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UFC 274 featured spectacular finishes and fights and was a rollercoaster of emotions for fans. There was unfortunate news prior to the event as Donald Cerrone was forced to withdraw from his bout with Joe Lauzon due to a non-Covid related illness. Fans were looking forward to seeing the two MMA veterans compete, but the hope is that the bout will be rescheduled.
Most of the fights lived up to the hype, and the various outcomes could set the stage for an exciting summer lineup. But there were fights like the co-main event, which did not deliver and had fans booing. Carla Esparza defeated Rose Namajunas by split decision to become strawweight champion for the second time in her career.
The main event was a lot more eventful when Charles Oliveira fought and submitted Justin Gaethje. After missing weight by 0.5 lbs, Oliveira was stripped of the lightweight title and only Gaethje was in a position to win it. ‘Do Bronx’ didn't allow that to happen as he finished 'The Highlight' in the first round and proved he’s that the top lightweight in the world. This list will look at five takeaways from UFC 274.
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#5. Daniel Cormier announced as latest inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame
During the broadcast, Daniel Cormier was announced as the latest inductee into the 2022 UFC Hall of Fame. It was a special moment, considering that he was working as a commentator at the event.
In addition, ‘DC’ had an outstanding wrestling career and represented the United States in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. After his wrestling career, he successfully transitioned to MMA in 2009. He won the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix after defeating Jeff Monson, ‘Bigfoot’ Silva, and Josh Barnett. He continued to cement his legacy by defeating the likes of Anderson Silva, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson, and Alexander Gustafsson.
It’s definitely a well-deserved Hall of Fame induction for one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time. Cormier is a former heavyweight champion and two-time light heavyweight champion. He also joined the list of simultaneous two-division champions when he knocked out Stipe Miocic to capture heavyweight gold. He will join his teammate and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov in the Modern Wing of the 2022 Hall of Fame on June 30.
#4. Carla Esparza regains the UFC strawweight championship
There was a lot of criticism for the UFC strawweight championship bout between Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza. Both women seemed hesitant to engage and the outcome was decided by the judges.
Esparza was awarded a split decision win and regained the strawweight championship. This is her second title reign as she previously won the title by also defeating Namajunas in 2014. Both fighters have made significant improvements since their first encounter, especially ‘Thug Rose’, which made the rematch intriguing. It unfortunately didn’t live up to expectations and wasn't a fight that fans wanted to see again.
In the brief exchanges, ‘Cookie Monster’ was able to take Namajunas down, but couldn’t gain much control on the ground. ‘Thug Rose’ landed a few combinations as well, but wasn’t aggressive enough to sway the judges’ decision. Dana White mentioned that the winner of the rematch between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Zhang Weili will get the next title shot.
#3. UFC announce bouts for International Fight Week event
There is a lot to look forward to for fans as the UFC 276 card was made official on the broadcast. The promotion usually delivers for their annual International Fight Week and this year is no different.
Reigning middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will defend his title against Jared Cannonier in the main event. This is a highly anticipated bout as it’s not a rematch like Adesanya’s recent title defenses. Cannonier has looked great in his recent bouts and is coming off a knockout win over Derek Brunson. ‘The Killa Gorilla’ called for a title shot during his post-fight interview and the champion agreed that he was deserving.
The co-main event is the long-awaited trilogy between current featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski and former featherweight champion Max Holloway. The two were originally scheduled to compete in April, but ‘Blessed’ was forced to withdraw due to an injury. Other notable bouts on the event include Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira and Sean O’Malley vs. Pedro Munhoz.
#2. Michael Chandler finishes Tony Ferguson with a devastating knockout
UFC 274 was the sight of a devastating knockout as Michael Chandler finished Tony Ferguson with a front-kick to the face. The two fan favorites competed in the third bout of the main card in what ended up being an action-packed affair.
The first round saw Chandler looking for an early knockout as he swung haymakers. He caught Ferguson a few times, but the former interim lightweight champion countered with a left-hand that backed him up. The former Bellator lightweight champion then went back to his wrestling and secured a takedown. However, ‘El Cucuy’ was more dangerous off his back as he landed a number of elbows.
Fans were on the edge of their seats for round two and were about to witness something spectacular. ‘Iron’ found an opening and threw a front-kick that immediately dropped Ferguson. After the fight, Chandler cut a great promo and challenged Conor McGregor for a bout at 170 lbs.
#1. Charles Oliveira is still the best lightweight in the UFC
There’s no denying that Charles Oliveira is the best lightweight in the UFC. Despite being stripped of the lightweight championship due to missing weight, it’s hard to argue that he’s not the best 155-pounder.
During the main event, Justin Gaethje dropped Oliveira twice in the opening round. He didn’t go into ‘Do Bronx’s guard and let him up instead. After dropping him the second time, it looked like the end was near and that Gaethje would win the title. However, Oliveira regrouped and dropped him with a right-hand. He immediately swarmed 'The Highlight' on the ground and submitted him with a rear-naked choke.
It'll be interesting to see what the promotion does with Oliveira next. He’ll have an opportunity to regain the lightweight championship in his next fight, but the opponent is unknown. Islam Makhachev seems likely, but ‘Do Bronx’ called out former champion Conor McGregor in his post-fight interview.
