There were so many emotions after an epic evening of fights at UFC 254. We saw Khabib, the pound for pound best fighter on earth retire after an amazing second-round triangle submission against Justin Gaethje. We also saw Bobby Knuckles Whittaker take down rising contender Jared Cannonier. So many possibilities just opened up, and there’s a lot to unpack.
Khabib retiring caught the UFC fan base off guard following such a dominant performance. His father, and longtime trainer tragically passed recently after contracting Covid-19. The devastating blow only added to the emotional performance the champ gave. After Dana White put his belt on, Khabib announced he promised his mother he wouldn’t fight unless his father trained him. That being said, with this fight he cemented himself as the pound for pound best fighter in the world. He’s on top, and there’s nothing wrong going out on top. What saddens me is that you know he has so much more left in the tank. Right now, he is the most dominant fighter I have ever seen. His striking has become elite, and he’s the best wrestler I’ve ever seen in the UFC. His Conditioning is unmatched, and not being able to see him fight again knowing he’s in peak condition just doesn’t seem right. I wish him nothing but the best in his career after UFC and am honored I got to watch such an all-time great get in the Octagon.
With Khabib’s retirement, it means the lightweight division for the first time in a long time, is wide open. Justin Gaethje will stand as the interim champion, but guys like Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson are licking the chops at a potential title shot. Then who could also forget the Notorious Conner McGregor. McGregor with an impressive last fight wants Poirier as his next fight which would decide who gets to take on Gaethje for the belt. The lightweight division has turned into one of the most interesting divisions in UFC with the pound for pound best fighter being taken out of the mix.
Another fight with major implications yesterday was the Robert Whittaker Jared Cannonier fight. Adesanya announced after his last title defense if Cannonier beats Whittaker he’d give him a shot at the belt. With Whittaker proving once again that he’s the second-best fighter in the division will we see him get another title shot? Or will Adesanya wait for another potential challenger? A lot is up in the air.
UFC 254 further was an exciting one to watch. Dana White always gives the people the matchups they want to see. I’m interested to see what sort of tournament style matchups he has planned for the lightweight division in the future, and a look forward to reflecting on UFC 255 and the new implications it brings to the UFC.
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