Five Rounds: Harrison's loss adds more uncertainty to her future

The UFC returns to Florida this play for the archetypal clip since UFC 273 successful April. UFC Fight Night takes spot astatine Orlando's Amway Center connected Saturday nighttime (7 p.m. ET connected ESPN+) with an intriguing paper for combat fans to peruse.

This volition beryllium the archetypal UFC Fight Night lawsuit held extracurricular of the UFC APEX successful Las Vegas since the promotion held its first-ever lawsuit successful France successful September. It's besides 1 of the 3 remaining combat cards of the calendar year.

Saturday features a welterweight main lawsuit betwixt Stephen Thompson (16-6-1) and Kevin Holland (23-8). Here are immoderate thoughts connected that, arsenic good arsenic a fewer different storylines astir MMA -- including Larissa Pacheco's upset of the undefeated Kayla Harrison astatine the PFL World Championships connected Friday.

Now things get absorbing for Kayla Harrison

Everybody loses successful MMA. Harrison is conscionable the latest illustration of that. Honestly, this 1 wasn't that shocking. It's a large upset, but anyone who followed the PFL this play knew Pacheco was a imaginable problem. In my finals preview, I stated determination were signs of a imaginable upset present -- astir significantly, Pacheco reaching her prime, which conscionable wasn't the lawsuit successful their archetypal 2 fights. What happens present with Harrison volition beryllium interesting.

Prior to this loss, she made it wide she does not privation to vie successful the afloat play successful 2023. She wants marquee fights. That's inactive plausible, but this effect has an impact. It's hard to envision a 2023 successful which she doesn't look Pacheco again. It conscionable feels similar that has to hap now, and this 'dream' combat betwixt Harrison and Bellator MMA's Cris Cyborg was ne'er a slam dunk to statesman with. Even had Harrison won, determination was nary warrant the 2 promotions would fig that combat out, contempt PFL's sincere efforts frankincense far. Everyone loves a comeback story, but what volition Harrison's look like? If she's not warring successful the regular season, and the PFL is incapable to enactment unneurotic a cross-promotional fight, Harrison's 2023 is precise overmuch up successful the air.

Saturday is simply a large 1 for Holland, adjacent bigger for Thompson

This is an illustration of however important a azygous combat tin be, for mounting a narrative.

For Holland, the information is, he's going to beryllium fine, triumph oregon lose. Until helium proves helium tin woody with high-level grappling, the world is that we're not going to deliberation of him arsenic a morganatic rubric challenger. Not with wrestlers similar Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, Khamzat Chimaev, Gilbert Burns, etc., astatine welterweight arsenic well. But that doesn't truly matter. Perhaps astatine immoderate point, a rubric volition beryllium portion of Holland's appeal. But it doesn't request to be. He's been going the Cowboy Cerrone way of warring precise often successful aggregate value classes, and it's moving for him. These are each important fights, but the effect means little for Holland's future.

Thompson, meanwhile, is 2 months distant from his 40th birthday. And coming disconnected of back-to-back losses, this is his archetypal and lone quality of 2022. Part of the crushed down his inactivity this twelvemonth was helium didn't privation to combat different wrestler. He wanted a stylistic matchup that would fto him respire and utilize his striking, alternatively of 1 that would unit him to support takedowns the full time. If helium wins, he's inactive top-5 worldly successful the part and perchance 1 triumph distant from a rubric shot. If helium loses, the communicative volition inevitably crook into, "How is Thompson's vocation going to end?"

Although I've gotten utilized to it, it's inactive astonishing however overmuch 1 combat tin signifier that treatment of a fighter's future. Thompson is simply a pro and 1 of the astir laid backmost guys successful the sport, truthful he'll grip the unit conscionable fine. But marque nary mistake, the full outlook of his 2023 and vocation is astatine involvement connected Saturday.

Checking successful connected Derek Brunson

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Derek Brunson's crushed crippled is excessively overmuch for Darren Till arsenic helium yet wins their main lawsuit matchup.

Brunson (23-8) was expected to look Jack Hermansson (23-7) connected this card, but withdrew past week owed to injury. He told maine precocious it's a hyper-extended arm, and he's hopeful it volition not necessitate excessively overmuch clip off.

Before his past fight, a knockout nonaccomplishment to Jared Cannonier successful February, Brunson, 38, said helium lone wanted to combat 2 much times. Ideally, helium wanted to bushed Cannonier, past triumph the UFC rubric and retire. I asked him if that was inactive the case, if his adjacent combat would inactive beryllium his last. He said the program has been somewhat readjusted, but helium volition instrumentality it combat by fight.

"It's show based," Brunson said. "Before my past fight, doctors told maine I shouldn't tally due to the fact that of immoderate tears successful my knee, but I request to tally for the cardio. Had I ran for my erstwhile fight, I would person been successful amended signifier and I would person won that fight, due to the fact that I was winning until I got caught. If I'm not performing well, that is simply a antithetic story. But I consciousness I tin inactive predominate if I'm successful bully shape."

Brunson said he's hopeful the UFC volition rebook his combat against Hermansson successful 2023, perchance arsenic aboriginal arsenic February. Hermansson is facing Roman Dolidze this weekend.

What does this combat mean for Rafael dos Anjos?

On the surface, it feels a small ... random. Dos Anjos is the No. 6 ranked lightweight, but he's warring an unranked welterweight successful Bryan Barberena. So, what are the stakes of this combat and what is dos Anjos trying to acceptable up?

His manager, Giovanni Biscardi, told maine this combat is astir "freeing" dos Anjos from the existent container that he's successful -- which is, "a summons into the lightweight apical 10." No 1 supra dos Anjos successful the 155-pound rankings was consenting to combat him, and helium felt helium was successful a presumption wherever helium was perpetually going to beryllium asked to combat down.

Is dos Anjos looking to marque a imperishable determination to welterweight? According to Biscardi, the reply is no. This combat is to found dos Anjos arsenic a subordinate astatine some lightweight and welterweight. Create much options. He's a erstwhile lightweight champion, who conscionable fought Rafael Fiziev to a precise competitory fifth-round knockout loss. He's not a rubric challenger, but there's nary question he's elite. And helium wants matchups that bespeak that. He doesn't privation to beryllium known arsenic a "test" for an up-and-comer.

There are plentifulness of options that excite dos Anjos. Michael Chandler astatine lightweight? That's fun. Jorge Masvidal astatine welterweight? Same. The imagination matchup is Conor McGregor, who helium was expected to combat successful 2016, but couldn't due to the fact that of an infamous ft injury. He'd besides emotion to combat Charles Oliveira, due to the fact that helium doesn't similar the thought of anyone reasoning he's not the champion Brazilian lightweight successful the world.

Dos Anjos is inactive motivated and precise committed to the UFC. There are inactive large chapters to beryllium written successful his career, and this combat is astir opening those up.

Glover Teixeira's determination to crook down a rubric fight

The biggest quality that came retired of past week was unfortunate. Jiří Procházka vacated his UFC title without a azygous defense, aft suffering a enarthrosis wounded that is apt to support him retired for a agelong time. Procházka mentioned a timeframe of six months successful an Instagram post. I definite anticipation that's the case, but based connected talking to the UFC and Procházka's team, determination is nary warrant helium fights astatine each successful 2023.

One of the astonishing details of that communicative was that the UFC offered Teixeira a rubric combat against Magomed Ankalaev astatine UFC 282, earlier settling connected Ankalaev vs. Jan Blachowicz for the championship. Teixeira told maine past week that it was his determination to diminution the fight, due to the fact that Ankalaev is simply a tricky southpaw and a precise antithetic hostile than the 1 helium was preparing for successful Procházka.

Teixeira offered to look Blachowicz astatine UFC 282, oregon to look Ankalaev astatine UFC 283 1 period later. The UFC needed a main lawsuit successful December, however, which is wherefore they moved connected from Teixeira. This is an unfortunate concern each the mode around, and Teixeira's disappointment and vexation were evident erstwhile I spoke to him. I deliberation erstwhile the archetypal disappointment of missing retired connected the rubric combat wears off, however, Teixeira volition recognize the UFC's request to salvage a main lawsuit and as agelong arsenic Teixeira fights for the loop next, each parties should locomotion distant happy. UFC hasn't offered a warrant that volition beryllium the case, but that's what I'm guessing volition happen.

UFC 282's caller look

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Thiago Santos and Magomed Ankalaev commercialized shots successful the airy heavyweight main lawsuit of UFC Fight Night.

The last UFC pay-per-view of the twelvemonth was already lacking prima powerfulness and present it's taken a large deed with Procházka retired of the main event. In presumption of sanction value, this is not 1 of the strongest cards of the year, however, I deliberation the prelims are going to marque for a well-constructed night.

While not made authoritative arsenic of yet, I'm proceeding a middleweight combat betwixt Darren Till and Dricus du Plessis volition present determination onto the main card. So, you're looking astatine a paper successful which you get a fewer enactment fights involving guys similar Joaquin Buckley and Edmen Shahbazyan aboriginal on. Billy Quarantillo vs. Alexander Hernandez is simply a sleeper for Fight of the Night, you heard it present first. Plus, the storyline of 18-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. making his UFC debut.

Then you determination into Bryce Mitchell vs. Ilia Topuria to commencement the main card, followed by a important combat for the vocation of Till. Paddy Pimblett vs. Jared Gordon is not an A+ co-main event, but if Paddy's meteoric emergence continues, we'll look backmost connected it and deliberation differently. Listen, I'm truly not trying to merchantability anyone connected UFC 282. Compared to UFC 280 and 281, it's not arsenic beauteous of a lineup. But I'm giving my idiosyncratic prediction, it's going to beryllium 1 of those cards that sneak up connected us, due to the fact that it's low-key a amusive one.