UFC 258 had the expectation of welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and strong performances from the two women in the main co-fight, Alexa Grasso and Maycee Barber. It also included one of the most surprising results of recent memory, when Anthony Hernandez defeated Rodolfo Vieira, seven times world grappling champion, by submission.
The event at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, on Saturday night, was a privileged showcase for several fighters looking to continue their search for the title. Grasso showed a new dimension to his game and offered Barber a potential plan to follow. Hernandez now has the UFC’s attention, so what can he do with it?
But by the end of the night, all eyes were once again on Usman, who held the 170-pound belt once again. Where does the champion and his last challenger, Gilbert Burns, go from here?
Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim reflect on the action of the night.
Okamoto: What’s next for Usman and Burns?
Who is next for Usman: Leon Edwards
This is the only answer now. The only. Edwards just lost an opponent at Khamzat Chimaev, who he would face on March 13. He wants to stay on that card, and the UFC tries to hire a new opponent for him. Potentially Colby Covington, according to UFC President Dana White.
Regardless of who Edwards wins – or even if he doesn’t get anyone – if he wins, he is next. If he ends up not fighting, he is next. The man did everything you could ask to win a shot at the title. Covington is not booked. Jorge Masvidal is not reserved. Edwards was willing to fight Chimaev, a guy that nobody wanted. He is the number 1 contender at the moment and, as long as he doesn’t fight and lose, there is nothing to change that.
Wild card: Colby Covington
The UFC liked this rematch because the first fight was very good. Usman is also open to this. Covington comes from a dominant performance against Tyron Woodley. He’s in contention for the title, but he shouldn’t be ahead of Edwards.
Who’s next to Burns: Khamzat Chimaev
It is clearly not the result that Burns was looking for, but no one has managed to defeat Usman the entire time he is in the UFC. So, although you never want to lose, there is no shame in losing to that opponent level.
Burns doesn’t fall much in the ranking because of that. Honestly, I would love to see Burns fight Masvidal, because I think it’s a great fight stylistically. I don’t know what Masvidal wants now, but I don’t think he wants Burns. Just my speculation.
So, what’s the next realistic fight for Burns? Well, if Chimaev recovers in the near future, how about him? The UFC will still want to put Chimaev in a big fight, and Burns is one of those welterweight who seems to want to fight anyone. The fans would embrace this confrontation. If Chimaev comes back in a reasonable amount of time, we will do that.
Wild card: Colby Covington
If Edwards gets the next shot at the title, which I believe he should, Burns vs. Covington is an obvious fight to make. There has been talk of Covington vs. Masvidal, but that doesn’t seem close to being done. If it is not working, this is a good combination to spin.
Raimondi: Grasso can show the way for Barber
Maycee Barber has lost two consecutive matches. Her plan, as one of the biggest prospects in all of MMA, was to become the youngest champion in UFC history. This is not going to happen now – and that is totally OK. Barber is only 22 years old. There’s really no rush. She wasn’t really ready for champion Valentina Shevchenko anyway. Few are. This short slippage at this juncture in Barber’s career could end up being a blessing in disguise.
If Barber wanted a good example of what the future could be, she shouldn’t look any further than the woman who hit her on Saturday night: Alexa Grasso. Six years ago, Grasso was one of the best prospects in MMA. UFC president Dana White was there to see her on an Invicta FC card in Los Angeles and talked about her potential. Grasso was supposed to have a meteoric rise and become the next big Mexican star in the UFC. This did not happened. But guess what: Grasso went from straw to flyweight and won two in a row. After her victory on Saturday night, she is now a legitimate competitor with 125 pounds.
Grasso is only 27 years old. She is at her athletic peak. Barber is five years younger than her and only has time. And what Barber managed to do in the third round, making adjustments and going to finish against Grasso when needed, was a positive sign. Barber needs a consistent home to train. Maybe she found this out in Chicago with Mike Valle and Israel Martinez. No, she may not become the youngest UFC champion of all time. But that doesn’t mean she won’t be wearing that gold belt one day.
Wagenheim: Anthony Hernandez presented the most shocking result of the night
Who knows, maybe his nickname, “Fluffy”, played a role in Hernandez being installed as one of the biggest underdogs of the night. A more likely factor was Hernandez’s results over the past three years – just a victory in his four most recent previous fights. But, mainly, the +370 odds against him were a statement about his opponent, Rodolfo Vieira, who arrived undefeated in MMA with an elite pedigree in one of the main sports.
Vieira had only two appearances in the UFC, but he is a black belt from his long career in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The 31-year-old is a seven-time world champion in hand-to-hand fighting. In more than 100 professional grappling matches, he was submitted only once.
But now Vieira has a submission loss in the MMA cartel. Hernandez, who later revealed that he is only a purple belt, finished off with a guillotine in the third round.
Of course, elite grapplers like Braulio Estima and Bernardo Faria would like to talk to Hernandez. They did not do so well in world clashes with Vieira, but the rules of jiu-jitsu did not allow him to soften him with punches, elbows and kicks to the head, as Hernandez did before finishing with the choke.
The record book shows only one submission win for Hernandez, however, with no asterisk added to the damage done before submission. And any punters who discounted the tickets by reading “Hernandez for presentation”, with a 30-1 chance, according to the broadcast, are certainly not returning the money won. As much as one tries to qualify, it was a special submission, the kind that will make fans respect the name “Fluffy”. And future opponents will have something to think about – Hernandez’s defensive fight early on against a virtuoso from the ground, his courage to turn the tide and his courage to go to the most unlikely of finals.