On paper, UFC 314 was loaded with stellar matchups, but putting something down on paper is only half the battle. There have been plenty of “can’t miss” fights that end up, well, missing.
But how could a lineup of fights that included Alexander Volkanovski seeking to regain the featherweight title against a surging Diego Lopes, a grudge match between Jean Silva and Bryce Mitchell and Paddy Pimblett getting his toughest test to date against Michael Chandler fail to deliver?
Sounds improbable, right?
Fortunately, most of the fights in the UFC’s return to Miami on Saturday gave fans what they wanted. Obviously, not everything landed, but it is safe to say that fans left the Kaseya Center happy. There was one fight that ended up with a dreaded F, but it didn’t ruin the night.
After each pay-per-view, we break down and assess the quality of each fight and the fight card itself based on skill displayed, competitiveness and what is at stake.
Featherweight championship: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes
Result: Volkanovski defeats Lopes by unanimous decision
Grade: A-
There was concern that Volkanovski’s best years were behind him and the younger lion in Lopes would put him out to pasture. Instead, we got vintage Volkanovski, who was excellent with his striking and executed a game plan that utilized movement, a sharp jab and some takedown attempts mixed in to keep Lopes off balance. The fun really began when Volkanovski found himself on the canvas late in the second round after Lopes bounced a right hand off his temple. It added drama to a fight that, while technically sound, had just enough furious exchanges to raise the level round after round. Even in the final moments when Lopes’ voracity for battle increased as Volkanovski was seemingly ahead, it never felt as if the Aussie fighter was safe. That lack of comfort for Volkanovski is what elevated this fight to a high grade. Lopes was never out of it and provided a constant threat to ruin Volk’s plans to become champion again.
Light heavyweight: Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes
Result: Reyes defeats Krylov by first-round KO
Grade: A-
The Reyes redemption tour continued, with the former title contender delivering a blistering knockout that might end up as the most devastating of his career. Krylov was no slouch, but the picture-perfect counter that Reyes landed to turn the lights out on Krylov will end up on a few highlight reels. It’s hard to believe that Reyes went from a guy who looked to be on his way out of the UFC to a winner of three straight, all by knockout.
Middleweight: Tresean Gore vs. Marco Tulio
Result: Tulio defeats Gore by second-round TKO
Grade: A- This fight was an absolute adrenaline rush, with Tulio putting on a violent striking clinic and Gore showing tremendous heart. This was a thrilling affair from the outset as the fighters let their hands and feet go. But Tulio was crisp and precise. That didn’t prevent Gore from punching his way back into the fight when things appeared dire. The second round was Gore launching bombs and trying to survive as Tulio continued to chip away until he found his opening. With the fight nearly beaten out of Gore, Tulio narrowly missed a front kick but put a right hand behind it that reduced Gore to rubble and ended a fantastic fight. Go out of your way to watch this.
Featherweight: Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva
Result: Silva defeats Mitchell by second-round submission
Grade: B+
This was the MMA equivalent of those And1 basketball videos from the 2000s in which some guy off the street gets absolutely embarrassed in a pickup game. Silva treated Mitchell like he didn’t deserve to breathe the same oxygen as Silva, toying with Mitchell until Silva decided to end the fight definitively with a vicious ninja choke in the second round. This grade isn’t because it was a good fight. But for pure entertainment value, Silva’s performance was must-see television. Mitchell may not be championship material, but he has proven to be as tough as nails, and Silva walked right through him. Silva entered the fight unranked, and that performance put the entire division on notice. Jean Silva is a scary man.
Lightweight: Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett
Result: Pimblett def. Chandler by 3rd round TKO
Grade: B+
If there were still doubters about Pimblett’s ability, his one-sided pummeling of Chandler provided answers that “The Baddy” is a top-5 lightweight. This was a drubbing that went downhill fast for Chandler, who has to be examined for constantly playing to his opponent’s strengths. Chandler landed a hard overhand right early in the first round, and Pimblett barely blinked. It was then that Chandler must have realized he was in trouble. But even when he attempted to utilize his wrestling, he got completely worked over by the fighter out of Liverpool. By the third round, Pimblett cranked up the pressure and violently finished Chandler with a series of 12-6 elbows from full mount. Put some respect on Paddy Pimblett’s name.
Middleweight: Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Result: Oleksiejczuk defeats Dumas by first-round TKO
Grade: B-
Dumas was no match for Oleksiejczuk, who trained with the Fighting Nerds for part of his camp. The results were on display as Oleksiejczuk was extremely sharp in picking apart Dumas before sledgehammering him down with a left hand. Some ground and pound followed, and while Dumas tried to defend himself, the fight was halted before things went from bad to worse. Oleksiejczuk looked excellent in this fight, and the performance only adds to the growing legend of the Fighting Nerds.
Featherweight: Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull
Result: Rodriguez defeats Pitbull by unanimous decision
Grade: C+
Maybe the so-called “Octagon jitters” are real, after all. Pitbull fought a tentative fight that was unlike the fighter who is widely recognized as the greatest Bellator fighter of all time. It allowed Rodriguez to operate without being pressured, which made the fight a lot easier than anticipated. Ultimately, this wasn’t the fight fans expected, although nothing should be taken away from Rodriguez’s performance. He was creative in the striking department and sought to make things exciting. Hopefully, Pitbull can find a return to form the next time out.
Featherweight: Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa
Result: Erosa defeats Elkins by first-round TKO
Grade: C+
Elkins had nothing to offer here and hoped that he could bait Erosa into exchanges. Instead, it was Erosa patiently picking his spots and beating up the long-tenured UFC veteran. The fight was expected to be violent but ended up being incredibly one-sided. A fine performance from Erosa put Elkins away with relative ease.
Women’s bantamweight: Nora Cornolle vs. Hailey Cowan
Result: Cornolle defeats Cowan by second-round submission
Grade: C+
After a forgettable opening round in which Cowan held Cornolle down for five minutes, the Frenchwoman fought with a sense of urgency in Round 2. It was like night and day, as Cornolle lit up Cowan with punches and short elbows before the fight hit the canvas. It didn’t get any better for Cowan on the ground, as Cornolle quickly maneuvered to her opponent’s back and sank in a rear naked choke to get the job done. Act like the first round didn’t happen and this fight is much better.
Strawweight: Yan Xiaonan vs. Virna Jandiroba
Result: Jandiroba defeats Yan by unanimous decision
Grade: C
With Yan aiming to strike and Jandiroba only interested in grappling, there weren’t many opportunities for fireworks in this battle between highly ranked strawweights. Jandiroba forced Yan into her world and made the former title contender fend off submission attempts for lengthy stretches of the fight. This is exactly what Jandiroba wanted, but it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing for those watching. For the Brazilian, the win was far more important than entertaining the fans.
Lightweight: Jim Miller vs. Chase Hooper
Result: Hooper defeats Miller by unanimous decision
Grade: C
This started as a high-level and entertaining grappling match but slowed to a crawl as Hooper began to dominate those exchanges. It got a little weird, with some body origami in the second and third rounds, leaving fans to try to figure out what Hooper was hoping to accomplish. Regardless, it’s been a joy to watch the 25-year-old Hooper’s evolution. He’s starting to figure this whole MMA thing out. No, the fight wasn’t a thriller but it was another step in Hooper’s growth as a mixed martial artist.
Featherweight: Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson
Result: Ige defeats Woodson by third-round TKO
Grade: C
A potentially highlight reel finish by Ige was marred by a questionable stoppage, hurting the grade for this fight. Ige struggled to find the chin of his opponent with a 7-inch height advantage until the third round, when he caught Woodson with a straight right hand. Ige relentlessly pursued a finish but was interrupted by referee Andrew Glenn, who inexplicably stopped the fight, even though Woodson still had his wits about him. The previous two rounds were nothing spectacular, but it certainly felt like Ige was on the cusp of picking up a memorable knockout.
Flyweight: Sumudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo
Result: Sumudaerji defeats Raposo by split decision
Grade: F
If Tulio vs. Gore was an adrenaline rush, Sumudaerji vs. Raposo was a dose of Nyquil. Unfortunately, nobody wanted to go to sleep, and fans filled the Kaseya Center with jeers during this uneventful fight. There was a lot of moving around by both fighters, but nothing noteworthy happened as Raposo was reluctant to let his hands go and Sumudaerji couldn’t manage to find his target. The judges favored Sumudaerji’s attempt to strike more than Raposo’s takedowns, and that’s fine, because the fans are the ones who truly lost in this one.
UFC 314 fight card grade: B
The fights that were expected to deliver at UFC 314, outside of Pitbull’s flat performance against Rodriguez, delivered. And on a loaded card with high expectations, it’s a pleasant surprise to not feel robbed by the marquee matchups. Pimblett and Silva had breakout performances, Volkanovski and Reyes found their old selves and we got a surprisingly good preliminary fight that helped boost the card.
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