Masvidal vs. Diaz might have been one of the most hyped fights of the year, but it was Kevin Lee who stole the show with the opening bout of the main card when he knocked out opponent Gregor Gillespie in spectacular fashion.
That knockout was good enough for a Performance of the Night bonus, as well as a solid contender for KO of the Year.
The other Performance bonus went to Corey Anderson, who defeated Johnny Walker in the first round via TKO. Anderson came out steaming and made it count the moment the bell rang. Anderson wasn’t happy about the matchup and made his feelings known before and after the fight.
Anderson apologised for his unsporting behavior in the Octagon after the fight, but said he wanted the UFC to release him from his contract if they don’t give him a title shot next. The no-7 has a 13-4 record and has won his last four bouts, but he hasn’t faced a top-5 contender since defeating Jan Blachowicz in 2015. Maybe the extra $50k will be enough to console him for now.
Fight of the Night honors went to Stephen Thompson and Vicente Luque, a dramatic three-round bout that Thompson won by UD.
The night was exciting enough to delay the Canelo-Kovalev superfight by almost 2 hours, with the fighters not entering the ring until 1:18 a.m. ET. Fortunately, ESPN allowed the MGM to air the UFC 244 card while the fans waited for the action to resume.
All in all a crazy night of fights. What do you think, fight fans?
