We’ve had some gnarly fouls lately, and having fights halted or significantly altered because of an accidental low blow or debilitating eye poke is the absolute worst, and the fact that it came in the closing seconds of the first round of a captivating heavyweight title fight makes all the disappointment, and sadness, and frustration everyone is feeling totally understandable and relatable, truly. As Jon Anik said on the broadcast: this had never happened before in a UFC title fight; the last time a championship bout was declared a no contest was after Jon Jones beat Daniel Cormier at UFC 214, and that came after the fact.
It’s as close to the worst-case scenario as anyone would honestly like to come, and I completely understand and identify with everyone feeling let down and a little annoyed by it all, but… tell me you’re not even more intrigued to see these two dudes back in the Octagon as soon as they can make it happen?
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Aspinall needs to take care of himself, first and foremost, but once he gets the all clear and we can get this sequel (do-over?) on the books again, it instantly becomes the most compelling bout on the schedule because now we’ve had a little five-minute sample of what to expect and each man has a chance to make adjustments based on that shared time in the Octagon together. This fight is Hollywood blockbuster type stuff, and Saturday now becomes the trailer, and after that little taste, I’m even more pumped to see the full-length version whenever it can get booked.
Also – and this is probably just a me thing — but like, do we have to instantly go “the world is ending; everything is terrible” when something like this happens? It sucks, undoubtedly, but everything before it was solid with a sprinkling of awesomeness mixed in for good measure, and we’ve been having a terrific run of fights of late, which must account for something, no?
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