UFC on ESPN 11 went down in the Apex in Las Vegas with some interesting fights on the card. In the main event, Curtis Blaydes took on Aleksander Volkov in a fight with major ramifications for the top-end of the heavyweight division. However, the co-main event stole the show.

Josh Emmett fought Shane Burgos in a brutal war of attrition. This was one of the best fights of the year so far and both men deserve respect after an astonishing show of violence. Some fights deserve a crowd and this was definitely one of them after fifteen minutes of brutality.

In the end, it was Emmett who won but Burgos also showed tremendous heart and an outrageous chin. Check out the highlights below of this instant classic. Emmett will rise up the rankings as he moves towards title contention. Nobody wants to get hit by this man because his power is different.

Firefight

This was an explosive fight from start to finish. Both men are technical power strikers so you couldn’t take your eyes off of the action for a moment. Emmett started fast with some ripping straights but Burgos was able to eat them. He hyperextended his knee early in the first round. Later, he revealed that it was a torn ACL. That just makes his win all the more insane. He took the first round.

Burgos pumped his jab to great effect, using his reach advantage. He was more active in the second round and managed his distance better. Meanwhile, Emmett struggled to stay mobile on his compromised leg. At one point Burgos landed a slick back-fist after Emmett blocked his initial shot.

Winner

In the end, Emmett emerged victoriously. He scored a pair of brutal knockdowns to put Burgos in a world of trouble. He was also more dominant in the third round. Emmett targeted the body to great effect as his technical shots took their toll on Burgos. The latter had too much to do in the end but this was definitely the fight of the night.

Now Emmett will hope to put together a streak to get in title contention. He’s not very far away but will need close to nine months to recover from that torn ACL. It’s unfortunate for him, but at least he got the win. Meanwhile, Burgos definitely learned a few lessons on the night and will only come back better from this.

Big Night

In the main event, Curtis Blaydes wrestled his way to victory over Volkov. Many fans – including Dana White – complained about the American’s approach, but there’s no denying it was effective. However, the problem is that he can’t really move upwards. A fight with Francis Ngannou would make sense if Ngannou hadn’t knocked him out twice already. He’ll probably have to wait for the winner of Derrick Lewis v Alexy Oleinik.

Meanwhile, there were also wins for Tecia Torres, Belal Muhammad, and Jim Miller. Next, the UFC will move to Abu Dhabi for the first of its ‘Fight Island’ series.

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