UFC 30th Anniversary
Last Time In Salt Lake City | UFC 30th Anniversary
UFC’s Last Trip To Salt Lake City, Utah Was More Than Memorable. Take A Look Back At Everything That Happened At A Wild UFC 278.
This weekend the UFC returns to Salt Lake City for the third time in the promotion’s history, and this time the action is back with an epic vacant BMF title fight between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.
These two all-out warriors headline UFC 291, which also is littered with fan favorites such as Jan Blachowicz, Alex Pereira, Tony Ferguson, Bobby Green, Michael Chiesa, Kevin Holland, Stephen Thompson, and Michel Pereira.
Let’s look back at UFC 278 as we prepare for an epic night of fights in “The Crossroads of the West.”
UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2
“Look at me now!”
UFC’s return to the Delta Center came to a shocking conclusion when fight fans witnessed one of the biggest moments in UFC championship history.
After 24 minutes of action, Leon Edwards was down on the judges’ scorecards and facing a one-sided decision loss at the hands of longtime welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. That’s when Edwards set up the perfect fight-ending kick, landing flush and sending Usman to the canvas.
Order UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2
Edwards had snatched victory and championship gold from the jaws of sure defeat in the final minute. It was a stunning moment. The crowd inside the Delta Center couldn’t have been louder, and support for “Rocky” grew tenfold when he delivered the Octagon interview of the year.
It was truly one of the most memorable moments in UFC history. But that wasn’t the only unique and memorable thing to happen that night in the Octagon.
Costa And Rockhold Bring The Heat
The co-main event of UFC 278 featured a middleweight bout between fan favorites Paulo Costa and Luke Rockhold.
Costa looked phenomenal, pushing the former champion to the brink on multiple occasions and busting Rockhold up pretty bad. That’s when Rockhold made a late surge that had everyone, including the broadcast booth, losing their minds.
The two battled to the end of the 15 minutes, with Costa getting the unanimous decision win and both men earning the Fight of the Night honors for their scrap.
Aldo’s Final Fight
Although things didn’t go the way that Jose Aldo had hoped in his final UFC bout, it was still special to see him compete.
Aldo made the walk opposite rising contender Merab Dvalishvili, who delivered a phenomenal performance against Aldo.
How To Watch UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2
Just from the emotion on Aldo’s face you could tell that retirement wasn’t far away, and so he walked away from MMA as one of the greatest to ever compete and someone beloved by fight fans everywhere.
Months later, Aldo was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, rightfully taking his place amongst the greats.
José Aldo Named To UFC Hall Of Fame Class Of 2023
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José Aldo Named To UFC Hall Of Fame Class Of 2023
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UFC 278: Usman vs Edwards 2 took place live from the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 20, 2022. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses- and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
