UFC 258 included the expectation of welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and strong performances from both women in the co-main event, Alexa Grasso and Maycee Barber. It also included one of the most surprising results in recent memory, when Anthony Hernandez defeated Rodolfo Vieira, a seven-time world champion for submission, with submission.
The event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night presented an excellent showcase for a number of fighters who want to continue their quest for a title. Grasso added a new dimension to her game and offered Barber a possible blueprint to follow. Hernandez now has the attention of the UFC, so what can he do about it?
But by the end of the night, all eyes were again on Usman, who was again holding the 170-pound belt. Where are the champion and his newest challenger, Gilbert Burns, going from here?
Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim reflect on the evening’s action.
Okamoto: What’s next for Usman and Burns?
Who’s Next for Usman: Leon Edwards
That is now the only answer. The only one. Edwards had just lost to an opponent in Khamzat Chimaev, whom he would face on March 13. He wants to stay on the map, and the UFC is trying to book a new opponent for him. Potentially Colby Covington, according to UFC President Dana White.
No matter who Edwards gets – or even if he gets no one – if he wins, he’s next. If he ends up not fighting at all, he’s next. The guy did everything you could ask to earn a title. Covington was not discussed. Jorge Masvidal was not discussed. Edwards was willing to fight Chimaev, a man no one wanted. He is the number 1 candidate right now, and as long as he does not fight and lose, there is nothing that can change it.
Game Card: Colby Covington
The UFC likes this chance because the first fight was so good. Usman is also open to that. Covington delivers a dominant performance against Tyron Woodley. He’s looking for a title, but he should not be ahead of Edwards.
Who is next for Burns: Khamzat Chimaev
This is clearly not the result Burns was looking for, but no one could beat Usman all the time he was in the UFC. Although you never want to lose, there is no shame in losing your opponent.
Burns does not fall too far on the rankings as a result. Honestly, I would love to see Burns fight Masvidal because I think it’s stylistically a great fight. I do not know what Masvidal wants now, but I do not think he wants Burns. Just my speculation.
So, what’s a realistic next fight for Burns? Well, if Chimaev recovers in the near future, what about him? The UFC will still want to put Chimaev in a big fight, and Burns is one of the welterweights apparently willing to fight anyone. Fans will accept this match. If Chimaev comes back within a reasonable time, let’s do it.
Game Card: Colby Covington
If Edwards gets the next title shot, which I believe should do, Burns against Covington is an obvious battle. There has been talk of Covington against Masvidal, but the one does not look close. If it does not come together, it is a good match on which you can turn.
Raimondi: Grasso can show Barber the way
Maycee Barber lost two in a row. Her plan, as one of the best prospects in all of MMA, was to become the youngest champion in UFC history. That’s not going to happen right now – and that’s all right. Barber is only 22 years old. There really is no rush. She was not really ready for champion Valentina Shevchenko anyway. Min is. This brief move at this point in Barber’s career could finally be a blessing in disguise.
If Barber wants a good example of what the future may hold, she should look no further than the woman who beat her Saturday night: Alexa Grasso. Six years ago, Grasso was one of the most popular prospects in MMA. UFC President Dana White was present to see her at an Invicta FC card in Los Angeles and expressed her potential. Grasso had to have a meteoric rise and become the UFC’s next big Mexican star. That did not happen. But guess what: Grasso moved up from straw weight to flyweight and won two straight. After her victory on Saturday night, she is now a legal contender at £ 125.
Grasso is only 27 years old. She is in her athletics prime. Barber is five years younger than she is, and all she has is time. And what Barber was able to accomplish in the third round by making adjustments and finishing against Grasso if she needed one was a positive sign. Barber needs a solid home to train. Maybe she found out in Chicago with Mike Valle and Israel Martinez. No, she may not become the youngest UFC champion ever. But that does not mean that one day she will not wear that gold belt.
Wagenheim: Anthony Hernandez presented the most shocking result of the night
Who knows, maybe his nickname ‘Fluffy’ played a role in the fact that Hernandez was installed as one of the biggest underdogs of the night. A more likely factor has been Hernandez’s results over the past three years – just one win in his four recent previous fights. Mostly, however, the +370 chance against him was a statement about his opponent, Rodolfo Vieira, who came unbeaten in MMA with an elite pedigree in one of the most important disciplines of the sport.
Vieira has only had two UFC matches on hand, but the belt is a black one from his in-depth career in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The 31-year-old from Rio de Janeiro is a world champion who has been subdued seven times. In more than 100 professional wrestling matches, he has only been submitted once.
But now Vieira has a submission loss on his MMA record. Hernandez, who later revealed he was just wearing a purple belt, choked on the third round of guillotine.
Of course, elite grapplers like Braulio Estima and Bernardo Faria would love to talk to Hernandez. They did not fare as well in the world championship battle with Vieira, but the rules of jiu-jitsu did not allow them to soften him with blows, elbows and head kicks, like Hernandez before he finished with the throttle.
However, the record book only shows a victory for Hernandez, without the asterisk being added for the damage done. And all the bettors who pay up tickets with the headline “Hernandez by submission” at 30-1, according to the broadcast, certainly do not return the desired money. No matter how one wants to qualify it, it was a special finish, which will make fans respect the “Fluffy” name. And future opponents will have something to think about – Hernandez’s defense wrestling against a ground virtuoso early on, turning his gravel around the table and his gut to do the most unlikely finishes.