The UFC's 2017 campaign has been off to a slow start, but the promotion looked to kick up the intensity on Saturday night at UFC on Fox 23 in Denver.

Two bouts with heavy implications on divisional title pictures anchored the lineup as Julianna Pena vs. Valentina Shevchencko held the main event slot, a barn-burner of a tilt between Donald Cerrone and Jorge Masvidal filled co-main event duties. The winners of both of the showcased matchups would cement themselves as legitimate title contenders, and when stakes reach that level, the ruckus was all but guaranteed.

On the women's bantamweight front, Pena and Shevchenko both have expressed frustration in the past for being overlooked for a championship opportunity. On Saturday night, the past was put aside, and the opportunity to earn the honors of next was there for the taking. Pena guaranteed victory in the lead up claiming she would no longer be denied, but it was Shevchenko who will advance to title contention.

While Pena attempted to muscle a wrestling-heavy game plan, Shevchenko was able to neutralize her clinch game. Furthermore, rather than create distance where her skills would be more aptly showcased, "The Bullet" decided to stay in close quarters and work for a submission.

After a perfectly timed roll, Shevchenko caught Pena's arm and extended her opponent's elbow to force the tap. Not only was defeating Pena a signature victory for Shevchenko, but it makes her the clear-cut choice to face current champion Amanda Nunes later this year.

Where the main event tilt kept things on the professional tip in the lead up to Denver, Cerrone and Masvidal went in a different direction.

The American Top Team staple made sure it was well known  just how big of a grudge he held against his opponent ahead of their tilt on Saturday night. Masvidal went public with his disdain for Cerrone blaming "Cowboy" for taking away a pair of top-ranked fights he was scheduled to get. Nevertheless, the two scrappy welterweights would finally square off in Denver and it was all Masvidal.

Despite Cerrone being a wrecking machine since jumping to 170, Masvidal was simply too much for the notorious scrapper to handle. The South Florida native stayed in Cerrone's face from the opening bell and silenced the Denver crowd by leveling Cerrone in devastating fashion in the second round to pick up the biggest win of his career.

Let's take a look at the good, bad and strange from UFC on Fox 23.

The Good

Valentina Shevchenko came into Denver with something to prove.

Not only was she determined to prove her ability to dispatch a tough-as-nails Julianna Pena, but she wanted to show the UFC brass her campaigning for a title shot against Amanda Nunes wasn't for nothing.


July 23, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Valentina Shevchenko (blue gloves) greets fans after defeating Holly Holm (not pictured) in their women's bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

While Shevchenko has historically done her best work from range, against Pena she was more than happy to work from the clinch. As Pena did her best to muscle Shevchenko up against the cage, "The Bullet" kept her composure and continued to work for an angle to turn the tide. Once the action hit the canvas, Shevchenko rolled through and caught Pena's right arm in a tight grip. Once Shevchenko rolled through and extended her hips, a Pena tap was soon to follow.

In addition to the fight with Pena being her most high-profile tilt to date, her impressive victory cemented her as the next challenger for the women's bantamweirght title. Nunes already holds a victory over the Team Tiger Muay Thai representative, Shevchenko vowed their second go would have a much different ending--one that leaves her standing as the new women's bantamweight champion.




Jul 30, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Jorge Masvidal (blue gloves) reacts after the first round against Ross Pearson (not shown) during UFC 201 at Phillips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

After his performance at UFC on Fox 23 Jorge Masvidal can no longer be denied.

The Miami native has long carried a chip on his shoulder for the lack of respect he receives a potential title contender, but after dismantling a red-hot Donald Cerrone in front of "Cowboy's" hometown crowd, there is absolutely no way the UFC can keep Masvidal down any longer.

The former street fighter turned professional mixed martial artist came into Colorado as a man on a mission and he completed that specific mission in definitive fashion. Masvidal attacked Cerrone from the opening bell, and continued to keep the former lightweight title challenger on his heels throughout the opening frame. And with time ticking down in the first, Masvidal caught Cerrone with a nasty combination that put the Jackson/Winkeljohn fighter on the canvas and holding on for dear life.

The bell ultimately saved Cerrone from being finished in the first, but it wasn't going to save him beyond that.

Masvidal came out guns a blaze in the second round, and a short time later a looping right hand returned Cerrone to the mat. This time around there would be no help from the bell as Masvidal unleashed a barrage that forced referee Herb Dean to step in and wave off the action.

With the win, Masvial has now notched three straight victories in the welterweight division, but after annihilating Cerrone on Saturday night his stock will undoubtedly skyrocket.



Jan 28, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Andrei Arlovski (red gloves) competes against Francis Ngannou (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Francing Ngannou is a scary man.

The heavy-handed Frenchman has been smashing every opponent put in his path, but his bout with Andrei Arlovski at UFC on Fox 23 represented a different type of challenge. Up until Saturday night, Ngannou had been steamrolling relative unknowns inside the cage, but his bout against a multi-time former champion was his first fight against a competitor with a rock-solid resume.

Nevertheless, it just didn't matter.

After a brief feeling out period, Ngannou tagged Arlovski with an overhand left before planting an uppercut firm on the Belarusian's chin. No sooner did Ngannou's shot find a home then Arlovski's lights get clipped out. And the force off the punch was so devastating it took the former heavyweight champion clean off his feet before landing unconscious on the canvas. The fight may have been a short lived affair, but it was another brutal example of the devastating power Ngannou possesses.

With the victory, not only has Ngannou found success in all five of his showings inside the Octagon, but his smashing of Arlovski will put the 30 year old in line for a fight against one of the top fighters in the heavyweight fold.


Jan 28, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Alex Caceres (red gloves) competes against Jason Knight (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The featherweight division is a weight class jam-packed with hard-nosed scrappers, and Jason Knight is quickly making his name in that collective.

The Mississippi native has yet to step in and not bring the ruckus, and that streak continued on Saturday night when Knight went toe-to-toe with Alex Caceres. While "Bruce Leeory" has experienced rough waters as of late, the MMA Lab product never fails to bring the fight under the bright lights.

True to form Caceres came out looking to sling, but it was Knight who found his mark early and often. The action rolled at a frenzied pace throughout the opening round, but the second round is where Knight started to make his power shots count. Knight dropped Caceres with a crisp counter midway through the second frame, then pounced to finish the fight on the canvas.

Although Caceres fought valiantly to fend off the submission, Knight was persistent and eventually locked in the fight-ending rear-naked choke to pick up his third victory since arriving to the biggest stage in the sport in late 2015.


Jan 28, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Nate Marquardt (red gloves) competes against Sam Alvey (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Alvey has been slinging leather inside the cage for a long time.

The "Smiling" one has been a willing competitor every step of his decade-long career, but he's never been able to make any serious ground toward becoming a contender. The 30-year-old veteran came into his bout against Nate Marquardt at UFC on Fox 23 determined to change all of that.

The former King of Pancrase and former UFC middleweight title challenger battled back from a slump that nearly cost him his roster spot to win two of his last three showings inside the Octagon. In order to keep his relevance in an increasingly division, Marquardt needed to score a victory in Denver.

And while it was a competitive fight throughout, it was Alvey who controlled the action. The Wisconsin native punished Marquardt with one combination after the next, and continued to land effective shots even when his gas tank appeared to be fading.

The end result was a unanimous decision victory for Alvey, who has now notched four consecutive wins inside the Octagon. That consistent success will all but guarantee his next opponent will come from the next tier of the competitive middleweight division.


Jan 28, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Li Jingliang (blue gloves) reacts during his fight against Bobby Nash (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes unheralded scraps can be the best on the card and the bout between Bobby Nash and Li Jingliang brought the noise.

While neither fighter had yet to carve out a notable space on the UFC roster, the two welterweights threw down like animals from start to finish. Every punch thrown had the worst of intentions behind it, and both fighters had moments of success throughout. The turning point occured late in the second frame when Nash wobbled Jingliang with a stiff shot, and just when he attempted to close in, the 28-year-old China-based fighter landed a crisp punch that floored Nash cold.

With the win, Jingliang has now won back-to-back showings inside the Octagon, and if nothing else his fan-friendly style will make him an easy pull for the UFC brass.

The Bad

The days of Andrei Arlovski being an elite heavyweight may have officially come to an end on Saturday night.

The former multi-time champion has forged a career that's spanned several era in mixed martial arts, and has battled back from the brink of obscurity time and time again. 

Even when "The Pitbull" was released from the official UFC roster, the Jackson/Winkeljohn product showed his resilience by fighting his way back to the organization he rose to prominence in. Furthermore, Arlovski notched victories in his first four fights back under the UFC banner, but fortune has not been on his side as of late. 


Jan 28, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Andrei Arlovski (red gloves) competes against Francis Ngannou (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The 37-year-old had dropped three consecutive fights coming into his bout against highly touted prospect Francis Ngannou at UFC on Fox 23, and the tides would not break in his favor. The Frenchman found a home for his power early, then put the former champion away in brutal fashion with a left hand/uppercut combination that left Arlovski dazed and looking up at the lights in the Pepsi Center.

While a fourth-straight loss won't spell the end of Arlovski's career in the UFC, it will drastically impact his status as an elite-level fighter in the heavyweight ranks. Furthermore, the bigger question hovering coming out of Denver will be just how much Arlovski has to offer.

The Strange

Every divisional race needs contenders battling for a chance at a title shots. On Saturday night in Denver, bantamweight hopefuls Aljamain Sterling and Raphael Assuncao stepped into the Octagon looking to advance in the race for a crack at the 135-pound crown.

While both have proven to be dangerous fighters, the tentative versions showed up at UFC on Fox 23.

Sterling pressed the action early slinging a barrage of leg kicks that pushed the Brazilian backward, but the Serra-Longo product failed to put anything behind ti. Being wary of "Aljo's" versatile ground game, Assuncao was sure to keep his distance, and only scored with overhand shots on the counter.


Jan 28, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Aljamain Sterling (blue gloves) reacts after being defeated by Raphael Assuncao (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

It was anyone's fight going into the final frame, and while it was Sterling who showed the most urgency, Assuncao was able to control the distance. Both men were able to score in pockets during the final five minutes, but the boos from the Denver crowd pretty much told the tale of the overall tilt.

When the judges' scorecards were read it was Assuncao who took the split decision, which will keep him a major player in the race for a shot at the bantamweight title. As for Sterling, who has now dropped back-to-back showings inside the Octagon, there will be a long road traveled to get into the title contention race he's been figured to be in since late 2016.

And to be perfectly clear, it's not that the fight between Sterling and Assuncao was a bad fight by any measure, it simply lacked the urgency expected when you have two hungry fighters battling for a place in an already heated title race at 135 pounds.