UFC 320 fight grades: A really good main card saves an otherwise mediocre slate

4 weeks ago 5
  • Andreas HaleOct 6, 2025, 08:00 AM ET

    Close

      Andreas Hale is simply a combat sports newsman astatine ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. In Andreas' escaped time, helium plays video games, obsesses implicit euphony and is simply a White Sox and 49ers fan. He is besides a big for Sirius XM's Fight Nation. Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a elder writer astatine DAZN and Sporting News. He started his vocation arsenic a euphony writer for outlets including HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z's Life+Times. He is besides an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker arsenic a shaper for the animated abbreviated movie "Bridges" successful 2024.

The hype coming into UFC 320 was surrounded by questions astir whether Alex Pereira's champion days were down him, arsenic the Magomed Ankalaev epoch appeared to beryllium dawning. Some besides wondered if Merab Dvalishvili could genuinely beryllium challenged by Cory Sandhagen.

The main paper besides featured a sure-to-be banger betwixt Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jiří Procházka, but the prelim slate was a flop. It was genuinely a communicative of 2 combat cards.

While the undercard underwhelmed, the five-fight pay-per-view information delivered. Pereira got his revenge against Ankalaev, who took the airy heavyweight title distant from Pereira backmost successful March. Dvalishvili enactment connected an bonzer accumulation of his unthinkable skillset. Rountree and Prochazka gave the fans a wicked airy heavyweight brawl. And 2 fighters connected the emergence secured stellar finishes.

After each pay-per-view, we interruption down and measure the prime of each combat and the combat paper itself based connected accomplishment displayed, competitiveness and what is astatine stake.


Light heavyweight: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira

Result: Pereira defeats Ankalaev by first-round TKO
Grade: A

Normally, erstwhile a combatant gives an excuse to warrant wherefore they mislaid a fight, it's hard to digest, but erstwhile Pereira said helium wasn't himself erstwhile helium mislaid to Ankalaev successful March, helium shouldn't person been doubted. "Poatan" dropped jaws arsenic helium easy wiped retired a champion who had ne'er earlier been knocked out. He pursued Ankalaev from the opening doorbell and clobbered him with a close manus that sent him to the canvas. A convulsive barrage of elbows and punches followed that ended the bout successful conscionable 80 seconds. No, this wasn't competitory but it was ultra-violent and a reminder wherefore Pereira is 1 of the champion and astir breathtaking fighters successful the satellite today.


Light heavyweight: Jiří Procházka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.

Result: Procházka defeats Rountree by third-round KO
Grade: A-

Something peculiar was going to hap erstwhile these 2 gave into the Octagon unneurotic -- it was conscionable a substance of when. Rountree threw everything helium had with atrocious intentions for the archetypal 2 rounds and broke done with respective hard punches and strikes that occasionally stung the erstwhile champion. Procházka absorbed the punishment but occasionally looked retired of sorts with his striking. But if determination was anybody who could propulsion retired a triumph from the clutches of defeat, it's "BJP." Sensing helium was down connected the scorecards, Procházka transformed into an violative instrumentality successful the 3rd round, putting an implicit beating connected Rountree earlier knocking him retired acold with a abbreviated near hook. Procházka is simply a diabolical cause of chaos, and this combat was must-see TV.


Men's bantamweight: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen