Why The Outcome of UFC 313 Was Positive

via usatoday.com

UFC 313 is over, and we have a new undisputed light-heavyweight champion, Magomed Ankalaev. The card did not disappoint, and given the landscape of the light-heavyweight division and the company as a whole, this outcome could actually benefit the UFC and its fans.

Mauricio Ruffy vs. King Green

To open the main card, Mauricio Ruffy put on a masterclass, exiting the contest with a performance of the night bonus under his belt. Immediately from the bell, the discrepancy in skill was apparent. Ruffy immediately rocked Green with a right hand, putting his opponent on the backfoot. The Brazilian used his feints effectively, ultimately setting up a highlight spinning wheel kick to end the fight in the first round. This knockout made it clear that Ruffy could insert himself in the title picture very soon, and a ranked opponent is inevitable for his next contest. For Green, retirement looms large for the veteran, as with no path to contention, the legend is only putting his health at risk continuing to compete in the UFC.

Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Jalin Turner

This was a contest that many fans deemed highly competitive, and heading into the bout, this was Jalin Turner's last chance to keep his name in the upper-echelon of the lightweight division. This was a classic prospect versus veteran fight, and for Bahamondes, a dominant victory was essential to insert himself into the rankings. That's precisely what occurred. Bahamondes demonstrated his elite ground game, locking up a triangle choke in the first round and finishing the contest with efficiency and style. Unexpectedly, after the loss, Turner announced his retirement from the sport, a disappointing decision for many fans of the sport. Turner will go down as an elite prospect who couldn't reach the next level; however, his career was full of accomplishments and will always be appreciated by fans. Now, Bahamondes has announced himself as a top contender in the division, and with his combination of speed, skill, and large size for the lightweight division, his ceiling his extremely high.

Justin Gaethje vs. Rafael Fiziev

In a contest that was rewarded as fight of the night, Justine Gaethje announced that he wasn't going anywhere, with an impressive victory over Rafael Fiziev in their rematch. This fight was an unexpected rematch, with the two fighting back in London, England at UFC 286. The fight was a thriller, earning fight of the night honours, with Gaethje winning by majority decision. Gaethje's original opponent was scheduled to be Dan Hooker, however two weeks out of the contest, Hooker pulled out with a broken hand. Fiziev valiantly stepped up, with a chance to insert himself into the top five of the lightweight division with a victory. When the fight began, Fiziev unexpectedly tried to implement his wrestling, shooting for multiple takedown attempts on Gaethje, however, with underrated wrestling fundamentals, Gaethje quickly rose to his feet. Gaethje found success in the chaotic exchanges in close quarters. Gaethje repeatedly uses uppercuts to hurt Fiziev, and in the second round, he secured a brutal knockdown. Heading into the third round, the contest was even, and this was where Gaethje's veteran presence allowed him to emerge victorious from the fight. Gaethje was able to land more significant strikes, especially to the head, outstriking Fiziev 56 to 20 in head strikes. Landing at a 78% clip, Gaethje's accuracy in the chaos was outstanding. It was clear that the time he took off following his UFC 300 loss to Max Holloway was crucial, and he demonstrated a vintage Gaethje performance that reminded the world that he is still a top lightweight, which causes the difficult question to be posed, which is what does the UFC now do with Gaethje? He is 3-1 in his last four, with victories over Fiziev and Dustin Poirier, and all signs point to a future title shot. The only issue is that the lightweight division has an abundance of riches regarding title contenders, with Charles Oliveira, Arma Tsarukyan, and now Ilia Topuria waiting in the wings for a crack at Islam Makhachev. However, if Gaethje goes to the UFC and asks for a retirement title fight, similar to what Dustin Porier did prior, the company may grant him his wish. Ultimately, whether it be for the title, or against another top contender, Justin Gaethje has stated that he is to remain in the lightweight title picture for a while longer.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira

In the main event, Magomed Ankalaev emerged victorious, with a dominant victory over Alex Pereira; yes, dominant. Despite fans enraged with the decision, labeling the contest as a "robbery", the fight was nowhere near a robbery. In fact, it was as decisive as fights get. Firstly, diving into the statistics, Ankalaev landed 127 total strikes to Pereira's 97, while landing 94 significant strikes to his counterpart's 76. Diving deeper into the significant strikes, although the discrepancy appeared small, Anakalev landed 36 significant head strikes to Pereira's lowly 11. Most of Pereira's attacks came at the legs, attempting to limit Ankalaev's movement and slowly pick him apart. However, as Pereira would attempt these legs kicks, Ankalaev would blitz with either a takedown attempt or a straight left hand out of the southpaw stance. 63% of Pereira's significant strikes were to the legs, so Ankalaev sustained minimal damage, allowing him to push forward without regard for the consequences.

Let's now look at the wrestling. In the fight, Ankalaev shot for 11 takedown attempts. He didn't land one. Pereira demonstrated an astounding evolution in the grappling department, stuffing 100% of his opponent's takedown attempts and avoiding any bottom position. However, the constant threat of the takedown allowed Ankalaev to land significant blows on the feet, stunning Pereira in the second round, and eventually dominating the former champion in rounds three and four. With wrestlers, the fight can be dominated not in takedowns themselves, but simply due to the threat of them. It was clear Pereira's gameplan was defensive, and this proved ineffective. Poatan is at his best when pushing forward, walking down his opponent, and picking them apart from range. Ankalaev effectively closed the distance and kept Pereira guessing the entire contest, ultimately leading to a dominant decision. A rematch between the two is undoubtedly inevitable, and the landscape in light-heavy and heavyweight has become crystal clear.

What's Next?

Surprisingly, the outcome of UFC 313, specifically the main event, may be positive for the company and its fans. Firstly, it is now guaranteed that if Jon Jones returns to the cage, his opponent must be Tom Aspinall. There's simply no other way. With Pereira's loss, Jones' repeated clamouring to fight is now out the window. And for Poatan, it's the company's biggest star facing adversity, with the chance to avenge his loss in the rematch, which he will undoubtedly receive immediately. The UFC now has no questions, and the fights to be booked are clear.