Despite a relatively short UFC card, there was plenty for MMA fans to talk about heading into Monday morning.
From exciting knockouts, to shocking upsets and fight cancellation after fight cancellation, here's the biggest talking points from the MMA world after this weekend.
COVID-19 Reduces UFC Vegas 9 to Just Seven Fights
Following the UFC's return in May, we've grown accustomed to seeing a fight or two cancelled following a fighter testing positive for coronavirus, but this weekend saw UFC Vegas 9's card reduced to just seven fights, the shortest fight card in the organisation in 15 years.
While not every fight was cancelled due to COVID-19, it was responsible for a number of the cancellations, most notably the Thiago Moises vs Jalin Turner and Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs Alexander Romanov fights, with both being canned just hours before the show.
The card was that depleted that we didn't even get prelims and all seven fights were apart of the main card. That being said, we still managed to come away with a pretty entertaining show.
Khamzat Chimaev's Return Booked
One of the biggest bits of news we got this weekend didn't even involve Saturday's fight card, with it being reported that new UFC sensation Khamzat Chimaev would be making his return later this month when he faces Gerald Meerschaert.
Chimaev has taken the organisation by storm since his debut in July, with two incredibly dominant wins, but a fight with Meershcaert is sure to be his toughest test to date and it will be interesting to see how he fares. It was also reported that there was already talk of pairing Chimaev up with UFC veteran Demian Maia in October if he's victorious against Meerschaert. That's pretty ballsy. If I was Meerschaert I'd be feeling pretty disrespected right now.
Alistair Overeem Proved He's Still a Contender
In one of the more impressive performances of the weekend, Alistair Overeem handed Augusto Sakai only his second-ever loss as the veteran continued to show he deserves to be considered a contender in the heavyweight division.
Sakai started the fight the better of the two men and was causing Overeem a number of issues throughout the first three rounds, but the 40-year-old showed his savvy experience, adjusting his gameplan and taking the fight to the ground, later on, eventually finishing Sakai with some brutal ground and pound. Overeem recently admitted he'll probably step away from the octagon for good after his next four fights and would like one last push towards the title before he goes and why the hell not?
A rematch with Jairzinho Rozenstruik makes a lot of sense now and given how much Overeem dominated the first fight before he was knocked out in the final seconds, it's not unfeasible to see the Dutch fighter come out on top. If the Demolition Man wins that one then a title fight would certainly feel deserved.
Austin Vanderford Out of Bellator 246 After Testing Positive for COVID-19
It seems the UFC aren't the only organisation being hit with COVID-19, with Austin Vanderford forced to miss Bellator 246 after testing positive for the virus at the weekend.
Vanderford, who's yet to lose in his MMA career and has fought in Bellator three times so far, revealed the news on his Instagram page, before admitting it was the second time he'd tested positive for the virus.
Vanderford was due to fight tricky submission artist Daniel Madrid, but will be forced to watch on as Pat Casey steps in for him.
Brian Kelleher Secures One of the Fastest Submissions in UFC Featherweight History
After losing two opponents in the build-up to UFC Vegas 9, you would be forgiven for expecting Brian Kelleher to struggle to adjust to short notice step in Ray Rodriguez, but Boom Boom quickly devoured those doubts.
In one of the fastest submissions in the UFC Featherweight division's history, Kelleher secured a guillotine choke and Rodriguez tapped out in just 39 seconds. The 34-year-old is quickly becoming one of the more exciting fighters to watch in the 145lb division, finishing all but four of his 22 wins.
Kelleher quickly moved past his recent loss to Cody Stamann and will look to really push on now after an incredible performance.
Nick Diaz's Possible Return
One of the biggest news to break this weekend, former welterweight contender Nick Diaz is targetting a UFC return for 2021. Diaz, who last fought in January 2015 is in fantastic shape and keeping an eye on the top fights within the 170lb division as he eyes a return to the octagon.
The news was broken by Ariel Helwani late on Sunday, but with the welterweight division already stacked, the return of one of the most entertaining fighters the division has ever seen will only make things a hell of a lot more interesting.
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