UFC Jacksonville: Five things we learned
UFC Jacksonville left us with some important lessons to recap. Since the main card aired on ABC, the young prospects that were front and center had an opportunity to display their skills to a wide audience. For the most part, they rose to the occasion.
Let’s recap the five biggest lessons that were taught at UFC Jacksonville.
Ilia Topuria is an elite featherweight
In the UFC Jacksonville main event, Ilia Topuria dominated Josh Emmett for five rounds. It is impossible to question his place in the featherweight division now; Topuria has undoubtedly entered the division’s upper echelon.
Topuria, 26, outboxed Emmett from bell to bell. It started with his jab, which he establish early and utilized often. From there, he was able to land combinations while adding leg kicks. At any moment Emmett looked to land offense, Topuria was able to land a thudding counter.
If that wasn’t enough, Topuria showed outstanding defensive tactics. He showed great distance management as he evaded Emmett’s powerful overhands. In the pocket, kept his hands up while utilizing hammer blocks and rolls to keep himself safe.
At the end of the night, according to UFC stats, Topuria landed 157 significant strikes, one knockdown, and three takedowns. Judge Christopher Lee even scored the bout in Topuria’s favor. It is rare that a fight is that one-sided.
The top of the UFC featherweight division is loaded with outstanding talent. This obviously begins with the champion Alexander Volkanovski, former champion Max Holloway and interim champion Yair Rodriguez. Outside of that tier, fighters like Brian Ortega and Arnold Allen deserve respect. It is clear that Topuria’s name should be placed in those discussions as well.
Josh Emmett is one of the toughest fighters alive
For the second week in a row, it is time to recognize someone’s toughness. Last week, at UFC Vegas 75, it was Marvin Vettori. This week, at UFC Jacksonville, it is Josh Emmett.
As previously discussed, Topuria landed a lot of massive strikes over the course of five rounds. Emmett was never detoured, though. The damage was evident on his face as his eye was swollen and his face was beaten up.
Emmett could have taken the easy way out as well. In the fourth round, he fought tooth and nail to stay in the fight. After that round, the doctor came to ensure Emmett was able to fight. In that moment, all Emmett had to say was that he could not see and the doctor would have called the fight. Instead, he told the doctor he wanted to continue. If that wasn’t enough, when the fifth round started, he bit down on his mouthpiece and hunted a knockout. It does not get much tougher than that.
Maycee Barber has found her form
The recap of the UFC Jacksonville co-main event could be done in one word: violence. Maycee Barber and Amanda Ribas went to war before Barber ended up getting a finish that was started with a head kick and massive right hand. After that performance, Barber proved that she has found her form and is still on the path to stardom.
At the start of her career, Barber quickly become one of the top prospects in the women’s flyweight division. Although, her status was in question after a pair of losses in 2020 and 2021. In five fights since, she is undefeated. That said, Barber’s UFC Jacksonville win over Ribas was the best of her career.
The improvements in Barber’s striking are staggering. Earlier in her career, she was a brawler that excelled in the clinch. While her clinch strikes are still present, she has serious skills from a distance too. Barber has the ability to throw straight shots, counter hooks, and a variety of kicks. On top of that, she has clear knockout power.
At 25, Barber has hit a new peak and her stardom is growing. It will be important to keep an eye on her career in the future.
David Onama is beginning to reach his potential
At UFC Jacksonville, David Onama knocked out Gabriel Santos with a lethal uppercut. As a whole, he looked way better than he did in his most recent fight against Nate Landwehr.
Onama has always been physically gifted. His jab has always jumped off the screen because he is long, quick, and powerful. In the past, he struggled because of defensive lapses and cardio issues. While Onama still has flaws, they have decreased. It is great to see that he has improved his cardio and patched up his striking defense. I would like to see it improve further, but you can only do so much in between fights. Lastly, his offensive skill set is improving as he adds more weapons to his toolkit.
It is worth noting that Onama recently switched gyms. This was his first fight as a part of Factory X Muay Thai. Previously, he fought under James Krause at Glory MMA and Fitness but was forced to switch after the UFC banned the gym. Come to find out, that gym change ended up being a blessing in disguise for Onama’s career.
Brendan Allen is a lethal finisher
At UFC Jacksonville, Brendan Allen kept his hot streak alive. After submitting Bruno Silva in the first round, Allen has won five consecutive fights. In that stretch, Allen established himself as a lethal finisher as four of those wins came by finish.
At UFC Jacksonville, Allen showed that he can be a lethal striker as well. Allen has always been a good striker. Although, he looked much more lethal on the feet against Silva. In striking exchanges, Allen showed that he can sit in the pocket and throw massive counterstrikes. No, he did not win with a knockout but he dropped Silva with his hands which present the opportunity to land a submission on the ground.
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