Top 5 Performances At UFC Fight Night 26
5 Best Performances at UFC Fight Night 26
This has certainly been and will continue to be a very busy month for the UFC. A couple of major events are now in the books and incredibly, there are two more major cards still to come in August. There’s the UFC Fight Night 27 card that will be headlined by the rematch between Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann, and UFC 164 will be highlighted by what should be a terrific lightweight title fight between champion Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis. While that’s a lot for fight fans to be excited about, let’s take a look back at last night’s UFC Fight Night 26 event on Fox Sports 1 in Boston.
After any major event, there are always a number of issues to reflect upon. There’s always be food for thought on what fights to make moving forward, competitors who saw their stocks rise the most, and which fighters may be on the chopping block after tasting defeat. The night featured an intriguing card with plenty of star power. There were impressive breakout performances from the likes of Michael Johnson. Talented fighters such as Chael Sonnen and Michael McDonald looked impressive in getting back into the win column, there were lightning quick KOs from the likes of Matt Brown and Steven Siler, a tremendous roller coaster of a heavyweight co-main event between Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem, and also another victory from one of the UFC’s most-hyped prospects in Conor McGregor. On a night where some careers were salvaged and others were left in tatters, we will take a look at what were, in my opinion, the top five performances.
5. Michael McDonald Impresses vs. Brad Pickett
22-year-old Michael McDonald re-established himself as a major player within the bantamweight division with a second-round triangle submission of Brad Pickett. McDonald showed brutal striking in the opening frame, which staggered Pickett on several occasions. After failing to get the finish, McDonald calmly reloaded and finished the affair in the middle frame. It earned him a Fight of the Night bonus, and the win was a strong bounce-back effort after his loss against champion Renan Barao.
4. Michael Johnson Revives Career By Battering Joe Lauzon
While many were expecting Joe Lauzon to set a new record for most post-fight bonuses, Michael Johnson clearly had other plans. With his UFC career on the line after back-to-back losses, Johnson took it to Lauzon throughout the entire fight in securing the three-round decision. Johnson showcased an improved striking game, and it was such a thorough beatdown that one of scorecards read 30-25 in his favor. It was definitely a performance that rejuvenated Johnson’s career.
3. Matt Brown Keeps Climbing Welterweight Ladder After Win Over Mike Pyle
Welterweight Matt Brown continued his terrific run with a 29-second demolition job of Mike Pyle. In a battle of surging veterans, Brown struck early and often and closed the show in devastating fashion to earn a Knockout of the Night bonus. Brown was quick to call out current welterweight champion Georges St.Pierre, but he’s not quite at that level just yet. The win did solidify “The Immortal” as Top-10 material and it marked his sixth-straight victory.
2. Chael Sonnen Returns To Win Column Against Mauricio Rua
After back-to-back losses in title fights against Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, Chael Sonnen made a big statement at 205 pounds and earned the Submission of the Night bonus thanks to a first-round submission of former light heavyweight champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. It was the type of performance that sends signals that the “American Gangster” is still a force to be reckoned with at either the light heavyweight or middleweight divisions.
1. Travis Browne Makes Big Statement By Rallying To Defeat Alistair Overeem
Heavyweight Travis Browne made the biggest statement of the night with a huge come-from-behind first-round stoppage of Alistair Overeem. After being hurt early by vicious knees and a full ground-and-pound onslaught, Browne showed tremendous grit and determination to somehow survive. He delivered a huge game changer via a devastating left front kick to the face, and subsequent hammer fists punched his ticket to another major win and left Overeem's UFC future in question. Browne is getting closer to a title shot after earning the other KO of the Night Bonus.
Rick LaFitte is an MMA Writer for Rant Sports
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