UFC 330 Aftermath: 3 Takeaways From Momentous Event

Edson Barboza has been one of the more enigmatic fighters in UFC history. One night he is going to give fans an iconic knockout; the other, he will look uninspired en route to a loss. That has contributed to his inability to contend for a title for over a decade.

Still, one could not help but shed a tear for Barboza on Saturday, as he suffered a career-worst fourth straight loss at the hands of Esteban Ribovics. He was battered throughout the first round before being finished early in the second, then retired.

At 40 years of age, Barboza is definitely past his prime, both physical and competitive. The last time he was his vintage self was in May 2024, and that was in a bonus-winning loss to Lerone Murphy. Since then, it has been nothing but heartbreak, and he is right to lay down the gloves for his own sake.

2) Mackenzie Dern Still Faces Questions Surrounding Her Title Reign

Back in October of last year, just before Mackenzie Dern became UFC strawweight champion, she had this to say about her chances of victory against Weili Zhang:

“I don’t think I’d be ready to fight Weili right now at this moment of my career. But I do think that if I do win the belt, and then whatever — if we were to fight like at the White House or something in June — I feel like I’d be way more ready and prepared to fight her.”

Nearly ten months later, Dern finally has a defense under her belt after putting on a grappling clinic against Gillian Robertson. Nevertheless, the question remains: how will she fare against Zhang?

It certainly has not helped that Dern has been completely silent since her failed flyweight bid against Valentina Shevchenko. Thus, all Dern can do is remain active and notch more defenses to bolster her legacy.

1) Islam Makhachev Solidifies UFC Hall of Fame Trajectory

It was not easy, but Islam Makhachev notched his first welterweight retention with a unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry, clinching his UFC-record 17th straight win as well. It marks a return to stability for the divison after one-and-done reigns by Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddelena.

When combined with his record-four lightweight defenses, Makhachev has now had five wins when his title is at stake. That accomplishment is sure to mark him as one of the UFC’s greatest fighters.

The question now is, who is next? Michael Morales was the backup for Saturday’s fight and has not lost in his entire MMA career. Carlos Prates is coming off a three-round rout of Della Maddalena and is considered one of the craftiest strikers in the UFC welterweight division. Put these two men in a cage and see who deserves it more.

End Of My UFC 330 Rant

Also, during the UFC 330 broadcast, new fights were announced for upcoming cards.

The biggest among them is the doubleheader that will top UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. After months of waiting, Movsar Evloev finally gets his well-deserved crack at Alexander Volkanovski in the main event. Will the champion add to his resume at 38 years of age, or will featherweight enter a new era?

In the co-main, a rivalry finally reaches its end as Petr Yan defends the bantamweight title in a trilogy match against Merab Dvalishvili. Besides that, the card is littered with ranked fights that will have massive implications in their divisions…