6 Takeaways From UFC Auckland
5. Middleweight Is Making A Case As The Best Division In UFC
Dan Kelly is 39, looks 59, and rocks the best dad bod in all of sports. A 6-1 record in the UFC, this veteran of four Olympic Games in Judo has had an improbable run in UFC, but it came to a quite spectacular end via the left hand of Derek Brunson.
Brunson came in on a two fight losing streak, though the last one was a pretty contentious decision loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 208. Brunson was in no mood to let the judges have their say on this night, taking just 76 seconds to knock out Kelly with a sweet left hand over the top. Kelly face planted, and took more shots on the ground than he needed to from a slow to react referee.
While many people consider lightweight to be the best division in UFC and for good reason, the top heavy middleweight title picture just got another contender in Brunson. The fact that the majority of the division's best are over 35 doesn't play well for its long term future, but in the interim, Michael Bisping has plenty of headaches on the horizon.