The UFC loves chopping down prospects before giving them their time to shine. That was on full display at UFC Fight Night 88 on Sunday.
Thomas Almeida should have been a godsend for the UFC. A long, athletic striker, he has captured fans' attention with his pure ferocity and finishing power. Just as importantly, he arrived at a time when Brazilian MMA is struggling, with Fabricio Werdum and Jose Aldo dropping their titles and a number of top stars moving towards retirement.
Cody Garbrandt would have been the kind of fighter hardcore fans brag about seeing on the regional circuit if he didn't make his way into the UFC at such a young age. Entering the Octagon for the first time at just 23 years old with a career record of 5-0 (all wins ending via first-round knockout), he debuted with an impressive win over skilled striker Marcus Brimage and has kept up his winning ways ever since.
In any other sport, whether it's boxing or baseball, these are the the kinds of athletes that would be groomed for years before being pushed into the spotlight. In MMA, though? They're thrown into the cage for a dangerous fight that could set them back for years.
It was a high-stakes affair, as one fighter would cement his place in the top 10 of the bantamweight rankings and the other would spend the next few years in rebuilding mode. Now doomed to toil in obscurity until 2018 at the earliest? Thomas Almeida.
For two-and-a-half minutes, the fight was exactly what fans wanted. Two scary young men rushing forward and slinging leather. There were flying knees. There were haymakers. And there was a little bit of blood for good measure.
Then Garbrandt sneaked a straight right through Almeida's guard, sending him stumbling backwards. Smelling blood, he continued the pressure and landed a savage right hook that sent Almeida crashing to the canvas. A few hammerfists from the top sealed the deal at 2:53 of Round 1.
Garbrandt is suddenly one of the hottest names at 135 pounds and will most likely jump directly into the top 10. He was already getting a fair bit of attention from MMA pundits due to his well-rounded game and absurd stopping power. Now that he possesses a win over a respected name, he's more than deserving of a big-name opponent.
He isn't going to get a title shot quite yet, given how UFC 200's TJ Dillashaw and Raphael Assuncao are likely next in line after UFC 199's Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber title bout. There is, however, a very real chance that he ends up with gold this time next year.
Almeida, unfortunately, now finds himself in rebuilding mode. Despite all of his past success and the fact he remains one of the division's hottest young names, he now faces the usual barrage of "overhyped" claims from fans and a solid two years of preliminary-card matchups from UFC decision-makers.
It's somewhat sad that Almeida was put into such a position. UFC fans have seen how this story pans out in the past with fighters like Alexander Gustafsson and Rory MacDonald losing early on in their careers and struggling to recover for years. Almeida may or may not bounce back, but it's a shame he has to spend the coming months undoing the damage of this loss rather than growing his profile and skill set.
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