UFC 228 was this past weekend, let’s get right to the rundown
UFC 228
GOOD- Abdul Razak Alhassan stops Niko Price
Alhassan exploded out of the gate early with big repeated big punches. He caught Price with some huge shots and got the knockout in just over 40 seconds. Good win for Alhassan.
GOOD- Jimmie Rivera vs. John Dodson
This was kind of a weird fight. Dodson usually uses a lot of movement but here it seemed like he was sleepwalking at times. Rivera did land a lot of low kicks, which surely played a role in things, but Dodson didn’t seem like himself. Rivera got the decision victory. Good win for him.
GOOD- Zabit Magomedsharipov submits Brandon Davis
Zabit ended up getting the submission with a kneebar crank move. He had the back of Davis and then wrenched his leg back. I’m sure that’s not a very good description but it’s a move you need to see for yourself. It’s actually happened twice tonight, as Aljamain Sterling won with it on the prelims. Good win for Magomedsharipov.
GOOD- Jessica Andrade stops Karolina Kowalkiewicz
Andrade came out firing and popped Kowalkiewicz with some big shots. Kowalkiewicz tried to recover and stay in the fight, but Andrade was just too strong and accurate with her punches. She stopped Kowalkiewicz just under two minutes into the first round. Good win for Andrade.
GOOD- Tyron Woodley submits Darren Till
The first round was very tentative and slow, but Woodley came out quick in the second round, dropping Till with a big punch. Woodley jumped on him and started dropping big elbows and punches on Till. He took a whole lot of punishment, but Till was able to survive somehow. Woodley moved between side control to mount and back to side control as he kept throwing whatever he could at Till. Then, Woodley locked in a D’Arce choke and got the submission win.
Bigtime win for Woodley as he defends his welterweight title again.
I could easily see Till moving up to middleweight to avoid these punishing weight cuts, but I’m sure he also loves the size advantage he has at welterweight over everyone else. Woodley has a stranglehold on the title, though, and one more loss to him effectively shuts the door on Till’s title hopes so he might want to be very careful before fighting Woodley again.
That means trying to better himself with a few more fights at welterweight before challenging Woodley again. The prospect of three or four more fights at welterweight might seem too daunting for him, though, so I think he’ll move up but we’ll have to wait to see.
As for Woodley, he’s firmly entrenched as one of the best welterweights in the world. He calls himself the best and I do like confidence, but he would need a win over a guy like Georges St. Pierre before most people would consider him the best.
He’s certainly putting himself in the conversation, though, as he has a very well-rounded game that allows him to adapt his fighting style to match his opponent’s weaknesses.
I’m assuming that Colby Covington will be the next to face Woodley. I would heavily favor Woodley in that fight but Demetrious Johnson just lost the flyweight title so anything can happen. If that is the next fight, I hope each man can be prepared for the fight as quickly as possible.
Kamaru Usman was a backup for this fight in case Till couldn’t make weight so maybe he’s the one to get the next title shot? Covington talks more trash, though, so the UFC might go with him in hopes that he’s able to bring about an increased interest in the fight.
It’s hard to say, considering the way the UFC is, but I think it’s more likely that Covington talks his way to the title shot. Either way, I’m sure Woodley will be ready to fight whoever is before him the next time he enters the cage.
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