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It is safe to say that UFC 264 lived up to the hype that it had generated around itself, posing as one of the contenders for the best UFC card of 2021. Although the night's conclusion came as an unexpected blow with Conor McGregor's tibia fracture, the rest of the card ensured that the fans remained on the edge of their seats throughout the night.
Let's take a look at some of the best finishes to come out of UFC 264:
#5 - Sean O'Malley puts on striking masterclass against tough nut Kris Moutinho at UFC 264
The 'Suga Show' was in full bloom in Las Vegas as he kicked off the main card of UFC 264 against promotional debutant Kris Moutinho.
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Moutinho took the fight against O'Malley on eleven days' notice. He showed up in-weight to make his UFC debut on the main card of one of the most highly anticipated events of the year. Factoring all that in, Kris Moutinho put on a performance to remember.
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The debutant applied immense pressure on O'Malley, absorbing all of the 200+ strikes 'Sugar' threw at him. However, Moutinho was unable to string together viable offensive maneuvers of his own.
Sean O'Malley threw devastating strikes with high precision and speed. He flaunted his entire arsenal of strikes as Kris Moutinho walked him down. Over the period of almost three whole rounds, Sean O'Malley was successful in evading pressure and continuously landing strikes. His final flurry towards the end of round three forced referee Herb Dean to step in and call a stop to the contest while Moutinho was still standing.
Also read: CM Punk reacts to Kris Moutinho's Rocky Balboa-esque performance against Sean O'Malley at UFC 264
The absolute brawl between Sean O'Malley and Kris Moutinho paved the way for the bantamweights to receive the 'Fight of the Night' bonus. Not a bad debut for Kris Moutinho at all, despite the loss he took to his record.
Also Read: Ali Abdelaziz teases a Frankie Edgar fight at MSG after Sean O'Malley's stellar win at UFC 264
#4. South African flag flies high at UFC 264 as Dricus Du Plessis knocks Trevin Giles out
Dricus Du Plessis bagged a KO victory against Trevin Giles in only his second fight under the UFC banner at UFC 264. The welterweights clashed in the opening bout of the preliminary card.
Throughout the duration of the fight, Dricus Du Plessis maintained the edge over his opponent on the ground and the feet. Trevin Giles dished out strikes while applying pressure in round two, pushing Du Plessis towards the fence.
However, the South African successfully warded off the attack by keeping his hands up. As Trevin Giles backed off to readjust his strikes, Dricus Du Plessis unleashed a strong right hand to knock his opponent down in round two. He followed up with quick ground-and-pound before the referee stepped in and called a stop to the contest.
Also Read: 5 most explosive moments from UFC 264: Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3
#3. Irene Aldana bags a first-round KO against Yana Kunitskaya
Mexican fighter Irene Aldana faced off against Russian fighter Yana Kunitskaya in the second fight of the main card at UFC 264. The fight posed as a possible title eliminator bout. Fourth-ranked Irene Aldana and fifth-ranked Yana Kunitskaya have never challenged Amanda Nunes for the women's bantamweight title.
Irene Aldana made quick work of a formidable striker in Yana Kunitskaya as she used patience and efficient striking to sail to victory.
She knocked Yana Kunitskaya down with a powerful left hook. Thereafter, she engaged in ground-and-pound, using her precise striking to get the job done at UFC 264.
Before the victory over Yana Kunitskaya, Irene Aldana had locked horns against veteran fighter Holly Holm in August 2020 in a fight that also promised to put her into title contention. However, Irene Aldana fell short in front of Holly Holm. With the victory over Kunitskaya, Aldana has managed to climb her way back into talks for title contention.
Also Read: Best memes on Twitter from UFC 264
#2 - Zhalgas Zhumagulov executes a spectacular standing submission against Jerome Rivera
UFC flyweight fighter Zhalgas Zhumagulov concluded the very first fight of UFC 264 in spectacular fashion against Jerome Rivera.
The two fighters traded blows as soon as the bout started. Up against the fence, Zhalgas Zhumagulov knocked his opponent off with a counter left hook. As Jerome Rivera began to get back on his feet with haste, Zhalgas Zhumagulov locked in a guillotine choke and made Rivera tap while standing.
This was Zhaglas Zhumagulov's first victory in the UFC. Prior to this win, the flyweight was on a two-fight losing streak in the promotion.
#1 - Tai Tuivasa executes third consecutive round-one KO at UFC 264
UFC heavyweight Tai Tuivasa locked horns against Greg Hardy in the bout preceding the co-main event at UFC 264. The big brawlers began trading blows from the onset of the bout. A minute into the fight, Greg Hardy threw flurries at Tai Tuivasa, rocking the 28-year-old Australian fighter.
However, as Greg Hardy leaned in with another flurry to cause more damage, Tai Tuivasa dodged the attack and lined up a two-punch counter of his own. While the first right hook from Tuivasa missed, he caught Greg Hardy with a counter left hook, sending Hardy crashing into the canvas. Tai Tuivasa did not waste any time and immediately proceeded to land huge ground-and-pound shots.
The referee stepped in before the Australian could land too many follow-up shots. Tuivasa maintained his 'shoey' tradition, drinking beer out of a shoe to celebrate his round one KO of Greg Hardy.
Watch: Fan puts Dustin Poirier's hot sauce into Tai Tuivasa's 'shoey' after UFC 264 win
In case you missed the action at UFC 264, we've got you covered! Catch the full fight card results and video highlights here.
