5 important things we learned from UFC 264

#4. Kris Moutinho belongs in the UFC

UFC 264: Sean O'Malley vs. Kris Moutinho

Kris Moutinho may have lost in his octagon debut against up-and-coming bantamweight star Sean O'Malley, but it's safe to say that he walked away from UFC 264 as a big winner.

Due to his status as a virtual unknown, many expected Moutinho to be a cake walk for O'Malley – just another highlight in 'The Sugar Show.' But the Massachusetts native gave O'Malley more than he bargained for as he landed a few stinging head shots of his own.

Even more impressive, however, was Moutinho's displays of durability and heart. The 28-year-old ate O'Malley best shots but kept pressing forward. He absorbed a whopping 200 significant strikes before referee Herb Dean decided to call for a controversial TKO stoppage in the dying seconds of the final round.

These two D E L I V E R E D 💸 💢 @SugaSeanMMA and @MoutinhoKris secure the FOTN at #UFC264.[ B2YB @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/LJKP0s4fwM

— UFC (@ufc) July 11, 2021

In the end, both competitors were handed an extra $75,000 apiece as they earned 'Fight of the Night' honors. It's safe to assume that this won't be the last time we'll see Moutinho inside the octagon.

#3. The Greg Hardy experiment ends at UFC 264

UFC 264: Tai Tuivasa vs Greg Hardy

Trying to build disgraced NFL player Greg Hardy into an MMA star was a questionable decision on the UFC's part in the first place. Nonetheless, it would have been one that made sense had Hardy proven he has what it takes to be a legitimate threat in the heavyweight division. But after UFC 264, we found out that that wasn't the case at all.

It only took rising star Tai Tuivasa 67 seconds to put Hardy away at UFC 264. In a fight that harkened back to Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry, the Australian fighter recovered from getting rocked and returned fire with a powerful left hook that sent his opponent crashing to the mat.

WHAT IN THE 🌎 @BamBamTuivasa #UFC264 pic.twitter.com/RXCmomvTsw

— UFC (@ufc) July 11, 2021

As it stands, there's no reason why the UFC should keep promoting Hardy as a featured fighter. Not only does he lack the skills to hang with high-calibre UFC heavyweights, but his checkered history only brings about backlash and unwanted attention to the company.

'The Prince of War' has already lost to Alexander Volkov, Marcin Tybura and recently to Tuivasa. That should be enough evidence to conclude that he doesn't have a very promising future in the UFC.