Well, that's UFC 252 in the books and we were given one hell of a night, undefeated streaks were snapped, budding prospects continued to climb the rankings and the legendary career of an all-time great came to an end.
Above all though, there were five fighters who stood out above the rest following their performances on the night. Whether it be through their performance, or the narrative surrounding their victory, here are the five fighters who have everyone talking after UFC 252, for all the right reasons.
Merab Dvalishvili Continues his Rise up Bantamweight Division
Coming into UFC 252, Merab Dvalishvili was handed his toughest test to date, when he was paired up with UFC veteran and The Ultimate Fighter season 14 winner, John Dodson. Merab was the favourite for the fight, but Dodson was expected to give him trouble. It was the first big name on the Georgian's resume, but that didn't seem to alter his approach whatsoever.
Merab was relentless throughout the fight, and his confidence didn't waver, despite Dodson's excellent takedown defence. Even when the 29-year-old did manage to take the former flyweight title challenger down, Dodson was instantly back up. It forced Merab to utilise other areas of his arsenal as he was no longer able to rely on his excellent grappling and ground game, but he still found a way to come out on top. Winning a unanimous decision, he's shown he belongs among the bantamweight elite and a top 10 ranked contender is likely heading his way next.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik Bounces Back in a Big Way
After a devastating 20 second knockout at the hands of Francis Ngannou, Jairzinho Rozenstruik got back in the win column in a big way, knocking out former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos inside two rounds.
Although he was the favourite, there were some, myself included, who thought Rozenstruik would struggle following the Ngannou loss, but we couldn't have been more wrong. The 32-year-old looked fantastic and saw his record climb to 11-1. With Ngannou set to challenge for the title and Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis discussing a potential fight, it's unclear what Rozenstruik's next move will be, but he's put himself in an excellent position going forward.
Virna Jandiroba's Strawweight Ascension Continues
One of the toughest divisions in the UFC continues to get tougher as Virna Jandiroba continued her ascension up the strawweight division. Taking on UFC veteran Felice Herrig, Jandiroba wasted no time taking Lil Bulldog down and submitting her in less than two minutes.
Jandiroba looks primed to break into the strawweight rankings following her performance and is gearing up to be one hell of a competitor within the 115lb division going forward.
Marlon Vera Cancels the Suga Show
In the biggest upset of the night, Marlon Vera derailed the hype train that surrounded Suga Sean O'Malley, finishing the undefeated striker in the first division. Vera was gifted a slice of luck, following the freak leg injury O'Malley suffered and many called the stoppage premature, but Herb Dean got it right.
O'Malley could barely stand on his leg and is inability to stand led to him being finished on the ground. Make no mistake though, Chito looked fierce and secured an extremely impressive win. O'Malley will be back and better than ever, but the night belonged to Vera and he's looking like a dangerous contender for the bantamweight going forward.
Stipe Miocic Cements his Status as Heavyweight GOAT
Stipe Miocic furthered his legacy as the UFC's greatest heavyweight of all time with his win over the retiring Daniel Cormier in the main event of the night. The focus heading into the fight revolved around DC's looming retirement, but Miocic denied the former champion a happy ending, picking up the decision win and emerging victorious from the trilogy.
Miocic has beaten some of the best heavyweights the UFC have ever seen and will be glad to finally move past his professional rivalry with Cormier and face new challengers. The Cleveland native has now faced DC in three straight fights and it's time for him to face someone else. Although it's looking like a rematch with the dangerous Francis Ngannou is next on the cards, if Miocic gets past the striker, the heavyweight division offers a number of fresh matchups for him. Long live the GOAT.
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