UFC MONTHLY REPORT | JULY 2024

Some may want to quibble with this selection given that the final moments of Muhammad’s fight with Leon Edwards featured the new champion getting cracked open by an elbow and leaking claret all over the canvas, but it’s the “new champion” part of that sentence that makes Muhammad the clear choice for this honor this month.

There is going to be a lot of revisionist history written over the next few weeks and months about how people “always knew” the 36-year-old Chicago native was going to cross the Atlantic and handily wrest the welterweight title away from Edwards on British soil, but that really wasn’t the case.

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Muhammad was an underdog — an underdog with a path to victory, absolutely, but most anticipated that the incumbent titleholder would turn in another successful title defense in his home country, bring the challenger’s lengthy unbeaten streak to a halt, and put their rivalry behind him as he shifted his attention to the unbeaten trio of contenders climbing the ranks in the 170-pound weight class.

Instead, Muhammad showed in the opening moments of the fight that he was there to do what he promised to do throughout the build-up to the fight — take Edwards’ title and prove that he’s the best welterweight on the planet.

And he did just that.

Muhammad earned every bit of praise and recognition coming his way right now by compiling an 11-fight unbeaten streak in one of the most competitive and deepest divisions in the promotion, and has now unquestionably won six consecutive fights against ranked opponents to claim his place on the throne.

The welterweight division has a new ruler, and he deserves to be saluted.

Honorable Mentions: Luana Santos, Montel Jackson, Jean Silva, Virna Jandiroba

Submission of the Month: Paddy Pimblett vs King Green (UFC 304)

This was just beautiful.

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The consensus going into this highly anticipated lightweight pairing was that if Green gave Pimblett an opportunity to attack the neck, the polarizing Liverpool man was going to latch onto it and likely get a finish, and that is precisely how things played out.

Seemingly unable to get inside or get into his striking the way he wanted, Green took a hurried and somewhat sloppy shot from the outside, getting a hold of Pimblett’s leg, but not in a position where the Brit was forced to focus exclusively on defending. Instead, he latched onto a guillotine choke that forced Green to adjust his tactics, immediately throwing his left leg up over the back of the American.

Almost as soon as the duo hit the canvas, Pimblett switched off to a triangle choke, ticking through the correct shifts and adjustments until he had it locked up tight and Green dead to rights. While the veteran tried to find space and avoid the darkness that was slowly creeping closer and closer, Pimblett continued to take all the right steps to put him to sleep.

This was masterful work from “Paddy the Baddy,” who has always had a knack for sniping submissions and a high finishing rate when he does attack.

Honorable Mentions: Evan Elder vs. Darrius Flowers, Santos vs. Mariya Agapova, Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez, Cody Gibson vs. Brian Kelleher, Jandiroba vs. Amanda Lemos, Sam Patterson vs. Kiefer Crosbie, 

Knockout of the Month: Montel Jackson vs Da’Mon Blackshear (UFC Denver)

Jackson is the best bantamweight no one ever really talks about, and he’s perfectly okay maintaining that position; I know this because I asked him as much ahead of his fight with Blackshear in Denver.

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The 32-year-old Milwaukee native entered the contest on a four-fight winning streak, having gone 7-2 over his first nine UFC appearances, and coming off a cracking first-round knockout win over Rani Yahya. Keen observers have recognized the growth he’s displayed since coming off the second season of Dana White’s Contender Series and understanding that almost the entirety of his professional career has come inside the Octagon, which is why progressing up the ranks has been a slower process than some would maybe otherwise like to see.

But Jackson feels like he’s hit that point where he has to be taken seriously as a dark horse in the 135-pound weight class, and the way he made short work of Blackshear helped emphatically make that point.

As soon as the duo hit the center of the Octagon, Jackson pawed with a one and cracked with a two, catching Blackshear square and sending him crashing to the canvas in a heap. It was a clean shot that required no follow-ups and Jackson knew it straight away, raising his hands as his opponent thudded to the ground.

It’s difficult to win five consecutive fights in the UFC, in any division, against any level of opponent, but Jackson has done that while continually taking incremental steps towards the top of the division. He’s now on the fringes of the Top 15 and has done more than enough to merit the opportunity to share the Octagon with someone sporting a number next to their name.

“Quik” is going to continue being a problem in the bantamweight division, and it’s past time people started recognizing that.

Honorable Mentions: Charles Johnson vs. Joshua Van, Hyder Amil vs. JeongYeong Lee, Bruno Silva vs. Cody Durden, Mick Parkin vs. Lukasz Brzeski, Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes

Fight of the Month: Jean Silva vs Drew Dober (UFC Denver)

The second this fight came together, you knew it was going to be entertaining, because Dober is allergic to being in a boring fight and actively courts vicious exchanges, even when it might not be in his best interest, while Silva has already earned a pair of stoppage wins to begin his rookie campaign in the UFC and was making a quick turnaround to move up in weight — and fight at altitude, in Dober’s hometown — and take on this challenge.

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Somehow, these two managed to still exceed expectations.

From the jump, they were excited to meet in the pocket and trade — Dober pressing forward behind his signature brand of bouncing kickboxing, Silva content to counter, finding a home for a check left hook early and often.

As the fight progressed, the intensity grew, as did the cut over Dober’s right eye. A spinning back elbow from Silva turned it from a small opening causing blood to trickle down the veteran’s face to a sizeable gash releasing a river of crimson, and the kind of wound that could prompt the fight to be stopped.

While Dober cleared inspection at the start of the third round, another few heavy shots tore that wound open even further, resulting in even more blood covering his face (and everything else in a five-foot radius) and the fight being halted.

This was a thoroughly entertaining battle from start to finish, and the after party to Silva’s UFC 303 coming out party, leaving everyone wondering what the Fighting Nerds representative is going to do next.

Honorable Mention: Johnson vs. Van