UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya - Unofficial Awards

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC Aljamain Sterling, being awarded the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 259Even though UFC 259 had one of the hottest beginnings of any event I can recall – the first five contests had definitive finishes – it settled into a simmer for what turned out to be a card that struggled to match the hype in the end. There was certainly controversy – Aljamain Sterling became the first UFC champion to gain the title via disqualification – but it wasn’t the type of controversy that typically surrounds a high-profile MMA contest. Plus, the UFC didn’t get to anoint Israel Adesanya as the next generational star when Jan Blachowicz derailed his hopes of holding two title. Adesanya is still young enough in his career that he could eventually launch himself into a higher level of stardom, but he’s not quite there yet. I won’t be hitting all the narratives in a traditional sense, but you’ll get a strong idea of how the card played out from these awards. Let’s start out with a particularly unorthodox award….

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