UFC 288 delivered in a big way with a memorable card from top to bottom. Tons of entertainment was provided, and the fans had plenty to cheer for. Winners and losers were already discussed, so here we will review some takeaways from Saturday night.
Virna Jandiroba to the Moon
Jandiroba had a huge opportunity at UFC 288 to secure her biggest win to date. Marina Rodriguez was her toughest test to date, and she passed with flying colours. Her wrestling looked career-best and stymied Marina for the majority of the 15 minutes. Her striking still needs some work, but her high-level grappling will present a lot of problems for opponents. Already ranked, this win should boost Jandiroba up the rankings and give her another top opponent next time out. One or two more wins will have Virna sitting pretty in the title picture.
Don’t Count Them Out
The two biggest favourites on the card were Khaos Williams and Movsar Evloev. They were both lined to run through their debuting opponents. Those men, Rolando Bedoya and Diego Lopes were not victorious but did a lot to help their stocks. Starting with Bedoya, he took Khaos Williams to an extremely close decision. Bedoya showed off toughness and went strike for strike with a very good fighter. Bedoya, at minimum, proved he belongs in the UFC and will be a tough out for a lot of fighters. Diego Lopes did not achieve the same levels of “success” but did prove something. Movsar Evloev was above a -1000 favourite, and Lopes did a lot to prove that line inaccurate. Evloev controlled the fight with wrestling, but Lopes had moments with submission attempts. Lopes was tough enough to survive and had Evloev in some compromising positions. At such a big underdog line, he showed much more than a lot of fans were expecting.
Down Goes the Legendary Chin
Fans to name the best chins in the game, Drew Dober’s name always comes up. His first KO loss came Saturday at the hands of Matt Frevola. MMA can be a cruel game, and only the unexpected can be expected. It was a big win for Frevola, but seeing a guy like Dober go down that way is always tough. Similar to when Tony Ferguson’s chin got cracked, it leaves worry in the minds of fans. We hope to see Dober bounce back after some time off and come back stronger than ever.
Yan Xiaonan
Yan Xiaonan made a huge statement with a knockout win over Jessica Andrade. Andrade has not lost in such a manner since a 2019 matchup with current champion Zhang Weili. After this big win, that may just be the next fight for Yan Xiaonan. Weili needs an opponent and no one makes more sense than Xiaonan at this time. Amanda Lemos could be an option but the possibility of two high-level women from China fighting for the belt could be too good to pass up.
Aljo is Here to Stay
The doubt keeps coming for Aljamain Sterling, but so do the wins. Sterling’s resume is starting to look very impressive despite the hate he gets. Taking out a legend like Henry Cejudo adds another notch to Aljo’s belt. In such a crowded 135 division, the champ is proving he deserves his title. Sean O’Malley is next up and will provide another great matchup for Sterling. Contenders are aplenty in the division, and Aljo will have no problem finding opponents for as long as he sticks around. Who knows how much longer we will see Sterling, but his great title reign cannot be denied.
What were some of your major takeaways post UFC 288?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
