UFC 262 Reactions: Everything You Might Have Missed
UFC 262 lived up to they hype. From broken arms, to slashing elbows, and much more, UFC 262 was a great card.
The Prelims
The prelims were full of action. Antonina Shevchenko got absolutely mauled by Andrea Lee to start things off. Lee had Shevchenko in a triangle choke for about 3 minutes before finally submitting her with a nasty armbar. Jordan Wright made quick work of Jamie Pickett, winning by TKO in just over a minute. Lando Vannata did a great job defending takedowns and got a split decision victory over Mike Grundy. And finally, Andre Muniz literally broke Ronaldo Souza’s arm to get the win by submission via armbar.
The Main Card
Alright, on to the main card. In one of the strangest finishes I’ve seen in a while, Edson Barboza knocked out Shane Burgos in the third round. Burgos seemed to absorb a right hook from Barboza, but a few seconds later he was on his back. A rare, and wild delayed knockout, from a fight that was action packed throughout.
Kaitlyn Chookagian secured a decision victory over Viviane Araujo, mainly due to landing significant strikes at a way higher clip (127 to 89). Rogerio Bontorin manhandled Matt Schnell for three rounds and cruised to an easy unanimous decision victory.
Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush
Tony Ferguson looked terrible, there is simply no other way to put it. Beneil Dariush looked like he was on autopilot for much of the fight. Ferguson could not get anything going. Dariush dominated the entire fight, and even had Ferguson in a nasty knee lock that he somehow survived.
What does this mean for Ferguson and Dariush? Ferguson has not looked the same since his loss to Justin Gaethje in May of last year. He got knocked out by Gaethje in the 5th and then lost in a decision to the Charles Oliveira in December. I do not know if Ferguson is going to call it quits, but it was tough to watch him fight last night, especially considering how dominant he once was.
Dariush on the other hand is blossoming into a real contender in the lightweight division. Without a doubt, his next fight will be against a top-three contender in the division, and I would not be surprised if it was a title eliminator.
Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler
Main event time. After a rocky first round, where it looked like he was hurt, Charles Oliveira secured the lightweight belt in knockout fashion over Michael Chandler. After a beautifully placed left hand, Oliviera finished the job inside a minute of the second round. You cannot help but be happy for Oliveira, who has been fighting in the UFC for a decade and finally captured that elusive title he so badly desired.
What’s next for these two warriors? Oliveira is absolutely going to fight the winner of Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, who fight in July. Either one of those men will make Oliveira’s next fight a super fight. Michael Chandler will no doubt be back in a championship fight before his career is over, but what is next? I predict a title eliminator with Justin Gaethje in the coming months, and a win should give Chandler another shot at the belt.
Overall, the card was as good as I could have imagined. Great storylines, great fights, and some electric moments in front of a packed-out Toyota Center.
