Israel Adesanya defended his middleweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Yoel Romero in the UFC 248 main event on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Also on the card, strawweight champion Zhang Weili gutted out a win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk in an instant classic, retaining the belt via split decision.
Here are five takeaways from the event.
Adesanya played it safe, which nearly cost him
Adesanya edged out Romero to retain the UFC middleweight title for the first time, but his victory didn't come in the fashion most expected.
It was a dull bout, and playing it safe against one of the most dangerous fighters in the sport nearly cost "The Last Stylebender" his belt. All three judges scored it in favor of the champ, but Romero did win two rounds on multiple scorecards, and some thought "The Soldier of God" took the contest.
Adesanya picked Romero apart with leg kicks, and the challenger tried to close the distance with little success. But neither fighter produced any big moments throughout 25 minutes. Adesanya should've done more to really solidify the victory, but instead he left it up to the judges following a lackluster affair, which often results in one fighter scratching their head afterward.
Zhang-Jedrzejczyk was one of the best fights ever
In the UFC 248 co-main event, Zhang defended her strawweight title for the first time, narrowly beating former champion Jedrzejczyk in one of the best fights in UFC history.
Zhang and Jedrzejczyk threw down for 25 minutes without a pause in the action. Both stunned the opponent while landing hard shots, and both ultimately survived until the very end.
Many people wrote on social media that they believe this was the greatest women's fight ever, which is absolutely true. But I think you can go a step further and put it on the list of the greatest bouts of all time. I'll be shocked if there's a matchup later this year that tops Zhang-Jedrzejczyk for 2020 Fight of the Year honors.
Dariush wins fans over with epic KO
Beneil Dariush hasn't always been the most exciting fighter while bringing a grappling-heavy approach to the Octagon. And in a particularly stacked lightweight division, it's been hard for him to stand out.
But he certainly did so on Saturday, recording a stunning second-round knockout of rising contender Drakkar Klose. Dariush spent most of the first round on Klose's back hunting for a submission. But after that, all hell broke loose, with the fighters trading wild punches, and Dariush landing a fight-ending blow.
Dariush is now riding a four-fight winning streak and has some momentum yet again. Whether he can return to the top 10 at 155 pounds remains to be seen, but Dariush undoubtedly gained some fans with his UFC 248 victory.
Magny back on list of contenders
When Neil Magny entered the cage to face Li Jingliang, it was his first fight since November 2018 and he hadn't won since May of that year. He was going up against someone on a hot streak as the underdog, but it didn't look like Magny lost a step at all.
Magny dominated Li en route to a unanimous decision victory, proving he still can be a top contender in the UFC's welterweight division.
The Elevation Fight Team product went on an insane winning streak from 2014 to 2016, quickly becoming one of the best at 170 pounds. He's defeated the likes of Kelvin Gastelum, ex-UFC champ Johny Hendricks, Carlos Condit, and Hector Lombard.
Magny has stumbled in recent years, but he's now back on track with this win, and big things are likely ahead.
Time off didn't impact O'Malley
Bantamweight prospect Sean O'Malley returned to action for the first time since 2018, defeating Jose Quinones with a first-round TKO. Over the past two years, "Suga" has dealt with constant USADA issues, and he was finally cleared to compete recently.
O'Malley wasted no time in his return, showing the layoff didn't affect him whatsoever. In fact, he looked better than ever in his first stoppage win in the Octagon.
The Dana White's Contender Series alum is one of the most promising fighters in the 135-pound weight class, and after his third UFC victory, he appears to be bound for greatness.
