UFC 238 was held on Saturday June 8th at the United Center. Two fighters cemented themselves as hall of famers and have now entered the greatest of all time discussion. It honestly seems like we’re having this discussion about a different fighter every other day. but nonetheless, those fighters are Henry Cejudo and Valentina Shevchenko.
The Best Combat Sports Athlete in the World?
Henry Cejudo defeated bantamweight contender, Marlon Moraes, to become the fourth double champ in UFC history. He is now the UFC flyweight champion as well as the UFC bantamweight champion. This fight really showed Cejudo’s true colors in my opinion. Moraes came out throwing heat. It didn’t seem like Cejudo could find an opening in that first round. The thing with Marlon however is that he could not sustain that power and pace past the second round. Cejudo took Moraes’ damage and kept firing back. Eventually, the pace of the fight began to swing in Cejudo’s favor.
If there’s one thing I took away from this fight, it’s that who the f*@k is beating Henry Cejudo in the lower weight classes? This man’s wrestling pedigree is unmatched. He has a powerful right hand to go along with it. Now we come to find out his fight IQ is off the charts. He can literally adapt to any situation, not to mention this fool can take a punch. He beat Demetrious Johnson, TJ Dillashaw, and Marlon Moraes back to back to back to secure two UFC belts. He won an olympic gold medal before he signed with the UFC as well. What more does this man have to prove? I truly believe he can go up to featherweight and compete for a third title. I’m going say this right now, I’d take Cejudo over Max Holloway.
Valentina’s Dominance
Valentina Shevchenko, on the other hand, was a different story. This girl faced negative adversity. The most adversity she faced on Saturday night was not being able to land that head kick in the first 10 seconds. Shevchenko defeated Jessica Eye in the second round with one of the most brutal head kicks I have ever seen in my life. Shevchenko started attacking the body with vicious kicks which eventually opened up the head and gave her the win. Every kick she threw sounded absolutely painful. She also tripped Eye and took her to the ground where she did not give Eye any room to move around. I said this before the fight, I’ll say it again, Valentina Shevchenko is one of the most technically sound fighters on the planet, male or female. She’s going to hold that title for a long time.
Tony vs. Cowboy
The third fight of the main card was also the most anticipated fight of the night. Tony Ferguson defeated Donald Cerrone via doctor stoppage at the end of the second round. Donald’s nose was broken so he blew out all the blood from his nose, which caused the air to jump back in his nose and his eye to swell up abnormally. The doctor had no choice but to stop the fight. It was a rookie mistake by Donald but both fighters showed class afterwards. Cowboy seemed to have the pace of the fight in his hands after the first round. The problem with Tony is that he keeps pressing forward and firing off shots. Cowboy just could not keep up with Tony’s pace. I think that fight was going Tony’s way regardless of doctor stoppage or not.
The Rest of the Card
The bantamweight division also seems to have another contender. Petr Yan defeated Jimmie Rivera via unanimous decision in what looked to be a spectacular performance. Yan is just so technically sound everywhere. He is going to be a problem in that division going forward. I would not be surprised if Yan took on Moraes next. Tatiana Suarez, the prolific female prospect, won her fight on the undercard as well via unanimous decision against Nina Ansaroff. She once again looked dominant, but she gassed out in the third round. If she can maximize her energy tank, she could be the champion of that division. Her wrestling pedigree and physicality is just too much for girls in her weight class. I’m going to take her against Jessica Andrade.
Overall, this was a phenomenal fight card. There were so many great fights and nonstop action. I’m very excited to follow Valentina’s career going forward. I don’t think she’ll ever get the recognition she deserves, but I do think she will remain atop the pound for pound list for years to come. I’m also very excited to see who Henry fights next. He called out a list of legendary fighters after his win on Saturday night, but I wonder if Dana will grant his wishes. It just seems like the fight game is getting more and more exciting with each fight card that passes.
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