5 of the biggest takeaways from UFC 240

In case you missed it, here are the five major takeaways from UFC 240.

Proving something was the apparent theme of several fighters at UFC 240. Featherweight champion Max Holloway wanted to prove that he could go all five rounds with someone like Frankie Edgar. Former women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino wanted to prove that her loss to Amanda Nunes was not the end of her as a competitor.

There was a lot to be learned from the performances from Saturday night and FanSided MMA is breaking down five of the biggest takeaways from the card.

1. Max Holloway is nearing featherweight GOAT status

Whenever Max Holloway prepares to fight now, the idea of him being the greatest of all time at featherweight is brought up and repeated ad nauseam so that it is forever etched into the minds of fight fans. Now, this idea is not far-fetched and could very well go undisputed as long as he continues his dominance over the division, but the fact of the matter is Holloway is not the GOAT yet.

Holloway is well on his way to achieving the status of greatest of all time and he further strengthened the case to be called that with his performance against Frankie Edgar. For many, Edgar posed the most serious threat to Holloway with his wrestling prowess, quick movements and everlasting cardio. All of Edgar’s strengths were easily thwarted by Holloway, who earned a unanimous decision in what was his third successful title defense.

A win over Edgar does wonders for the legend of Holloway, but he still has a lot to accomplish and he knows this. During his post-fight interview, Holloway was unwilling to go along with the GOAT talk and shed some light as to who he believes is still the holder of that title.

“I’m just trying to be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and that’s the names I got to be up there with, and that’s respect,” said Holloway. “So like I said, all this GOAT talk and whatever, it doesn’t affect me. When it’s all said and done, I can sit back and relax, and [Jose] Aldo’s still the man.”

You heard the man, folks. Jose Aldo, the former featherweight champion, is considered the GOAT in Holloway’s eyes. And yes, Holloway defeated him twice in back-to-back fights, but that does not mean that Aldo’s resume gets soaked up and added to that of Holloway. It means that Holloway is laying the groundwork for what will surely be a career widely regarded as legendary. Just give it some time, please.

2. Frankie Edgar is not done yet

A loss to Max Holloway has probably put the final nail in the coffin for the title aspirations of former champion Frankie Edgar. At 37 years old, it is highly unlikely that Edgar gets to challenge for gold again in his career, but that does not mean he should be phased out by the mixed martial arts world.

The reality is Edgar still has some gas in the tank and he showed this in his fight against Holloway. Although he may have been on the receiving end of some damaging strikes over the course of five rounds, Edgar found some opportunities and did what he could to stay in the fight. His efforts were not enough and he went on to lose, which understandably left him “heartbroken”, but he will not be that way for long. Edgar will undoubtedly get back to work and even told fight fans that he is “not going anywhere” despite the loss and reiterated this very stance in his post-fight interview.

While a drop down to bantamweight is floating around, Edgar has yet to figure out the next move in his career. Even with the uncertainty, there is something Edgar is certain of. He is not done yet.

3. Cris “Cyborg” Justino should get the Amanda Nunes rematch

Going into UFC 240, it was Cris “Cyborg” Justino against the world. The working relationship between her and her employer was incredibly strained and a rematch with current women’s featherweight champion Amanda Nunes started to slowly slip from her grasp. And then she did what she did against Felicia Spencer.

Justino wanted to ensure that was she deserving of the rematch with Nunes and she was going to fight for it, even if she was on the last fight of her contract. For three rounds, Justino battered Spencer and won a unanimous decision victory with a pretty clear-cut performance. After the fight, Justino strolled over to her post-fight interview with ESPN dressed in a shirt that addressed her desire for the Nunes rematch next. And you know what? She should get it.

Are there other opportunities for Justino in free agency? Absolutely. A fight between her and Julia Budd in Bellator is at the top of the list, but a fight between her and Kayla Harrison in PFL is a close second. However, the first fight Justino should be dealing with is the one with Nunes. With the way it ended, people want to see if a different approach to Nunes could see Justino regain her title or if the result will ultimately remain the same. Either way, we have questions that need to be answered and the only way to do that is by making the highly anticipated rematch.

4. Felicia Spencer is a winner even in defeat

I know what you’re thinking (Actually, I don’t. I’m not a mind reader, but that’s neither here nor there). How is the loser of the fight considered a winner? Well, I’ll tell you using the example of Felicia Spencer.

When the fight between Spencer and Justino was announced, the consensus was that another victim was about to be claimed by “Cyborg”. Spencer was barely given a chance to rise to the occasion, so when she showed up and drew blood from Justino in the opening round of their fight, people were somewhat shocked. Giving Justino the first cut of her career? Preposterous. In the words of White Goodman from Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, “nobody makes [her] bleed [her] own blood!” But Spencer did. And she really did make Justino work for the decision victory.

Spencer absorbed a ton of damage, but not once did she back down from Justino. Even when she was visibly wobbled, Spencer stood and traded with the former champion in a performance that showed the grit many thought she was not going to have against Justino. She survived the toughest test of her career and can hold that as a badge of honor moving forward. I bet that will be the last time Spencer is counted out before a fight.

5. Geoff Neal is a legitimate contender at welterweight

Geoff Neal has come a long way from Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. Neal has now won four straight and his win over Niko Price should see him get a ranked opponent in his next outing.

At this point, there really is no denying that Neal is a legitimate contender at welterweight, which is why we should see him pit up against someone with a number next to their name. And just in case he does not get a ranked opponent for his next fight, I think a showdown with Mike Perry could be a good plan B. Neal has called for it before on Twitter and if a standup battle is what you want, then you will surely get it between Neal and Perry.

UFC 240 took place on Saturday, July 27, 2019, live from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your live results and highlights.