Eye pokes mar the Cerrone/Price fight
This was such a good UFC show that it's honestly hard to pick a second 'worst' moment, but one stands out somewhat. Everyone, myself included, figured we'd see fireworks when Donald Cerrone and Niko Price faced off inside the Octagon. But while the fight was excellent, it was somewhat marred too.
For the first time in his UFC career, Price saw the final buzzer of a fight, as he simply couldn't put Cerrone away despite throwing everything he had at him in the opening round in particular. In fact, 'Cowboy' being able to survive the barrage showed that he isn't as shopworn as his doubters thought.
However, 'The Hybrid' was clearly the aggressor in the fight, and until he tired a little late on, was clearly winning. But unfortunately, his performance was marred by multiple eye pokes, including two in the first round that cost him a point.
Things got even worse later on from the eye poke perspective, as the two fighters actually poked each other at the same time.
The point deduction ended up costing Price the biggest win of his career, as the fight was declared a majority draw instead. Not that Price seemed to mind, as he celebrated the result, much to the confusion of Cerrone.
Even then, though, this was more weird than bad – the mark of a great show.
#3 Best: Johnny Walker remains one of the UFC's most exciting fighters
Brazilian Light Heavyweight Johnny Walker saw his hype train derailed severely last year when Corey Anderson knocked him out. His loss to Nikita Krylov in March sent it reeling even further. But after his win over Ryan Spann last night, it might be back on the tracks.
The fight between the two was a wildly exciting one, with both men being badly hurt by strikes. Walker went down heavily at one point, before the Brazilian finished things with a series of elbows to the side of Spann's head.
Will Walker ever really contend for the UFC Light-Heavyweight title? It honestly feels unlikely even with this win. Not only did Spann hurt him a couple of times, but he also landed a nice takedown with ease, bringing into question whether the Brazilian has actually improved since his two UFC losses.
However, whether or not he's in UFC title contention shouldn't matter. He's one of the UFC's most exciting fighters, point-blank, and his penchant for wild fights will make him a fan favorite for some time to come yet.
