1. Justin Gaethje: For YEARS, all we wanted to see was Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. That’s alllll we wanted. Who’s the best lightweight of all time?! And just like that, poof. That’s the fight game. Gaethje battered Tony Ferguson from pillar to post, erasing the near seven-year run of damned-near perfection in the Octagon. Now we’re looking at Khabib vs. Gathje, which doesn’t have nearly the snap and will end with Gaethje looking up at the lights as Khabib puts a PFL Champion-shaped hole in the canvas with takedown after takedown.
2. Henry Cejudo: Cejudo smacked Dominick Cruz around before finishing him, to which Dom Cruz HAD NO EXCUSES (except that referee Keith Peterson was drunk and smelled like Marlboro miles), then retired in the obnoxious way that only he could…that is, unless Dana wants to pony up, that is.
3. Francis Ngannou: Well here’s what we’re looking at: Stipe Miocic holds all the cards as the champ, but as a much better human than most of us, as a first-responder and firefighter, he’s in no hurry to return to the Octagon, nor should he. Daniel Cormier is waiting in the wings to culminate their rubber match, and behind him, a very, very clear #2 contender, Francis Ngannou, he of four-straight first-round knockouts after that bizarre stinker against Derrick Lewis. He punched Jairzinho Rozenstruik until we were all concerned about his future in only 20 seconds of their fight, handing him his first career loss emphatically.
4. Calvin Kattar: Not only did he walk away with a shitload of Jeremy Stephens’s cash after he embarrassingly came in four and a half pounds overweight, but he sharpened his elbows on Stephens’s face, earning a highlight-reel knockout over a battle-tested tough veteran.
5. Aleksei Oleinik: In the biggest upset of the week, Oleinik, a +250 underdog, escaped with a split-decision win over former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum, earning the biggest win of his long career.
6. Vicente Luque: Battered Nico Price’s face like it owed him money, completely closing Price’s eye and forcing a stoppage in the early prelims. Luque is a killer and is due for a big name next.
7. Bryce Mitchell: I wish I wanted anything as much as Bryce Mitchell wants submission wins. He gave Charles Rosa, a fellow submission ace, not an inch of room as he relentlessly looked for a submission. He didn’t get it, but he earned a unanimous decision on some eye-poppingly wide cards.
8. Anthony Pettis: Had a hell of a fun scrap with Donald Cerrone, and although it was damned close, Pettis got a UD win, his second over the Cowboy.
9. Greg Hardy: I’m still not incredibly sure if Yorgan de Castro was awake during their contest, but hey, you can only fight the person in front of you, and he did, handing de Castro his first career loss.
10. Ryan Spann: Kicked off the first UFC event in months with lots and lots of pressure on Sam Alvey, picking up a split-decision win.
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