5 biggest takeaways from UFC 237 – from a slam KO to a bad night for the aging greats
What really mattered at UFC 237 in Rio de Janeiro? Here’s a thing or five …
1. Note to self: Sometimes these nicknames also are a warning
Jessica Andrade was not winning a single second of that main event title fight. Not until she got close enough to scoop Rose Namajunas up and spike her on her head. And after that? Well, then the previous seven minutes didn’t mean much.
Andrade earned the nickname “Bate Estaca” – piledriver, in English – after getting disqualified from a jiu-jitsu tournament for using that illegal slam. It’s also technically illegal in MMA, but as longtime referee John McCarthy pointed out, in this instance Namajunas brought the spike on herself by refusing to let go of her grip on Andrade’s arm.
In other words, to borrow a phrase from another fighter, it’s Andrade’s job to throw Namajunas – how she lands is her business.
That one slam earned Andrade a title, but everything that came before it probably has other contenders salivating for their shot. We knew she was tough and we knew she was a powerhouse in close. Against Namajunas, that was enough. This time, anyway …