Chama Era Has Returned

Alex Pereira regains title via skysports.com

Last night in Las Vegas, we witnessed arguably the greatest card in recent memory. With countless highlight finishes on the main card, UFC fans were given a spectacle and a reminder of why mixed martial arts is the greatest sport in the world.

The top three fights on the card pose massive repercussions for the company's future, and we will start with the main event, where Alex Pereira reminded the world of who he is.

Tactically, there isn’t too much to break down here. In the first fight, Ankalaev was able to put Poatan on the back foot and utilize the mere threat of the takedown to dominate the striking exchanges. However, in the rematch, Pereira vowed to come out with a vengeance.

Right when the bell rang, Pereira rushed forward, putting Ankalaev on the fence. A key adjustment Pereira made in the rematch was the leg kicks. In the first fight, to counter Ankalev’s southpaw stance, Pereira would throw outside leg kicks with his lead leg. However, this would result in Ankalaev blitzing forward, landing his straight left hand repeatedly.

In the rematch, Poatan switched to the inside calf kick, utilizing his back leg, which removed the opportunity for Ankalaev to blitz. This caused Ankalaev to switch to his orthodox stance, a position in which Pereira is much more comfortable fighting against. From there, Pereira set up his massive right hand, and with several brutal follow-up shots on the ground, the fight was over.

This result renders their first fight irrelevant, and with the ease with which Pereira disposed of Ankalaev, a trilogy is unlikely to happen.

Pereira now sits in the driver's seat, and he has numerous options to choose from. The likely option is the defense of his light-heavyweight title against Carlos Ulberg.

However, he has expressed his desire to move up to heavyweight in an attempt to become the UFC’s first triple champion. He has the opportunity to fight the winner of Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane next summer at the UFC’s White House card, and if he emerges victorious, he has a strong case as the greatest fighter in UFC history.

Merab Dvalishvili defends his throne via bloodyelbow.com

In the co-main event, for the undisputed bantamweight championship, we saw something we’d seen on countless occasions.

Although not surprising, it served as a poignant reminder of what true dominance truly looks like. Merab Dvalishvili ran through Cory Sandhagen, emerging victorious by decision.

Despite the fight going to the judges, the scorecards were a formality.

Dvalishvili weaponized his unparalleled cardio, pushing the pace for five straight rounds, drowning the bewildered challenger. Heading into the fight, the Georgian continued to emphasize his desire to fight primarily on the feet. Many chalked this up as hyperbole, but to our shock, Dvalishvili dominated in the striking exchanges.

After nearly knocking out Sandhagen in the second round, the fight's outcome became increasingly clear. Sandhagen was unable to utilize his tall frame to keep Dvalishvili at bay, suffering take-down after take-down.

Dvalishvili’s dominance somewhat resembles what we saw in Khabib Nurmagomedov. Opponents know what he’s going to do, they prepare for weeks, yet are unable to stop it.

Dvalishvili overwhelmed Sandhagen in all areas of the fight, and now, with no fresh challengers awaiting, where does he go from here?

In the post-fight interview, Dvalishvili called for a rematch with Petr Yan. The first fight between them was an absolute domination by the Georgian; however, with no emerging contenders waiting in the wings, Yan is the most qualified to receive another title shot.

Many fans have clamoured for Dvalishvili to move up to featherweight and challenge Alexander Volkanovski, yet Merab seemingly has no interest in doing so. Instead, he’s looking to continue his dominance, and now, without a doubt, Merab Dvalishvili is the greatest bantamweight in UFC history.

Jiří Procházka defeats Khalil Rountree Jr. via Cageside Press

In essentially what was billed as a “title eliminator”, Jiří Procházka reminded us all why he’s amongst the best 205-pounders in the world, defeating Khalil Rountree Jr. by knockout.

The fight went as most expected: chaotic exchanges, unorthodox striking, and bloody violence. In the first two rounds, Rountree found success utilizing his most potent weapons: leg kicks and his straight left hand. He was able to mitigate Procházka’s reckless pressure by keeping him at range, countering his entrances, and damaging his front leg. He was able to punish Procházka, who suffered from putting a heavy weight on his lead leg, and throughout the fight, it almost seemed as if Procházka was unable to move effectively around the octagon due to the damage. 

As the fight went into the final round, it was clear that the former champion needed to finish to secure the victory, and he came out guns blazing. Right away, he abandoned all regard for what was being thrown at him and engaged in what he does best, chaos. Procházka walked Rountree down, pushed him against the fence, and fired shots that no man could withstand. Midway through the final round, Procházka hit Rountree with the left hook that sent him falling to the canvas, ending the fight.

In his post-fight interview, he called for a title shot against the winner of the main event; however, with his consecutive losses to Alex Pereira, he may have to wait in line for a crack at the belt.

The Alex Pereira era is back, Merab Dvalishvili continued his dominance, and

Jiří Procházka reminded us why he’s the most entertaining fighter in the UFC. The next couple of weeks will answer lots of questions as to what’s next for these fighters, so stay tuned for our incoming UFC 321 breakdown between heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane.