![\"UFC](\"https:\/\/platform.mmamania.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/110\/chorus\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/25998408\/2215627391.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100\")
<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n
5. Melquizael Costa vs. Julian Erosa<\/p>\n
Costa quietly put together one of the best years of any athlete on the roster (more on that in a different post), whereas Erosa is a long-in-the-tooth veteran who still can hang with the best of \u2018em. Barring an early knockout, the matchup was an obvious \u201cFight of the Night\u201d bonus in waiting, and the two Featherweights certainly lived up to the occasion.<\/p>\n
As the faster and sharper man, Costa started strong. In the face of Erosa\u2019s relentless pressure, Costa landed numerous hard counter punches and slammed his left kick into the body repeatedly. Erosa kept attacking, finding elbows in the clinch and the occasional takedown, but he was falling behind on the punch count. Costa\u2019s lead grew further in the second with a clean high kick connection.<\/p>\n
Somehow, \u201cJuicy J\u201d finished the round conscious and still throwing heat.<\/p>\n
Down 0-2 after ten minutes, Erosa pushed the pedal to the floor in the third, really chipping away at Costa\u2019s endurance with close distance knees and elbows. In the final minute, he really surged, cracking Costa with long combinations and turning the contest from savvy kickboxing match to all-out brawl. He didn\u2019t quite manage the comeback win, but it was a remarkable effort from the veteran all the same.<\/p>\n
Both men left to the hospital with a bonus $50k heading their way.<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 09: (R-L) Elijah Smith knocks out Toshiomi Kazama of Japan in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 09, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n 4. Joshua Van vs. Brandon Royval<\/p>\n It\u2019s crazy to think this fight wasn\u2019t supposed to happen. Were it not for Royval\u2019s original opponent Manel Kape suffering a foot injury, the current Van title reign wouldn\u2019t exist. Thankfully, it all worked out for fight fans, who were treated to the most nonstop striking match of the year at UFC 317.<\/p>\n Van started the fight well. Royval has a big issue with his game at the elite level in that he\u2019s transitioned late in his career from brawler to technical outside striker, and he can be a little bit clunky as a result. Don\u2019t get me wrong, Royval was throwing lots and landing good stuff himself, but Van\u2019s counter punches were clearly the more impactful blows.<\/p>\n Royval adjusted beautifully by doubling down on his volume. He started initiating his offense, throwing during Van\u2019s counter, and throwing afterward. He took some blows in the process, but Van\u2019s left hand started finding the mark more and more often, and Van was wobbled at least once.<\/p>\n Van responded beautifully. With five minutes remaining and the outcome up in the air, Van started stomping on Royval\u2019s lead leg. Without the ability to step confidently, Royval was much easier to counter. Van\u2019s stomp interrupted Royval\u2019s relentless assault, and round one already established that Royval could not win a technical striking battle. Royval had no choice but to TRIPLE DOWN on attacking despite the hard return fire that was landing at a more and more accurate clip, and he ended up sat down hard in the closing seconds of a chaotic fight as a result of his own aggression.<\/p>\n INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia and Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia strike each other in a bantamweight title fight during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n 3. Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov<\/p>\n In the intro, I wrote about technical adjustments being a big part of what makes a fight great \u2014 this is not an example. \u201cThe Machine\u201d doesn\u2019t really do \u201cadjustments.\u201d Instead, Dvalishvili trusts that his process and his cardio will eventually turn the tide, and he\u2019s correct a whole lot more often than not.<\/p>\n The fight did not start well for the champion. Nurmagomedov is an undeniably slicker striker, and he\u2019s an outstanding wrestler in his own right. He cracked Dvalishvili with a lot of counter punches, slid kicks under his punches, and even won most of the early wrestling exchanges. Dvalishvili never backed down from an exchange, but he didn\u2019t win many of them in the first round.<\/p>\n Beating Dvalishvili in the first round isn\u2019t the task though. He kept coming even as Nurmagomedov landed well in the second, though the momentum shift had begun. By round three, Dvalishvili\u2019s first takedown landed. More importantly, Nurmagomedov\u2019s posture and cage position began to show his fatigue, allowing Dvalishvili to unload combinations more and more often. Many of those strikes were blocked, but Dvalishvili is a master of optics.<\/p>\n Everyone knew who was now in the driver\u2019s seat even if the official strike count was competitive.<\/p>\n Round four was a wash for Dvalishvili, leaving it all tied up leading into the fifth. Like a champion, Nurmagomedov rose to the occasion in the final five, preventing Dvalishvili from establishing much control time while landing the sharper blows despite his fatigue. Nurmagomedov\u2019s second wind nearly captured the crown until a picture-perfect Dvalishvili right hand wobbled his knees in the final 90 seconds. Nurmagomedov was rendered defensive by that blow, taken down afterward, and ultimately had the momentum he had worked so hard to regain stolen back in an instant.<\/p>\n This was tremendously high-level stuff performed at a ridiculous pace between one of the most skilled fighters alive and a physical force of nature with a world title on the line. You can\u2019t ask for much more \u2014 it\u2019s all personal preference from here.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n