UFC 290: Five things we learned
UFC 290 will be remembered as an all-time great event. It featured almost everything you desire from a fight card. We saw bouts that will define legacies, fan-friendly scraps, quick knockouts and a small hint of madness. All things considered, there is very little to complain about.
All the action from UFC 290 leaves us with a ton to recap. In all honesty, the card was so wild, I could have complied ten lessons. Regardless, let’s take a look at five of the biggest lessons that need to be recapped from UFC 290.
Alexander Volkanovski is the best in the world
At UFC 290, Volkanovski put his skills on display, showing he is possibly the most skilled fighter on the roster.
The UFC featherweight champion managed to systematically break down Yair Rodriguez before finishing the electric kickboxer in the third round. Throughout the course of the bout, Volkanovski did a great job of countering Rodriguez’s kicks. It began with catching kicks and landing takedowns, allowing him to control the fight on the ground while landing ground-and-pound. Ultimately, he ended the fight after landing a massive hook while Rodriguez threw a kick.
At UFC 290, Volkanovski proved to be one of the most skilled fighters of all time. That should not necessarily be a surprise considering previous outstanding performances. Nonetheless, it should not be dismissed, either.
Volkanovski is an elite striker, but everyone knows that. Hopefully, UFC 290 made everyone realize that he can grapple at an elite level too.
Alexandre Pantoja has Brandon Moreno’s number
In the co-main event of UFC 290, Alexandre Pantoja defeated Brandon Moreno for the third time. This was the most consequential victory of the trio, however.
At UFC 290, Pantoja and Moreno went to war. At the end of the day, Pantoja was able to win a decision because of his grappling success and striking power. That is not to say Moreno fought badly, though. His hand speed and boxing were on full display, which just makes Pantoja’s victory even more impressive.
It is evident that Pantoja has Moreno’s number. Pantoja now sits with three victories over Moreno while the former champion sits winless. It is rare to have three wins over a fighter. It is even rarer that a fighter can get three wins over a championship-quality opponent.
The build-up to Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya will be interesting
At UFC 290, Dricus Du Plessis got the biggest win of his career, knocking out Robert Whittaker in the second round. That win was outstanding, but what happened after the fight is stealing headlines.
In Du Plessis’ octagon interview, Israel Adesanya entered the cage and the pair did a faceoff while letting trash talk flow. That will just be the start of the trash talk between the two.
We are still several months and many media obligations away from the fight, but it is safe to say things we get interesting. It would not be a shock if things got awkward or cringey either.
Dan Hooker is back
If you want a one-word recap of Dan Hooker and Jalin Turner’s UFC 290 bout, madness would be the most accurate. The pair threw down for three rounds before Hooker was able to walk away with a decision win.
This was a massively entertaining bout. Turner landed some massive power strikes that nearly led to a knockout, while Hooker poured on volume and almost got a finish of his own.
Yes, the fight was entertaining, but it was crucial to Hooker’s career. Hooker entered UFC 290 with four losses in his last six fights. That is not a great run and the two wins did not come against elite competition either.
That said, Turner is a tough test and Hooker showed a lot to love. Most importantly, he is still capable of absorbing damage. The head kick that Turner landed in the second round would have knocked a lot of lightweight out, but Hooker ate it.
It is hard to doubt Hooker’s current form. That is not to say he will climb into the top five, but he is certainly good enough to hold a spot in the UFC rankings.
Bo Nickal is not afraid to strike
At UFC 290, Bo Nickal, a three-time NCAA wrestling national champion, got the first knockout of his UFC career against Val Woodburn.
Nickal looked good on the feet. He landed a few nice hooks and put his power on full display in what is a massive positive at this stage of his career.
The lesson that this fight taught was not that Nickal is an elite striker. At a minimum, a much larger sample size is needed to claim that he can strike against solid middleweight strikers.
What is more important is that he is comfortable on his feet. If Nickal wanted, he could have landed the takedown and got a submission. Instead, he threw down with a massive power puncher that sat down on a winging overhand early in the fight.
The comfort Nickal displays in the striking department is reason for optimism that he can continue to improve on the feet.
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