Atop of the card was a highly anticipated vacant lightweight title bout between former champion, Charles Oliveira, and Dagestani challenger, Islam Makhachev. ‘Fathers plan’ was accomplished and Makhachev was crowned ‘and new’. Let’s take a look at what could be next for the losers on the night.

Charles Oliveira

Oliveira’s loss this past weekend puts him in a strange spot, with Makhachev’s first title defense being all but confirmed as Alexander Volkanovski. Of course immediate rematch’s aren’t always a thing in MMA, and rightly so. There isn’t much interest to see that fight again, at least not straightaway.

Having said that, there are few fun matchups for the former champion. It becomes hard to matchup the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist when he’s already beat 3 of the fighters currently occupying spots in the top 5. One man who is coming off a hugely impressive win this past weekend is Beneil Dariush. Having said that, a matchup I would selfishly love to see, is Oliveira vs Fiziev. Of course, the Muay Thai fighter has been rumoured with Justin Gaethje, but that is yet to come to fruition, and with growing murmurs of McGregor’s comeback fight being against Gaethje, that leaves Fiziev without a dance partner.

It is hard to deny Beneil Dariush the next title shot after Volkanovski. And so in that case, I don’t mind a world in which Dariush waits around, and Oliveira fights Fiziev in Brazil.

Charles Oliveira’s Next Fight: Rafael Fiziev

TJ Dillashaw

As one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year, the events that proceeded felt like a big kick in the teeth for MMA fans across the globe. But it’s the fight game, things like this happen. After the events proceeded, Dillashaw admitted that he has been suffering shoulder dislocations since back in April, which begs the questions, who let him fight?

Having said that, the legitimate win cannot be taken away from Aljamain Sterling, who made easy work of the former champion. One would think, that Dillashaw would’ve been better off disclosing his injury issues early in his camp, and hoped for the fact that the matchup could be rebooked for later in the year. But none of that matters now, and that poses the question of, what is next for the 36-year-old?

There is no denying that Dillashaw is at the tail end of his career. But another man who is in a similar situation, possibly looking for one last farewell fight, is Dominick Cruz. A rematch of their extremely close contest back in 2016 makes a whole lot of sense given the stages of their careers they’re both at.

TJ Dillashaw’s Next Fight: Dominick Cruz

Petr Yan

It is almost impossible to get through one event and avoid any controversial judging decisions. Unfortunately for the former bantamweight champion, Petr Yan, he was on the wrong end of what the majority of fans are calling a ‘robbery’, a term that gets thrown around far too often in the fight business. Despite that being the general consensus, it is without question, that it was an extremely competitive and close fight.

The result rides on how you scored the opening round between the two bantamweights looking to earn themselves a title shot. And in the case of judges Ben Cartlidge and David Lethaby, they believed that ‘Suga’ Sean had done enough to separate himself.

Yan now finds himself with only 1 win in his last 4 fights, some of which his own doing and some not. The top of the 135lb division is in a weird spot. Merab Dvalishvili is a fighter who has been on a tear since his loss to Ricky Simon back in 2018, and since then, he has gone onto win 8 fights in a row. There is already half a narrative there in a potential fight between the two top 135ers, as on UFC 280 fight week, videos surfaced of each of them sizing one another up.

The main issue I find in a potential matchup between the two, is if Merab “The Machine” was victorious, something would have to give in the friendship between him and current champ, Sterling. However, that is a bridge we’ll cross when we get to it.

Petr Yan’s Next Fight: Merab Dvalishvili 

Mateusz Gamrot

Coming into the fight with Beneil Dariush, there was a lot of expectation that with a win, Gamrot could have been on the edge of a title shot. But Dariush is aging like a fine wine, and is just now reaching his prime.

Some of the scrambles during this fight were as wild as expected, and the counter striking of Dariush just proved too much for the former KSW lightweight champion. With “Gamer” Gamrot being just 31-years-old, there is still the potential to rebuild from this loss, and rebound back into title contention in a couple of fights time.

Someone who he’s formerly shared the cage with, Arman Tsarukyan, is scheduled to share the cage with the almost flawless, Damir Ismagulov. If “Gazaq” can find a way to beat the young prospect at the end of the year, then i’d love to see him matched up with the Polish fighter. Outside of that, the only other fight that would make sense for Gamrot, is a fight with 13th ranked, Jalin Turner.

Mateusz Gamrot’s Next Fight: Damir Ismagulov (If victorious vs Tsarukyan) or Jalin Turner

Katlyn Chookagian

Chookagian’s 4 fight win streak came to an end, and with that, the division found a new top contender in Manon Fiorot. It is the first time in Katlyn’s 23 fight pro career that she has been on the wrong side of a unanimous decision. Having said that, there is no doubt that the 33-year-old former title contender, is still one of the best in the women’s flyweight division.

Again, there are a number of different options for Chookagian, and one in particular that would be a rematch. “Lucky’ Lauren Murphy rebounded from her title loss with a comprehensive win of Miesha Tate, and there is no doubt that since the two met back in 2016, they have both come a long way. That is just one of many options I like. Depending on what the promotion decide to do with the impressive Alexa Grasso after her win over Araujo, that could be another option.

Katyln Chookagian’s Next Fight: Alexa Grasso 

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Islam Makhachev

Makhachev continued the legacy of his teammate and friend, Khabib Nurmagomedov, by finishing Charles Oliveira on Saturday and becoming the UFC lightweight champion. After the fight Alexander Volkanovski came into the octagon at the behest of Makhachev, setting up a title fight in February in Volkanovski’s territory of Perth, Australia at UFC 284. Dana White had already said that the winner of Oliveira vs Makhachev would fight Volkanovski next at that event, which was announced earlier this month, so this comes as no surprise and makes the job of picking the next fight for Islam quite easy. Still, it’s unfortunate for Beneil Dariush, as will be discussed later in this piece.

Makhachev’s Next Fight: Alexander Volkanovski

Aljamain Sterling

The next fight booking for all of the bantamweights on this main card are quite difficult. Dana White had said the winner of O’Malley vs Yan would get the next title shot but the controversial nature of that decision could upset the order of things. Further, Chito Vera has become a fan favorite in recent fights with nothing but great knockouts and fights of the night. Chito is 5-1 in his last 6, is on a four fight winning streak, and has already beaten Sean O’Malley, which would seem to give him the edge.

However, there is someone waiting in the wings. Former double champion Henry Cejudo is officially in the USADA testing pool and is thus eligible to fight. He has seemed to have a rocky relationship with the promotion in the past, but it would be hard to deny a champion who never lost his belt during a fight a shot at the title if he wants it. Aljamain Sterling even mentioned the Olympic gold medalist wrestler in his post-fight speech. Further, that wrestling pedigree plus his considerable striking ability that saw him knock out Marlon Moraes, TJ Dillashaw, and Dominick Cruz back to back to back before his retirement would make him a difficult stylistic matchup for the champion, Sterling. If Cejudo is not ready or the UFC is not willing to make that fight yet, then Chito Vera is the next most deserving option.

Sterling’s Next Fight: Henry Cejudo

Sean O’Malley

There are a lot of options out there for Sean O’Malley, as alluded to in the previous booking segment about Aljamain Sterling. The UFC could have him challenge Aljamain Sterling for the belt, could make a rematch with Petr Yan as many fans are calling for it due to the controversial decision, or could make a rematch with the only man to defeat him – Chito Vera – who is also on the shortlist for a title shot next. Of those options Chito Vera makes the most sense to me. Sean may have proven he is a top tier bantamweight with his performance against Yan, no matter what fans think of the decision, but that is still his only currently ranked win, while Chito has four in his last five and Cejudo was the double champion not that long ago. Thus, a fight with Sterling might be premature.

With Cejudo being my pick to fight the champion next, it would be best for ‘Suga Sean’ to rematch Chito Vera. The two fighters are fan favorites, have bad blood, and have electric striking styles that would create a thrilling war in all likelihood. There is even the chance of a trilogy down the line, no matter who wins the rematch, given the relative youth of both fighters.

O’Malley’s Next Fight: Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera

Beneil Dariush

It must be painful for Beneil Dariush to have an eight fight winning streak but still be passed over for the next title shot. Dariush has consistently fought guys he in all likelihood did not have to fight, fighting down in the rankings against Gamrot in this past fight and Carlos Diego Ferreira, who he had already beaten previously, in the past. Eight wins, including three ranked ones, is usually enough to earn a title shot, but Beneil will have to wait given that Volkanovski is going to get the next chance at the new champ, Islam Makhachev.

Most men would likely sit back and wait for the winner of that fight in mid-to-late 2023. Beneil Dariush is different though. He fought Gamrot when he could have sat around and waited, he did not say no to a younger, up and coming fighter who is ranked below him when he could have. He said all during the UFC 280 fight week that he just loves to fight and does not care who his opponent is. This win should have him ranked in the top three at 155-lbs, along with the former champion, Charles Oliveira. A matchup between the two would be a brilliant blend of striking, wrestling, and BJJ as each man is proficient in all areas. Charles and Beneil both have the power to knock each other out, the wrestling to take each other down, and the grappling to submit each other. Other options exist – he could wait for a well-deserved title shot, could fight another lower ranked opponent like Rafael Fiziev, or could fight the winner of Poirier and Chandler – but this one makes the most sense given the scope of the division and who Beneil is: a born and bred warrior.

Dariush’s Next Fight: Charles Oliveira

Manon Fiorot

Manon Fiorot defeated number one contender Katlyn Chookagian by unanimous decision at UFC 280, making slight adjustments to win the last two rounds after dropping the first. Still, the Frenchwoman’s performance did not do enough to entice fans to push for her to get a title shot or for the UFC to give one to her. The top of the flyweight division has a few options for who should face Valentina Shevchenko next: Taila Santos almost defeated the champion in a somewhat controversial decision in the last title fight in the division, Alexa Grasso just won in a big main event spot, and Fiorot herself will be highly ranked while being undefeated in the UFC. One of these three has to fight the champion and one has to fight the other to determine the next title challenger. Alexa Grasso has beaten three ranked opponents and is undefeated in this division since moving up from 115-lbs, so she should be next while Fiorot fights Santos. Manon has not really been tested by any great grapplers thus far – the champion certainly is a great grappler on top of her striking prowess – so Taila Santos would be a great test for her in that area. The winner of that fight would be a shoe-in for the next title shot after Shevchenko vs Grasso. However, you really cannot go wrong by picking Fiorot to fight any of Santos, Grasso, or Shevchenko.

Fiorot’s Next Fight: Taila Santos

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Three big fights capped off the night, and while an injured T.J. Dillashaw falling to Aljamain Sterling wasn’t enough to generate any bonus money, the card’s other big bantamweight fight did. That saw Sean O’Malley claim a very close split decision win over ex-champ Petr Yan, in a fight that many saw going the other way. While O’Malley clearly won the third, and Yan more than likely the second, it all came down to the first — which, admittedly, saw a razor-thin margin between the two.

O’Malley and Yan picked up Fight of the Night at the event, in a bout that may have tapped the next title challenger in the division. With Sterling also victorious, a title fight between the two could come in the first half of 2023.

Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC 280 went to the new champ, Islam Makhachev, and welterweight contender Belal Muhammad. Makhachev put away Charles Oliveira in the second round to claim the vacant lightweight title, beating the Brazilian at his own game, rocking then submitting him with an arm-triangle choke. The win extended Makhachev’s win streak to 11 straight victories, and he was presented the belt by friend, teammate, and former champ Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Muhammad, meanwhile, became the first man to both beat and finish Sean Brady in the featured preliminary card fight at UFC 280. The TKO was called with Brady still on his feet, but not intelligently defending, towards the end of the second round.

All four fighters pocket an extra $50,000 for their work at UFC 280.

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To a certain extent, the match-up was a stand-in for Oliveira vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, a fantasy fight for many MMA fans. With Khabib’s retirement in 2020, Oliveira subsequently emerged as the dominant force in the 155lb division.

“The Eagle” having repeatedly expressed his desire to remain retired, Oliveira vs. Makhachev was the closest fight fans would get to that dream match-up. And with both men having won over ten straight fights to enter the night, it was a formidable pairing in its own right.

All that, without even considering that Oliveira was technically trying to win back the title he had “lost” when he missed weight at UFC 274 earlier this year, the result of a backstage scale having reportedly been incorrectly calibrated.

Early on a UFC 280, Makhachev landed a left hand that appeared to stun Oliveira. “Do Bronx,” however, pressed forward, only for Makhachev to take him down. Oliveira then went to work off his back, looking to sink in a triangle. Makhachev pulled free, while Oliveira fired elbows off his back.

Makhachev then settled in and went to work inside the closed guard of Charles Oliveira. A scramble would soon ensue, with Oliveira back up, pressing Makhachev against the fence. He fired a knee, and they would go back down, Makhachev landing in mount. Oliveira quickly regained half-guard, then full guard, closing it up. Makhachev, however, was earning plenty of top time in a fight that, through the opening round, was mostly contested on the mat.

The final minute of the round saw Oliveira threaten with an upkick, and they headed to the second. There, Oliveira pressed forward, but the two clinched up. Oliveira looked for a takedown, but they went as far as a knee before springing back to the feet. That led to another clinch, along the fence this time, with Makhachev in control. Oliveira worked with his back to the fence, and fought off the first attempted takedown. They broke, moved back to center, and Oliveira fired a front kick to the body. The pair exchanged fire; Makhachev fired a combo, and later a head kick that “Do Bronx” easily blocked. Oliveira pressed forward, and fired a jump knee, but was knocked down in response, which allowed Makhachev to get on top! Islam locked up an arm-triangle choke, and moments later, Oliveira was tapping!

ISLAM MAKHACHEV IS THE UNDISPUTED LW CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! 🏆

[ @MakhachevMMA | #UFC280 ] pic.twitter.com/aJzHlS6fxF

— UFC (@ufc) October 22, 2022

A submission win over the submission King for Islam Makhachev, who claims the vacant title and turns the lightweight division on its head in the process! “This thing is so heavy,” Makhachev exclaimed after being awarded the belt. The new champ then dedicated the title win to the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, his former coach and father of Khabib.

A face-off with Alexander Volkanovski then ensued — and it appears the featherweight champ will be next in line to meet Makhachev.

Official Result: Islam Makhachev def. Charles Oliveira by submission (arm-triangle choke), Round 2, 3:16

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Instead, Sterling was paired up with former two-time champ T.J. Dillashaw, looking for redemption after seeing his second title reign ended in disgrace, stripped of the belt after testing positive for banned performance enhancing drug EPO.

Saturday’s contest in Abu Dhabi was, with all that in mind, a proving ground for both fighters — Dillashaw looking to prove he could win a title clean, Sterling to prove he could move past the Yan rivalry successfully.

Early on, Dillashaw, who had not fought in over a year, was planted on his back, and appeared to suffered a shoulder injury. Sterling moved straight into mount, where Dillashaw fought the hands, ultimately in vain. Sterling began dropping some nasty shots from up top, as Dillashaw tried to cover up and turn. With well over three minutes remaining, Dillashaw was trapped, and the best he could do was roll, giving up his back.

From there, Sterling looked to get under the neck. The position was cramped, with the fighters stuck along the fence. Dillashaw tried to push off the fence, and eventually created a scramble, but it was Sterling again taking the back. Dillashaw appeared unable to post up off the injured arm/shoulder, but there was a minor moral victory in the fact that he had survived to the final 90 seconds of the round. Sterling, however, had a body triangle locked up, and was landing punches. They scrambled again, and as quick as Dillashaw was up, Sterling had the mat return. Somehow, with a minute to go, Dillashaw made it back up — with his shoulder clearly dislocated, arm dangling.

Sterling would take the fight back down, but incredibly, Dillashaw survived the round. Some quick work by coach Duane Ludwig massaging the shoulder, meanwhile, popped it back in, which was enough to satisfy the ref that the challenger could continue.

To open the second, Sterling went after the wounded limb with a kick. Dillashaw was clearly favoring the injury, throwing only with his right hand. Just over 30 seconds in, Aljo had the fight down, Dillashaw on his back. Sterling moved to side control, while Dillashaw tried to tie up a leg. Soon, Dillashaw was on his back again, then rolled to his side as Sterling dropped elbows. Dillashaw made it up, but had to contend with a choke, and had to further contend with his shoulder coming out again.

Sterling then took the fight back to the mat, dictating the pace and direction of the fight as he had throughout. Dillashaw’s shoulder appeared to be back in place, but he wound up mounted, taking some nasty ground n’ pound again. Dillashaw was flattened out, barely defending, and the ref had seen enough! A successful title defense for Aljamain Sterling, though he’ll once again hear about the nature of the victory.

With Yan having lost earlier in the night, it will be Sean O’Malley likely next up for Aljo — and nothing should be taken away from the Long Island-based fighter, regardless of Dillashaw’s injury. Ref Marc Goddard, meanwhile, confirmed following the bout that he had been informed of Dillashaw’s ailment ahead of the fight.

Official Result: Aljamain Sterling def. T.J. Dillashaw by TKO, Round 2, 3:44

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After a no-contest result against contender Pedro Munhoz, the step up in competition surprised many fans. For his part, this was the first three round fight and first non-title fight for Petr Yan since 2019 when he fought Urijah Faber prior to becoming bantamweight champion.

The fight turned out to be a thriller, though the decision will be the source of much discussion moving forward.

Yan came out pressuring Sean O’Malley, forcing him backwards and landing a body and a leg kick. Both men switched stances over and over again, trying to gain an advantage in some way. O’Malley kept on his bicycle, moving back and forth as Yan pressured forward to escape. However, Yan was able to close off exits with body and leg kicks a few times.

O’Malley landed a big right hand at one point in the first, but Yan ate it. Halfway through the round, Yan shot a takedown and shucked to the back of O’Malley in the body lock. Sean got wrist control and separated but Yan landed a knee on the break. A big overhand left landed for Yan with ninety seconds left in the round and then he ducked down on a double, lifted O’Malley, and slammed him to the mat against the fence. Yan settled in full guard as O’Malley tried to throw up submissions. O’Malley wall walked and was able to get back to his feet. To everyone’s surprise, Sean O’Malley shot a takedown of his own at the very end of the round but Yan was able to stay on all fours and then escape, pushing O’Malley away. The round was competitive throughout.

Yan came right out in the second with a power body kick while shifting, and then O’Malley landed a big right hand that rocked Yan. Yan almost went down but he got back up and then landed a big right hand of his own that wobbled O’Malley badly. That let Petr get Sean to the canvas and end up on top in full guard in the center of the cage. Yan dropped down ground and pound, struggling through the long-legged guard of O’Malley.

O’Malley threw up an armbar and when Petr passed it Sean tried to get up. Yan dragged him back down but then O’Malley got back up and got to the fence in the clinch. Petr ducked back down on the hips but this time O’Malley defended and they got back to the feet. Yan then pulled out one of his trips from the first Sterling fight and got O’Malley down, but Sean got back up and tried one of his own, which failed. The pressure of Yan was relentless on the feet and racked up hard kicks to the body of his foe. With one minute left, Yan attempted another takedown against the cage. He was able to lift despite the overhook of O’Malley and get Sean on his back, landing his fourth takedown of the fight. Despite getting hurt early, Yan stormed back and almost definitely won the round.

The final round actually started with O’Malley pressuring Yan back but Yan turned the pressure around, landed a flashy switch kick, and attempted a takedown that was defended. O’Malley was evasive when Yan started pressuring, sliding out of the way when Yan came forward with strikes. Yan came forward with a combination and attempted a takedown after two minutes but Sean defended it well. O’Malley came forward with a flurry that cut Yan open and then landed a big knee. But Yan came back with two massive left hands of his own and then charged forward for a takedown after taking a head kick. The pair ended up in the clinch. Yan got in on a double leg and it appeared that O’Malley tried for a guillotine, allowing himself to be put to the canvas with two minutes left. Yan took the back body lock as O’Malley got back to his feet. With one minute left Yan landed back to back left hands that staggered O’Malley and let Yan get the back body lock in the clinch again. He tried to drop O’Malley to the canvas but a Granby roll got O’Malley out and back to his feet. With twenty seconds left, Yan hit a reactive takedown on Sean and ended the fight on top dropping ground and pound.

The fight went the distance and was thrilling throughout. O’Malley proved a lot of doubters wrong by being competitive with one of the best in the world, but who had done enough to get the win? When Buffer read the scorecards it was a split decision, and Sean O’Malley got the decision with two 29-28 scorecards much to the displeasure of the jeering Abu Dhabi crowd.

Official Result: Sean O’Malley def. Petr Yan by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

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While Oliveira had been stripped of his title for missing weight at UFC 274, given the circumstances (a backstage scale had been tampered with, albeit inadvertently), most saw “Do Bronx” as the uncrowned king of the lightweight division. That gave Makhachev the role of challenger, though he entered the fight a moderate favorite.

The stacked UFC 280 card didn’t stop there, with Aljamain Sterling putting his bantamweight title on the line against T.J. Dillashaw. Himself a former two-time UFC champion at 135lbs, Dillashaw was looking for redemption, after seeing his last title reign come to an end when he was stripped of the belt for use of EPO, a banned PED made infamous by Lance Armstrong.

Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley, meanwhile, threw down in what was very likely a title eliminator to tap the next challenger at bantamweight.

UFC 280 took place on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Following the event, tune in for the post-fight press conference, featuring all the big winners from one of the biggest cards of the year. A live stream of the proceedings can be found in the embed above.

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Dariush had last competed in May of 2021 at UFC 262, when he defeated Tony Ferguson to claim his seventh straight win. That streak tied his career best, while Gamrot, who had joined the UFC just six months or so prior to Dariush’s Ferguson win, had since put together four straight wins of his own.

If ring rust was an issue for Dariush on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, it didn’t show early. He opened with a high kick, and unloaded with a couple of shots that appeared to pop the cauliflower ear of Gamrot. That led to a body lock from Gamot, but Dariush broke free. They would go to the ground with just over three minutes to go, care of a caught kick by Gamrot, with Dariush attacking a leg. Gamrot pulled free and the pair scrambled up with Gamrot again taking the back care of another body lock.

This time, Dariush broke free and the pair moved back to center. Gamrot again shot in, a bit sloppy, and Dariush nearly took control. He used a kimura to stall Gamrot, dropped an elbow or two, and regained his feet. Gamrot nearly caught a kick to the body; they ran down the clock working in the stand-up department.

Round two saw a quick start, with the pair trading, circling, and exchanging again. Dariush had his jab going; in an exchange, Gamrot dropped to snatch a leg but didn’t have it. Dariush was in the driver’s seat in the second, and he timed a couple of knees well as Gamrot came in. Dariush stuffed another takedown, and followed up with a couple of strikes landed. The second was a much more decisive round, in the favor of Beneil Dariush.

Mateusz Gamrot shot early in the third, leading to a scramble with Dariush breaking free. Back on the feet, Dariush just grazed Gamrot with a head kick. He’d follow up with a kick to the thigh, then another, focusing on Gamrot’s lead leg. Between the knees in the second and the kicks in the third, Dariush was keeping Gamrot guessing — and perhaps making him hesitant on some of his entries.

With time wearing down, Dariush sealed the deal. Gamrot moved forward, and with a crack, Dariush dropped his opponent with a right hand. Gamrot recovered, but with a minute to go and Dariush not even tiring, the fight was in the bag. Gamrot would take the fight down one last time, but it really didn’t matter.

Official Result: Beneil Dariush def. Mateusz Gamrot by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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The highly touted French prospect, Fiorot, came in undefeated in the UFC and looked to steal Chookagian’s number one contender spot and perhaps earn a title shot against Valentina Shevchenko with a win.

The fight opened with Fiorot, in orthodox stance, trying to pressure the southpaw Chookagian. Both women took turns rushing forward with combinations early, at which point the opponent would slide backwards out of the way or just slip the punches. Fiorot looked to work her low side kick to the knee and counter Chookagian’s blitzes with a lead right hook. The volume was quite high but very few punches made a big, clean impact. A front kick from Chookagian was the first large strike of the fight, hitting/grazing Fiorot in the head as she was bent over, but the Frenchwoman ate it without going down. Manon was having trouble catching Katlyn as Katlyn just slid back out of the way when Fiorot threw punches. After five minutes, the head kick from Chookagian was the biggest strike and could have won her the round.

Fiorot began to overextend on her punches in the second round as she tried to catch Chookagian when Chookagian retreated from Manon’s strikes. She did land some but the fight remained close. When she threw straight punches she had much more success than when she looped hooks. Katlyn began to sit down more on her punches when she threw and as such she got into more pocket exchanges, which favored Fiorot, who began to gain a decent lead in round two. When Chookagian threw, Manon began to time and counter her with the straight left, the punch that continually found the target.

The third round began with Fiorot throwing more straight punches down the pipe, continuing her success from the previous round. Chookagian was throwing a lot of strikes but hitting even less than the first two rounds, where she landed at around a 30% rate according to Jon Anik on commentary. Fiorot was not dominating but she was just out-striking her opponent enough to be ahead in the third round. With one minute left, Manon Fiorot level changed and landed a double leg but Chookagian elevated and was able to scramble back to her feet. The fight ended with a knee to the body by Fiorot and the judges would be required.

After three rounds, all three judges had the score 29-28 for Manon Fiorot, who had dethroned the perennial number one contender in Katlyn Chookagian.

Official Result: Manon Fiorot def. Katlyn Chookagian by Unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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Saturday’s 170 pound showdown had a bit of heat heading into it, with Muhammad less than appreciative of Brady calling him out.

Brady went high with a kick early, one that was blocked by Muhammad. For his part, Belal Muhammad pressed forward, pumping his jab while Brady switched up his footwork and occasionally charged forward. A caught kick saw Muhammad dumped on his back; Brady shoved him down again when he popped back up, but Muhammad scrambled free. It was an even fight through the opening half-round; another caught kick nearly became an issue for Muhammad, but he was able to fight off the takedown attempt that ensued.

With just over a minute left in the round, Brady connected with a hard right hand, that Muhammad ate. Muhammad connected in return, and they went back-and-forth for a bit, both men having their moments. Muhammad was soon sporting a cut, but it was Brady backpedaling and covering up at the buzzer.

Round two saw Muhammad fend off more level changes from Brady. Sean Brady’s movement, meanwhile, was back on point, and Muhammad was bleeding again following a crisp 1-2. Brady was showing some damage as well, however, but he connected with a solid hook just past the midway point of he round. Brady mixed up his kicks as well, and after an exchange of powerful strikes, Brady changed levels for a takedown attempt that was stuffed once more.

The course of the fight changed moments later. An evenly matched contest suddenly became a beatdown as Belal Muhammad landed right hand after right hand. Brady backed up, covered up, and Muhammad opened up. Lefts and rights hit home. Muhammad continued the attack, landing several more times before the ref waved it off with Brady still standing.

UNDEFEATED NO MORE!!@BullyB170 takes Sean Brady's 0 and celebrates in the crowd! #UFC280 pic.twitter.com/F6kNfzDAUy

— UFC (@ufc) October 22, 2022

Muhammad becomes the first man to defeat Sean Brady with a key welterweight victory. And he did so with former lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner. After the win, Muhammad said he’d felt disrespected by having to fight down in the rankings. He also credited “Coach Khabib” for the finish.

Official Result: Belal Muhammad def. Sean Brady by TKO, Round 2, 4:47

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