
Best Of
Saturday’s UFC 240 event is in the books, and now that the dust has settled in Toronto, it’s time to go to the scorecard to see who the big winners were at Rogers Place.
The king. What more can be said about someone who is not just a great fighter, but perhaps an even better ambassador for the sport? Max Holloway did it again on Saturday, proving that he doesn’t have to get into a firefight to be successful. His UFC 240 win over Frankie Edgar may have been his most disciplined effort to date, and while the fight was closer than two judges had it, there was no question who the winner was at the end of five rounds. And while he will get another tough push from number one contender Alexander Volkanovski when they meet, I have to point out that “Blessed” is still only 27 years old, so there is the possibility that we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
Geoff Neal may be the most laid-back killer in the UFC, and make no mistake about it, as cool, calm and collected as he is outside the Octagon, close that gate and he’s a nightmare for anyone at 170 pounds. That’s not to say Niko Price didn’t have his moments against the Texan, but Neal found a way to shake off any adversity and stop the Floridian in the second round. That makes it 4-0 in the big show for a young man who is already making his mark as the top graduate from Dana White’s Contender Series.
Following her first loss in forever to Amanda Nunes, many wondered whether Cris Cyborg still had it. She does. And while Felicia Spencer showed up to fight and gave the Brazilian banger just that over 15 minutes in Toronto, Cyborg was Cyborg, and with that comeback win out of the way, the only thing left is for Cyborg and Nunes to do it again, and hopefully we will see that rematch sometime soon.
MORE FROM UFC 240: Dana White's Recap | Octagon Interviews: Tucker | Dawodu | Full Results
For some reason, spelling the name Deiveson Figueiredo gives me fits, so when writing about the flyweight contender, I’m sticking to his nickname “Deus da Guerra,” and if his Fight of the Night win over Alexandre Pantoja, I will be writing about the God of War for a long time in this space. The Brazilian’s love of the battle is evident, and he beat a real tough guy in Pantoja on Saturday night. Another win, and there’s no question that a title shot should be his.
With her stoppage of Sarah Frota, Gillian Robertson has now fought half her pro career in the UFC. That says two things: She’s still growing as a fighter, and she’s already a threat at 125 pounds in the UFC. With a 4-1 Octagon slate with four finishes, she brings an element of danger to every opponent, and that’s not only a feather in the cap of “The Savage,” it’s a recipe for stardom.