Fighters of the Week

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Fighters of the Week  1. Kamaru Usman: Zero takedown attempts from two fantastic wrestlers. Just Colby Covington bringing his nonstop pressure and Usman bringing his precision brutality. For five rounds, these two fought their asses off, until Covington’s jaw was shattered and Usman didn’t let him get to his feet. Kamaru is still the welterweight champion of this world, and the ever-present and ever-annoying Covington is finally vanquished, running to the back to cap the night off.

Fighters of the Week  2. Alexander Volkanovski: Volkanovski claimed that he was Max Holloway’s worst nightmare, a horrible matchup, and had the key to defeat him. Since everyone who fights Max Holloway says the same thing, I assumed Max would adapt, but Volkanovski stuck to his plan, adapted better, and is now the Featherweight champion of this world after toppling maybe the most dominant champion in the UFC.

Fighters of the Week  3. Teofimo Lopez: At just twenty-two years old, Lopez, the super-prospect is now Lopez, the world champion. In just under two rounds, Lopez’s right hand landed a fraction before Commey’s did, and that was all she wrote. Even cooler, Lopez stood in the ring with Vasyl Lomachenko, as he’s Loma’s last obstacle towards cleaning out the lightweight division. That fight is going to own.

Fighters of the Week  4. Terence Crawford: The mean machine was game, but Crawford is Crawford. Still potentially, the best boxer in the world. He’s due for a big fight, ASAP. What was his last “big” win? Julius Indongo? That was in August of 2017. Let’s stop wasting this man’s prime.

Fighters of the Week  5. Amanda Nunes: The Lioness defended her lair, giving a five-round beating of Germaine de Randamie to retain her Bantamweight title.

6. Thalison Vitorino Soares/Hiago George Santos/Alexssandro Pinto Sodre/Johnny Joachin Tama Apolinario/Dante Leon/Manuel Ribamar de Oliveira/Adam Wardzinski/Vinicius Gazola/Roberto de Abreu/Victor Marques/Mayssa Caldas Pereira/Amanda Monteiro Canuto/Ana Talita Alencar/Nathalie Soares/Raquel Paaluhi/Vedha Toscano/Talita Nogueira/Kendall Reusing/Jessica da Silva Oliveira: Your 2019 IBJJF World No-Gi Black Belt champions! Extra credit to Oliveira and Marques for winning the Black Belt open class in female and male divisions, respectively.

7. Vergil Ortiz Jr.: KO’d Brad Solomon in the 5th round in the main event of Golden Boy’s card on DAZN, Friday. That makes him 15-0 with 15 T/KOs. At 21, Ortiz seems ready for a world title shot.

8. Petr Yan: And that might just about do it for Urijah Faber. I’ve seldom seen Faber crumble like that after Yan landed a beautiful left high kick that folded the California Kid in the third round of their fight at UFC 245.

9. Clay Guida/Anthony Johnson/Sean O’Malley/Anthony Smith/Gilbert Burns: Team UFC, the victors of Thursday’s QUINTET Ultra tournament, defeating Team Pride, and Team Strikeforce in the finals.

10. Zhora Akopyan/Musa Sultaev: The winners of the 70kg and 80kg TATNEFT Cup Tournaments, respectively.

11. Leona Pettas: After a second-round knockout, Pettas remains the Krush Super Featherweight champ in the main event of Krush 109.

12. Yohan Lidon: The Frenchman made his sixth successful defense of his WKN World Super Middleweight Championship over the weekend at La Nuit des Challenges XIX.

13. Bilal Loukili: A first-round left hook and Loukili put away Kevin Hessling in the main event of Enfusion 94.

14. Michael Conlan: Got a measure of revenge against Vladimir Nikitin, handing him his first career pro loss after getting robbed against him in the 2016 Olympics.

t15. Bektemir Melikuziev: The 2016 Olympic silver medalist improved to 4-0 as a pro, outpointing Vaughn Alexander in ten rounds Friday on DAZN.

t15. Laurynas Urbonavicius: In the main event of Ares Fighting Championship’s debut event on UFC Fight Pass, Urbonavicius defeated UFC veteran Ildemar Alcantara.

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