UFC 314: Five Things We Learned

UFC 314: Five Things We Learned

UFC 314 lived up to the expectations. The fight card was filled with entertaining bouts that had fans excited. Those fights helped create a great card packed with fun fights. More importantly, the fights had massive implications on their divisions.

Alexander Volkanovski Is Still A Championship Caliber Fighter 

In the UFC 314 main event, Alexander Volkanovski defeated Diego Lopes to regain the featherweight championship. It was a great outing by the 36-year-old that proved he is still a championship-caliber fighter.

This version of Volkanovski is vastly different in comparison to the fighter he was a few years ago. In this outing against Lopes, he was much more willing to sit in the pocket and trade. At the same time, he showed some defensive concerns, and his durability is not elite. Still, he landed the bigger strikers while also landing more volume. It was a massive change in fighting style, but he is still capable of winning a title fight.

Volkanovski’s performance should be celebrated. This victory made him the first fighter over the age of 35 to win a title fight in the lightweight division or lower. That is remarkable. Despite clearly being past his prime and showing signs of regression, Volkanovski is still a championship-caliber fighter. That simply does not happen in the lower weight classes. It is a testament to Volkanovski’s skill, intelligence, and determination.

Paddy Pimblett Capitalizes Against Michael Chandler

In the UFC 314 co-main event, Paddy Pimblett finished Michael Chandler in the third round. The win was the best performance of his career.

This fight is a difficult one to analyze. On one hand, Pimblett showed a lot of positives. At the same time, Chandler showed his age while looking like a diminished version of himself. That creates a dilemma. Pimblett deserves credit for beating Chandler. The question is, how much? It would be disingenuous to act as if he beat an elite lightweight, but he should get credit for treating Chandler accordingly and getting the finish.

Pimblett’s next fight will be important for his career. The fights only get harder from this point forward. In most of those matchups, he will be fighting the lightweight elder statesmen, but those will be quality fighters.

The UFC Is Not Getting The Best Of Patricio Pitbull

At UFC 314, Patricio Pitbull made his UFC debut against Yair Rodriguez. The Bellator MMA veteran lost a decision and showed that he is entering the UFC far past his prime.

At 37 years old, it is evident that Pitbull’s best days are behind him. In this fight, he was inactive. This allowed Rodriguez to control the fight from a distance. In the moments when he decided to exchange, he was slower and did not have the durability to hold up. In addition, he did not aggressively pursue offensive grappling. That is an interesting choice, considering Rodriguez’s history of poor defensive grappling performances.

This performance is an unfortunate reality for Pitbull. He spent his best days in Bellator MMA. Now, in the best promotion in the world, he is not capable of putting on his best performances.

Jean Silva Pitches A Perfect Game

The UFC 314 matchup between Jean Silva and Bryce Mitchell was one of the most anticipated bouts heading into the event. Silva dominated that bout before landing a ninja choke to finish the fight in the second round.

Silva did an outstanding job of defending takedowns and landing damaging strikes. Mitchell went one for 14 on takedown attempts and had less than two minutes of control time. Meanwhile, Silva landed a knockdown in the second round.

Eventually, Mitchell’s takedowns became desperate and sloppy when Silva turned up the heat in striking exchanges. That allowed Silva to get in deep on a ninja choke and finish the fight.

This was an excellent performance from Silva. This is the type of victory that helps him earn a ranked and get a big opportunity in his next fight.

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Dominick Reyes Continues His Resurgence

At UFC 314, Dominick Reyes continues his career resurgence with a first-round knockout against Nikita Krylov.

This fight is an example of what makes Reyes dangerous. Krylov got overaggressive and attempted to pressure Reyes with big hooks. That allowed Reyes to sit down on a counter, which put Krylov out cold.

Reyes now has three consecutive victories, with each win coming knockout. That streak comes off the heels of a four-fight losing streak that featured three knockout losses. Reyes has completely changed his fortune and will reenter the elite portion of the light heavyweight division.

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