Five Biggest Takeaways From UFC 219

UFC 219 closed out the year for the world’s leading MMA promotion, and while their weren’t many finishes to speak of, fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Cris “Cyborg” turned in stellar if not career-defining performances.

From Nurmagomedov’s absolute domination of Edson Barboza to what could have been Carlos Condit’s last fight, let’s break down what we’re left with after another night of fights.

5. Carla Esparza Isn’t Done At The Top

Former women’s flyweight champion Carla Esparza may be several years removed from being a title holder, but on Saturday she proved she’s still a top contender at 115 pounds.

”The Cookie Monster” took the fight to Cynthia Carrillo, who entered the bout as the prohibitive favorite. Esparza used her wrestling and savvy veteran know-how to get past Carrillo, who was clearly the bigger fighter between the two.

And Esparza holds a submission win over the current women’s flyweight champ Rose Namajunas from back in 2014, and with the woman who brutally took the belt from Esparza out of the picture for now, any victory could put her in the title mix at 115 pounds.

4. Carlos Condit Has Some Tough Questions To Answer

Condit went into Saturday night’s showdown with Neil Magny as a former interim champion and overall betting favorite, but failed to deliver and ended up turning in a tepid performance that may warrant requests for him to hang up the gloves.

”The Natural Born Killer” looked bored and unmotivated in there against Magny, who ragdolled the former champ with his wrestling and even stood toe-to-toe with the Muay Thai wrecking machine without issue.

Condit managed to make it to the end of the bout but had obviously lost a clear-cut decision to the younger man. After an illustrious career with titles in the WEC and UFC, Condit has nothing left to prove in MMA and has given fight fans everything he has in his wars with Robbie Lawler and Rory MacDonald.

While he’s not getting knocked out or completely blown out of the water, Condit appears to have lost the fire that had sustained him throughout his career at UFC 219. With nothing left to prove, Condit, who’s talked about retirement quite a bit recently, may have fought his last fight if he hasn’t already decided to hang them up.

3. Where Does Holly Holm Go From Here?

Holm did her best against “Cyborg” in the night’s main event but still came up short in a weight class where she had already lost a title fight.

Featherweight is not the division for Holm; after losses to de Randamie and “Cyborg”, it’s clearer now that bantamweight is her home and she should focus her attention on the 135-pound weight class.

But as a former champion at bantamweight and coming up short twice in featherweight title fights, Holm is definitely at a career crossroads.

2. Khabib Remains An Unstoppable Force

Khabib Nurmagomedov may not fight often, but when he does, God have mercy on the poor soul crushed underneath him.

The undefeated lightweight tore through Edson Barboza in the night’s co-main event, battering the dangerous striker and dominating him en route to a 30-25 blowout on the judges’ scorecards.

But is Barboza tough or what? The Brazilian striker hung in there for all three rounds despite getting pummeled throughout the fight. And Barboza is no slouch either, regardless of how Nurmagomedov made him look on Saturday night; in fact, Barboza is probably the best pure striker at lightweight.

Nurmagomedov’s wrestling was just too much for him, as it is too much for the other 24 men Khabib has beaten, as well as any other lightweight on the UFC roster.

Tony Ferguson, Conor McGregor… Either man would be suitable for Nurmagomedov at this point, simply because both men hold lightweight belts and Khabib should only be fighting for the belt after his dismantling of the entire division.

1. Cris Cyborg Is The Women’s G.O.A.T.

A few years ago, Ronda Rousey was the definitive greatest women’s fighter of all time and “Cyborg” was still toiling away in Japanese promotions. My, how things have changed.

Cris “Cyborg” defeated former bantamweight champ Holly Holm in the night’s main event, thus solidifying her role as women’s G.O.A.T and further pushing Rousey back into her self-imposed obscurity.

While it was actually Germaine de Randamie who should have been taking on “Cyborg”, “The Iron Lady” relinquished her featherweight belt rather than take on the Brazilian brawler, leaving “Cyborg” queen of a division bereft of contenders.

Regardless, “Cyborg’s” win over Holm puts her at the top of the annals of MMA royalty and may retire undefeated unless new women emerge at featherweight, which for now remains wide open in terms of space for potential contenders.