The best and worst from UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till

#2 Best: Chimaev is a threat in the UFC Welterweight division

Khamzat Chimaev demolished Rhys McKee in his second UFC bout in just 10 days

When Khamzat Chimaev smashed John Phillips in his UFC debut en route to a submission win, it was clear he was a prospect to watch. But nobody expected him to drop to 170lbs just 10 days later to claim his second UFC win – this time over debutant Rhys McKee.

McKee came in with a pretty solid reputation, but just seconds into the opening round it was clear that he wasn’t on Chimaev’s level. The Sweden-based Chechen landed a slam in the opening seconds and then proceeded to beat ‘Skeletor’ up like a schoolyard bully, with the ref finally calling a merciful halt to the fight just after three minutes.

It seems premature to say such a thing, but this was a showing reminiscent of current UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Where does Chimaev go from here? Well, up the ladder of course. ‘Borz’ is just 8-0 in MMA and so the UFC may want to take things slowly with him. However, he proved last night that there’s no point in putting him in with debutants. Perhaps a veteran like Niko Price, Anthony Rocco Martin, or Bryan Barberena would work.

Regardless, it’s clear that this guy is for real – and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him in UFC title contention in the near future.

Here to 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐡 everyone. pic.twitter.com/eR5nFjlIu0

— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2020

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#2 Worst: Gustafsson’s move to Heavyweight goes badly

Alexander Gustafsson's move to Heavyweight didn't go as planned

When Alexander Gustafsson appeared to be in good shape for his debut in the UFC Heavyweight division, I had high hopes for his chances last night.

Fabricio Werdum had looked seriously shopworn in his last fight – a loss to Alexei Oleinik. And so this was Gustafsson’s chance to show he belonged at the top of his new division.

In the end, though, things went horribly wrong for ‘The Mauler’. He looked confident in the early going and landed some decent strikes on Werdum, but the Brazilian was soon able to land a takedown. And from there, it was downhill for the Swede.

‘Vai Cavalo’ is arguably the most accomplished grappler in the history of the UFC’s Heavyweight division, and he showed why that’s the case last night. Gustafsson isn’t a bad grappler by any means but he was absolutely dummied, as Werdum simply sliced through his defenses to secure a first-round armbar.

Is there any shame in being tapped by a grappler like Werdum? Absolutely not, but the loss puts an end to any thought of a UFC title run for Gustafsson. Whether he continues now – or goes back into retirement – is an interesting question indeed.

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#3 Best: Shogun and Nogueira put on a decent show

Shogun Rua's third fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was a surprisingly decent fight

When the UFC announced a trilogy bout between legends Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira for this show, I feared the worst. Both guys probably should’ve hung it up years ago – their original classic fight took place in 2005!

And I had genuine concern that this fight would be embarrassing for them and the UFC.

Thankfully, I was proven wrong. Sure, both men looked like shadows of their former selves, but overall, this was a perfectly acceptable – dare I say it fun – fight.

Early on it looked like Nogueira’s fight, as he continually landed strong punches to his longtime rival, hurting him on a couple of occasions. Shogun came back though, landing a number of good leg kicks and getting some takedowns for good measure, too.

I felt like Nogueira did enough to win, but the judges decided otherwise, handing Shogun his third victory over ‘Minotoro’.

Nogueira announced his retirement after the fight, and that’s definitely the right call to make. Maybe the UFC can find him an office job alongside his brother? As for Shogun, it looks like he’ll carry on, so the UFC should probably look to find him a favorable opponent next time out.

Will I want to rewatch this fight? Well, no. But it didn’t look like something like Shamrock vs. Gracie III or Ortiz vs. Liddell III, and for that, I’m happy.

Legends for all-time. #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi| #UFCFightIsland3 pic.twitter.com/gCFxPmI6Ir

— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2020