UFC 236 Gave Us The Two Best Fights, Fight Card Of Year

It can be very difficult to decide on the best of the best, especially considering the amount of live fight cards we are presented with week in and week out.

Factor in how the entire card goes, how memorable it was and what it led to can make the task dang near impossible.

But if you remember back to April and UFC 236, you would be hard-pressed to find a stronger candidate for the top card of 2019.

The event took place from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, April 13. A crowd of almost 14,300 packed into the stands with two UFC titles on the line.

UFC 236: The Thrill And The Agony

On a side note, the price of the pay-per-view had just been lowered by $5 and a special promotional offer with ESPN+ was presented to fans not in the area to catch it live.

In the main event, Dustin Poirer claimed the interim UFC lightweight championship with a decision victory over featherweight titleholder Max Holloway. Also, the co-main event featured Israel Adesanya winning the interim middleweight title by besting Kelvin Gastelum via decision.

Both were thrilling, back-and-forth battles for 25 minutes.

And, as mentioned set the stage for two really good fights later in the year.

Poirier would drop his unification match with Khabib Nurmagomedov, a moment that cemented Nurmagomedov as the best lightweight in the world.

Adesanya would go on to become the undisputed middleweight champion by finishing Robert Whittaker, keeping his perfect record intact – like Nurmagomedov – and maybe setting him up for a future date with Jon Jones.

None of that happens, though, without UFC 236. And that is what makes the card so memorable.

We also got to see Khalil Rountree Jr. top Eryk Anders, Dwight Grant best Alan Jouban and Nikita Krylov submit Ovince Saint Preux on the main card. Prelim winners included Matt Frevola, Alexandre Pantoja, Max Griffin, Khalid Taha, Belal Muhammad, Montel Jackson, Poliana Botelho and Brandon Davis.

At the end of the it all, Poirier, Holloway, Gastelum and Adesanya earned “Fight of the Night” honors and bonuses for their efforts.