It was exactly the shot of adrenaline the Ultimate Fighting Championship needed.
Though UFC 225 on Saturday in Chicago was the organization’s 17th event in 2018, it was its first truly good card of the year. The recent run of events, from UFC 224 to UFC Fight Night 131, felt like one torturously long undercard that stretched across four consecutive weeks. Not that it was anyone’s specific fault — good matchmaking can still fall apart or manifest in dull, listless performances — but a spade is, in fact, a spade. Fans needed something to get excited about, and UFC 225 delivered.
For a card that had four split decisions that were all good fights and 11 fighters who had previously fought in UFC title bouts, a lot can be said. I’ll settle for just four things…