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The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday brought the Octagon back to Philadelphia with UFC on ESPN 2 at the Wells Fargo Center. With it came some good, some bad and some ugly.
THE GOOD: CIVILIZED SAVAGERY
Justin Gaethje once again put on a superb display of violence that simultaneously thrilled us, scared us and left us wanting more. By dispatching Edson Barboza midway through the first round of their main event, Gaethje provided further proof that he’s consistently the most exciting fighter in the history of mixed martial arts. If violence personified itself into human form, it’s highly likely it would bear a striking resemblance to “The Highlight.”
Less than two years ago, Gaethje left behind his title in the World Series of Fighting and extended his undefeated streak at the expense of Michael Johnson in his UFC debut. A fast-paced brawling style put him in the win column in the sport’s ultimate proving ground, but that success was short-lived, as a two-fight skid at the hands of Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier had us all questioning how much longer he could continue his kill-or-be-killed ways. Having rebounded with a stunning knockout of James Vick in August, Gaethje re-established himself as a top contender with his stoppage of Barboza in an increasingly crowded and confusing division. However, this time there seems to be a focus beyond simply putting on entertaining fights in such a reckless fashion.
Gaethje acknowledged during an ESPN+ post-fight interview that the losing streak forced him to reevaluate his approach, and he displayed a patience and technical acumen that could easily be lost in translation when looking at the results. Where Gaethje would have previously crowded his opponent and eaten every strike necessary to close the distance, he decided against Barboza to strike from the outside in the opening seconds and subsequently maintain a safer range before landing the kill shot.
Confirming his intentions to add UFC gold to his trophy case, Gaethje picked a great time to incorporate more nuance with his game. Key matchups at the top of the lightweight division could provide his next challenge. Anthony Pettis took to the mic after defeating Stephen Thompson in his welterweight debut and made himself available for the Gaethje-Barboza winner. No matter who stands across the cage from Gaethje in his next outing, it almost certainly will be someone who can propel him closer to the top of the 155-pound weight class.
Leading up to his return to the win column against Vick, Gaethje was vocally defiant about maintaining the style that earned performance bonuses and fan acceptance. I wrote then that he was in a legitimate race against time. Fortunately, it appears for now that Gaethje has struck a balance between heeding those lessons and maintaining his status as the bloodthirsty maniac we have grown to love.
THE BAD: TIME TO BRANCH OUT
Another former WSOF champion has had his struggles, as well. However, unlike Gaethje, David Branch took another step back in Philadelphia. Once the king of both the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions in the World Series of Fighting, Branch has gone 2-3 since returning to the UFC. Additionally, all three of those losses have come by stoppage.
Where it gets troublesome for Branch is the descending nature of the opponents who have gotten past him. Losing to former champion Luke Rockhold, especially after enjoying early success against him, was nothing to be ashamed of; and while Jared Cannonier does not rank as high on the middleweight ladder as Rockhold, the fact that he was a former heavyweight made defeat more palatable. However, after being forced to tap to a guillotine choke in the opening minute against Jack Hermansson, Branch now finds himself with serious questions about his future. Without a doubt, Branch is firmly out of any conversations as a contender, and at 37 years old, there isn’t a whole lot of time left for him to attempt to climb back toward the top of the 185-pound mountain.
Do not be surprised if we next see Branch at light heavyweight. He was last seen at 205 pounds in November 2016 while defending his WSOF title. Returning there could help him hit the reset button and maximize the time he has left in the sport. Considering the recent success of Thiago Santos -- the last man Branch defeated -- and his upcoming light heavyweight title shot, it might be in his best interest to skip the weight cut. With such a shortage of notable names at light heavyweight, Branch could suddenly find himself in the title mix.
THE UGLY: TELEVISED MATURATION
There was nothing really ugly about UFC on ESPN 2, but it certainly wasn’t without its flaws. There were some questionable scorecards from the judges. Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common occurrence and, quite frankly, we expect it at this point. At least a reasonable argument can be made that the right person won every time a fight went the distance and the head-scratching scores didn’t result in any true robberies.
The early start time helped make the 13-fight card a bit easier to digest. However, the sheer volume of bouts -- when coupled with the sheer volume of events -- has definitely affected the quality of the product. As evidence, I present Paul Craig’s late submission win over Kennedy Nzechukwu. While Nzechukwu managed to impress UFC brass enough to land two bouts on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series and earn an Ultimate Fighting Championship contract, perhaps his promotional debut was a bit premature. The Nigerian-born light heavyweight has an athletic upside and with the right development would be a welcomed addition to a weight class in need of more fresh faces. With that said, the errors in judgment that led to his being finished just shouldn’t be happening at the highest levels of the sport.
Engaging Craig in the grappling department -- the only real position in which the Scotsman could threaten him -- throughout their battle was inexcusable. Should this kind of rudimentary growth happen for a fighter on a UFC main card? When considering the bloated nature of the event, how necessary was it to include a bout like this?