UFC 257 Round Up

Well, where to begin. UFC 257 will undoubtedly go down in MMA history as one of the most seminal nights in recent times. The Etihad Stadium in Abu Dhabi played host to the first Pay Per View event of 2021, headlined by the returning Conor McGregor in a rematch 7 years in the making against Dustin Poirier. It would not turn out to be the fairy tale return for the 'Notorious', but more on that later. 

The main card saw prospects rise and contenders fall. Marina Rodriguez provided one of the bigger upsets of the night against Amanda Ribas, utilising her beautiful Muay Thai striking to get the 2nd round TKO finish. While there was some confusion around the stoppage when referee Herb Dean had appeared to step in before proceeding to tell the Strawweights to carry on fighting, Rodriguez did not let this bother her, as she charged forward with clinical strikes to end the bout, handing Ribas only her second career loss. Ribas was positive in defeat and she will remain optimistic about her future aspirations. At only 27 years of age, Ribas still has a very promising career ahead of her at Strawweight, but all credit to Marina Rodriguez who will be destined for a big name next time out!

At Middleweight, we saw the much hyped Makhmud Muradov get a third round TKO victory over the durable Andrew Sanchez. Muradov, who didn't fight at all in 2020, brought the fireworks in his return to the Octagon. A brutal barrage of strikes in the third round forced referee Jason Herzog to call a stop to the contest, as Muradov cemented his status as a serious threat to the Middleweight division. He improves to 25-6 (3-0 in the UFC) and is certainly one to watch in the future!

The long awaited Women's Flyweight grudge match between Jessica Eye and Joanne Calderwood came to a head at UFC 257. It was a scrappy back and forth affair but it was the Scot Joanne Calderwood who took the unanimous decision victory, showcasing her Muay Thai abilities to land almost double the significant strikes of Eye across the 15 minutes. Calderwood will now hope to finally get her opportunity to fight for the belt against Valentina Shevchenko, having missed her opportunity when the champ pulled out with an injury. Calderwood would go on to face Jennifer Maia and lose, gifting Maia the title shot. Hopefully we see Calderwood in that title fight later this year!

We witnessed the long awaited debut of 'Iron' Michael Chandler, who upset the odds makers, dispatching Dan Hooker in a vicious one round demolition. Chandler has always been regarded as one of the top Lightweights in the world. The former Bellator champion showcased his exceptional talents to silence his doubters and inject himself into the UFC Lightweight title conversation once again. A Ric Flair esque call out of champion Khabib Nurmagomedov makes Chandler's debut one of the most exciting and emphatic in UFC history, and the sky is the limit for the American.

In a night of upsets, there were none greater than the main event. Dustin 'The Diamond' Poirier executed the perfect game plan to neutralise McGregor's stand-up, dictating the fight in all areas, with his low calf kicks becoming the story of the fight. With his lead leg compromised early, McGregor had little opportunity to implement his famous standup, and Poirier made the most of his opportunity, dispatching McGregor via TKO in the second round. 

An emphatic display from the Louisiana fighter who has set himself up for the next title fight, be that against Khabib Nurmagomedov or a different name should the champ retire. For McGregor now, a reset is required. Whilst there is always opportunity for the biggest superstar in the sport, this loss is a big setback and his next move will be vital to the preservation of his legacy. Poirier has offered the trilogy fight and a shot at redemption for the Irishman, which would undoubtedly represent his best chance at getting back to a championship. Should he go another direction however, then names like Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson can't be left out of the discussion. We all knew how big a year this would be for McGregor, but it could turn out to be the biggest of his career in terms of his legacy and future in the sport.

The action resumes on February 6th with a Heavyweight showcase at the Apex between Alistair Overeem and Alexander Volkov, which should be another very exciting matchup with both men aspiring to reach the top of the division once again! 

~ James Eakin

Image credits: [Centre] "UFC 257: Poirier vs McGregor 2 Results", Thomas Gerbasi. Available at: https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-257-poirier-vs-mcgregor-2-results-winners-hooker-chandler-fight-island [Accessed Jan '21].