UFC 223: 5 takeaways from Saturday night's outstanding event in Brooklyn

While Conor McGregor’s destructive antics stole the headlines during the week, the main event wasn’t made official until a few hours before Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins and the card went from featuring 12 bouts to a tidy nine fights, UFC 223 remained filled with exciting matchups carrying a ton of intrigue.

Back inside the Barclays Center for the first time since last February’s uninspired UFC 208 pay-per-view, the crowd in Brooklyn got an entertaining night of action inside the cage that should set the stage for several big contests in the second half of the year.

Here’s a look at the biggest talking points and takeaways coming out of UFC 223.

Khabib Time

Undisputed. Undefeated. #AndNew lightweight champion of the world | @TeamKhabib pic.twitter.com/BorwmI6QtZ
— UFC (@ufc) April 8, 2018

Khabib Nurmagomedov has been focused on climbing to the top of the lightweight division since they day he first stepped into the Octagon. After 10 fights and three different opponents in the last seven days, "The Eagle" has reached the summit.

Saturday night, the Dagestani grappling machine mauled Al Iaquinta in the main event of UFC 223 to claim the lightweight title — or a portion of the title — and push his record to a staggering 26-0. It took him less than a minute to put Iaquinta on the canvas in the first and while the last-minute replacement was able to minimize the damage, he could muster much offense, as Nurmagomedov forced him to be defensive and simply fight to survive.

In the third, the two stood in the center, trading and talking, with Nurmagomedov crashing home a series of clean rights and lefts that turned Iaquinta's nose into a crimson faucet. He did the same in the fourth, slowly a little, but continuing to thoroughly out-pace Iaquinta in five-minute increments. Iaquinta connected with some solid shots early in the fifth, but Nurmagomedov ate them and went back on the offensive, opening up the Long Islander and spending the final two minutes grinding him out on the ground.

Contrary to Joe Rogan's commentary, this was a lopsided contest that carries Nurmagomedov to the top of the division. His standing there is disputed and both Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson would like to argue their respective cases, but tonight, the title belongs to Nurmagomedov.

And Still…

#AndStill undisputed strawweight champion of the world! @ Rosenamajunas defeats Joanna again! Wow! #UFC223 pic.twitter.com/e4cYM69o3B
— UFC (@ufc) April 8, 2018

Rose Namajunas shocked the world in November by dethroning Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Saturday night, she turned in another outstanding performance, defending her title in the rematch and earning the victory with scores of 49-47 across the board.

Early in the fight, Namajunas showcased the poise and footwork that led to the finish in the first encounter, slipping punches and landing shots of her own, taking an early lead. As Jedrzejczyk started to push back, Namajunas didn't cede any ground. She stood in the pocket and exchanged with the former champion and when the final round started, it was the titleholder who took pressed forward and landed the bigger blows.

Some people wondered if the first result was a fluke. Those questions were answered with a resounding "No" at Barclays Center, as Namajunas looked even better the second time around, cementing her place atop the women's strawweight division.

Don’t sleep on Moicano

There have been so many terrific fights and breakout performances in the featherweight division as of late that there are times when talented fighters slip from memory simply because they haven’t had a chance to step into the Octagon lately.
Renato Moicano is one of those guys.

Out of action since UFC 214, people seem to have forgotten that Moicano stated his UFC career with three straight victories, including a split decision win over Jeremy Stephens, before entering his fight with Brian Ortega as the betting favorite. In that summer clash with “T-City,” the talented Brazilian entered the final round ahead on the scorecards before Ortega did what he quite frequently does and found a finish in the third, but losing to the No. 1 contender is nothing to hang your head about.

Saturday night in Brooklyn, Moicano made like Jay-Z and reintroduced himself to the masses with a precise, technical performance against Calvin Kattar, beating up the Bostonian’s lead leg en route to a unanimous decision victory.

Featherweight is on fire right now ( I think someone predicted that at the start of the year ) and Moicano is in the thick of things after his performance at UFC 223.

Magomedsharipov shines again

Heralded as one of the top prospects in the sport, Zabit Magomedsharipov continued to show why on Saturday night. Teaming with Kyle Bochniak to deliver a Fight of the Night-winning clash, the Dagestani upstart picked up his third UFC win and 11th consecutive victory overall to continue his ascension in the featherweight division.

The pieces that make Magomedsharipov such a highly regarded newcomer were on full display, as he showcased his diverse striking and excellent grappling skill, hitting Bochniak with several heavy kicks and putting him on the canvas with a variety of takedowns, including a slick little trip into side control.

"This dude is SO good. He's so good!" @ joeRogan watching @ Zabit_MMA live for the first time. #UFC223 pic.twitter.com/qK3buTJbVx
— UFC (@ufc) April 8, 2018

Bochniak gets full marks for his toughness and ability to draw the best out of Magomedsharipov, but the shaggy-haired 27-year-old member of New Jersey’s “Iron Army” proved he was a level or two above “Crash” and should get a ranked opponent next time out.

If it ends up being the man he called out, Yair Rodriguez, circle the date on your calendar as soon as it is announced because that would be tremendous.

The continued evolution of “The Canadian Gangster”

USA have UFC gangsters in the Diaz.
Ireland have a UFC gangster in Conor.
Russia have a UFC gangster in Khabib.
Don't worry Canada ! I got your back ! pic.twitter.com/zaRLxMlJ6k
— Olivier Aubin (@oliaubin) April 6, 2018

Olivier Aubin-Mercier arrived in the UFC after just a handful of quick fights on the regional circuit, dropping a split decision to fellow Canadian and Tristar Gym teammate Chad Laprise in the TUF Nations welterweight finale.

Read This

In the four years since then, the promising judoka has developed into an all-around threat at lightweight, proving it Saturday night by collecting the biggest win of his career with a blistering first-round finish of Evan Dunham.

After feeling a ton of pressure to be “The Next GSP” and carry the flag for Canada, the awkwardly charismatic Aubin-Mercier no longer feels burdened by those unfair comparisons and has started move up the ladder in the 155-pound weight class. By running his winning streak to four and taking out a ranked fighter in the midst of a good run of results, “OAM” has proven himself to be one to watch in the second half of 2018 in the lightweight ranks.