Underrated Success in Vegas
The UFC has grown to the point where the roster of fighters is massive and that means the promotion needs to find ways to showcase those fighters.
That is what leads to fight cards like UFC Fight Night 88 where many of the fighters are not the main names that most people know.
It is something that happens regularly with the UFC as they continue to hold multiple events within a month and stack plenty of cards.
Not every card can be stacked and many fighters still need a chance to fight on a card, so enter Fight Nights.
At first glance, these fight cards are not very good and seem to be forgettable with fighters that aren’t fighting for a title or a chance at a title.
That can often be misleading though as these cards are some of the most interesting cards in the UFC calendar.
The cards that seem to have little to no impact on the promotion can sometimes produce the best fights.
After all, these fights feature fighters that are getting the biggest chance of their lives and they often put it all on the line.
At UFC Fight Night 88 that was the case as the main and co-main event featured decent fights on the surfaced but revealed a lot more.
In the co-main event was a former champion taking on a new weight class against a veteran fighter known for his exciting fights.
Renan Barão had spent a year off after his second loss to T.J. Dillashaw and now was looking to the featherweight division to make another title run.
It seemed like fairly easy work with his first featherweight fight against Jeremy Stephens who has done great things but didn’t seem to be at the level of a former champion.
That turned out not to be the case though as Barão entered his first fight at a new weight class and was in for a lesson in the power that exists in the featherweight division.
Barão started out well enough as he moved well and avoided taking any big shots from Stephens.
After that first round, though, Stephens found his range and began unloading on Barão with some massive uppercuts.
It was a good showing of the chin of Barão but when the fight ended it was clear that Stephens had done far more damage.
The win was a surprise from a fighter that has been underrated for a long time as many forget about the power that Stephens has.
Still he was never supposed to beat a former champion in the UFC and with the win he proved that even cards that might not look the best can certainly prove those opinions wrong.
It wasn’t the only fight on the card that showed the value of these cards that are often overlooked by so many.
The main event showed it two as it featured two undefeated fighters that loved to stand and trade.
It had all of the makings for a great fighter and a fight that could get both fighters noticed as they looked to move up the rankings.
Both Thomas Almeida and Cody Garbrandt had put together some big wins in the UFC but neither were being talked about.
That is a big part of these cards as both fighters got their chance to impress the UFC and impress fans in the constant attempt to get noticed.
With a great performance, one could find their way to the title conversation as they both attempted to continue their winning streaks.
From the start, it was Garbrandt who was more aggressive as he came out firing and looking to overwhelm Almeida.
The plan worked as Garbrandt did overwhelm Almeida and landed some big shots putting Almeida back on his heels.
Eventually, the pressure was too much and Garbrandt landed a big shot sending Almeida to the canvas.
The fight was over quickly and it was an impressive showing from Garbrandt who continued his undefeated streak.
With the win, Garbrandt is sure to get noticed as he beat a top 10 bantamweight and should move into the rankings.
He will only get tougher opponents as he tries to move up and earn a title shot by keeping his streak going.
The night might not have looked great from the outside but more often than not some great moments happen when little is expected.
The UFC may put on more fights than they need but these underrated cards serve plenty of purposes including putting together unexpectedly great fights.
The Sport Addiction 