The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of UFC on ESPN 5

[JayPettryMMA]

BY ANTHONY WALKER
AUG 4, 2019

Editor’s note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday touched down at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with UFC on ESPN 5. With it came some good, some bad and some ugly.

THE GOOD: THE INTERIM NUMBER ONE CONTENDER

If there was any doubt in Colby Covington as the rightful No. 1 contender in the UFC welterweight division, it should’ve been firmly erased with his latest performance. The American Top Team rep made sure he preserved his high ranking with a dominant decision over former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler in the main event. Using an unforgiving pace, Covington put an amazing amount of pressure on the veteran and essentially neutralized any threat he posed.

Quite frankly, Covington maintained nearly total control during the 25-minute bout, while Lawler struggled to gain any sort of advantage. Similar to his performance against Rafael dos Anjos that earned the interim belt he proudly wears but no longer bears, he managed to stay active to the point of exhausting and overwhelming his opponent. While “Chaos” isn’t known for fight-ending power, his volume is remarkable. With 510 strike attempts, he set a new record for output and drowned Lawler in deep water.


THE BAD: RUTHLESSLY OUTWORKED

It appears that Lawler’s time as a top contender has come to an end. In such a stacked welterweight division, three consecutive losses represent a tremendous setback that figures to shatter the high hopes of a 37-year-old veteran with more than 40 bouts on his resume. Of the three losses, this was the first that had no question mark surrounding it.


THE UGLY: AMERICA’S TOP TEAM?

When it looked like Covington was going to face Woodley for the title, it was seen as a serious grudge match that had the potential to be a big box-office hit. Of course, a big part of that drawing power was based on the low-brow nature of promotion. The white, conservative, hardcore Donald Trump supporter facing the outspoken socially conscious black champion provided the kind of identity politics that has fueled a significant portion of combat sports over generations. It would’ve tapped into an ugly racial undercurrent that is an unfortunate part of society. It would have drawn a distinctive line between the diverse multicultural nature of mixed martial arts and strong contingent of vocal right-wing fans. Considering the current sociopolitical climate in the country, which is also picking up steam in headlines worldwide, there was an undeniable ability for that fight to cross into the collective consciousness.

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