Fight Coverage
Last Time In Chicago
Ahead Of The Octagon's Return To Chicago, We Are Taking A Look At The Last Time The UFC Held An Event In The Windy City Six Years Ago
It’s sort of wild that more than six years have passed since the Octagon last landed in Chicago. The Windy City first hosted a UFC event in January 2012, when Rashad Evans defeated Phil Davis in the headliner. The mixed martial arts leader would return six more times in the next seven years, including iconic moments such as Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero’s 2018 classic rematch at UFC 225, which would go on to earn Fight of the Year honors.
As the promotion returns to the United Center, it is the perfect time to look back on the most recent trip to Second City. That came in June 2019, when Henry Cejudo and Marlon Moraes dueled for the vacant bantamweight title at UFC 238. The sneakily stacked card also included one of the greatest head-kick knockouts of the decade, as well as a collision of fan favorites.
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“Triple C” Is Born
After thwarting TJ Dillashaw’s bid for double-champ status and ostensibly “saving” the flyweight division, Cejudo decided to take his flyweight title and Olympic gold medal up 10 pounds to make his own bid for history. He would have his hands full with Moraes, however, who was in the form of his life. “Magic” Marlon rode in on a four-fight win streak, including three in a row via first-round finish.
UFC 238: Henry Cejudo Octagon Interview
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UFC 238: Henry Cejudo Octagon Interview
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Moraes, taking a more measured approach, got ahead of Cejudo early in the fight. The explosive Brazilian striker battered the American’s legs with kicks, and Cejudo appeared to struggle with the size and speed difference between the two. However, midway through the second round, Cejudo started to find a groove as he pressured Moraes, swarming the kicks and engaging in more boxing exchanges. He also found a home for several knees, and Moraes started to look worn down.
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Cejudo continued pushing the pace in the third round, and after nearly sinking in a submission, Cejudo unleashed a ground-and-pound onslaught and earned the stoppage. Cejudo joined the exclusive group of two-division champions, and “The Messenger” gave way to “Triple C.”
Shevchenko’s Ultimate Highlight
When Valentina Shevchenko secured the flyweight title with a decision win over Joanna Jędrzejczyk in December 2018, many felt it was the start of a long reign at the top of the freshly born division.
Nobody quite knew how accurate those predictions were.
In her first title defense, she fought Cleveland’s Jessica Eye, a veteran who found her groove at 125 pounds. However, Shevchenko put on stunning display of mixed martial arts from the jump, planting several kicks to Eye’s midsection. “Bullet” then exhibited her grappling dominance until the end of the first frame.
The second round started with another steady diet of kicks to Eye’s body, and it was only a matter of time before Shevchenko went high. Twenty-six seconds into the round, Shevchenko did exactly that. Her shin hit Eye’s forehead flush, and the American was out before she hit the canvas. The knockout arguably remains the finest of Shevchenko’s career and the start of her legendary reign as champion.
"El Cucuy" Wrangles "Cowboy" Cerrone
A little more than 30 days before UFC 238, the promotion felt like the card needed some juice, so they called up a boogeyman and a cowboy do just that.
Donald Cerrone was in the midst of a career resurgence when he got the call to face former interim champion Tony Ferguson. After breaking the record for UFC wins and finishes late in 2018, “Cowboy” returned to the lightweight division in 2019 with his eye on a title run. First, he handed Alexander Hernandez a piece of humble pie in January before outclassing Al Iaquinta in a May main event. A win over Ferguson would grant Cerrone admission to the title picture at 155 pounds, but “El Cucuy” had other ideas.
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At the time, Ferguson was an unstoppable force and he rode an 11-fight win streak into Chicago. With his legendary cardio, pressure, chin and unorthodox approach, Ferguson not only beat any man in front of him, but often left his opponents looking like a mess. Such was the case in one of the best fights of 2018 when he beat Anthony Pettis at UFC 229, his first fight after suffering a knee injury which led to losing his interim title. A win over Cerrone, although it wasn’t the title fight he sought, represented another chance to assert himself as the best 155er in the world.
With a main event treatment, Cerrone and Ferguson delivered the all-action fight everyone wanted. Although Cerrone started strong, Ferguson’s steady diet of pressure, elbows and creativity wore on “Cowboy,” and at the end of the second round, all the momentum was in Ferguson’s corner. The fight ended prematurely, however, when a damaged Cerrone blew his nose, causing his right eye to swell dramatically. The doctor was forced to stop the fight much to the chagrin of everyone involved, but Ferguson collected his 12th straight win.
Prospective Bantamweights Join The Title Picture
The suspension which led to Dillashaw vacating the title also left a vacuum at the top of the bantamweight division, which was and remains one of the most chaotic title pictures in the UFC. While Cejudo and Moraes fought for the title, UFC 238 also provided a sort of audition process for future bantamweight contenders as well.
First came a matchup between Aljamain Sterling and Pedro Munhoz. Both men came into the fight on three-fight winning streaks, and the bout represented a chance to break out from the middle of the pack. They fought accordingly, and Sterling arguably put on the best performance of his career against “The Young Punisher.” Despite his well-known reputation as a grappler, “Funk Master” kept things on the feet, using his length, awkward timing and speed to stay ahead of Munhoz. The two stood toe-to-toe for the majority of the fight, and Sterling earned the nod on the scorecards. It was a critical bout in Sterling’s journey to gold, one that showed he was putting all his potential together to make a scary contender.
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On the main card, Russia’s Petr Yan also got a chance to prove himself as a legitimate contender as he faced Jimmie Rivera. “No Mercy” was perfect through his first four Octagon appearances, but Rivera represented a major step up in competition.
Although Rivera started the first round strong, Yan downloaded all the information he needed and scored a knockdown at the end of the frame. The second round was almost identical to the first as Rivera put in good work until Yan racked up another knockdown. Rivera came out hard in the third round believing he needed a finish, but Yan stayed composed and landed plenty of his own strikes, taking home the decision win, his fifth victory in 12 months.
