UFC 268 brought MMA action back to New York City, for the first time since the onset of COVID-19.
The return of the octagon to the Big Apple brought with it two title fights, both rematches. In one, the grudge match between welterweight champ Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington would be run back. In the other, it was Rose Namajunas in an immediate strawweight title fight rematch with the woman she dethroned earlier this year, Weili Zhang.
Alongside those two fights were some other thrilling match-ups. The standout, clearly, was Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler, a lightweight scrap with potential title implications. And even should Islam Makhachev get to the belt first, Gaethje vs. Chandler promised to be one for the ages.
There were some strong debuts at UFC 268 as well. Ian Garry came storming out of the gate, proving the hype was real. Chris Curtis pulled off the upset of Phil Hawes. And while not a debut, heavyweight Chris Barnett had a star-making moment with his spinning wheel kick KO of the retiring Gian Villante.
Sorry, Gian— MMA retirement fights rarely go well.
Following Saturday’s UFC 268 PPV, tune in for the post-fight press conference, featuring all the key players. A live stream of the action can be found above.
