Saturday night was the first time Dana White used Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to hold fights for the UFC. There were three championship bouts on the fight card. It turns out, the favorite in each of the title matches came out on top.
First up was the bantamweight title fight of Petr Yan against Jose Aldo. The fight was fairly even until the fourth round when Petr Yan ended up taking over. He won on a TKO in the fifth round.
The next fight, the co-main event, was a rematch for the featherweight title. Alexander Volkanovski entered as the favorite against Max Holloway. Max Holloway looked like he took three out of the five rounds.
However, a split decision saw it going the other way for Volkanovski. Dana White had some strong words for the judges after the fight.
“We can’t leave it to these guys. We got some bad judging,” said Dana White. Nonetheless, Volkanovski was still excited about the win.
“I showed what champions are made of,” Volkanovski said. “This sport isn’t easy and I showed what I’m made of. Certain champions can dig deep like I did. I’m proud I did and got the job done and can bring [this belt] to Australia to my friends and family.”
This could lead to a third fight between the two.
The Main Event
The main event was the welterweight title fight of Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal. Usman was the heavy favorite in this one and proved why he is undefeated in the UFC. Usman won on a unanimous decision.
“Jorge is a tough guy, and I give him credit for that. They call him ‘Gamebred’ for a reason; he’s always game to fight,” Usman said. “But I’m just levels better, you know? I have more tools in the toolbox, and when I need to pull them out, I can pull them out and use them.”
Usman had Masvidal pinned against the cage for much of the fight, throwing tons of body shots, foot stomps, and elbows. It ended up being a big day for sportsbooks, as well. The handle was the largest for a UFC event in recent history.
Fans were betting heavy on Jorge Masvidal. A bet was even announced before the fight of $200,000 for the outspoken brawler. He had 75% of the bets and was a +225 underdog.
What’s Next for Usman?
Usman has shown to be one of the major stars for the UFC. After taking down the BMF champion, all eyes turn to Usman as he decides what to do next.
“All these guys are preparing for one guy,” he said, “and that’s me, at the top of the mountain.”
Talking does quite a bit for fighters getting attention, but Usman is more of a quiet guy. Fans like to bet on the trash talker, but that’s not Usman. Fans must begin to look at him as an elite star in the UFC after two impressive fights defending his belt.
