When the biggest MMA event took place on Saturday night in Las Vegas, millions of people around the world were watching. Many of whom had never watched an entire MMA event before this weekend. For the fans who watch this sport religiously, here are 5 things we can take from UFC 200 as we move forward,

1. Many were left disappointed

After waiting so long for UFC 200, and Dana White deeming it the, “biggest, baddest card in UFC history”, many fans were felt a bit let down with how the event transpired. Much of this is due to fans getting lost in the hype of such a monumental event, and perhaps having unrealistic expectations for how a card filled with so much talent would pan out. While the night started out with 3 straight TKO finishes on Fight Pass, and continued on the Main Card with a beautiful performance from Cain Velasquez, the night became a bit dull with 3 straight decisions, including Daniel Cormier’s victory over Anderson Silva in which the arena was filled with boos. While Amanda Nunes ended the night on a high note with a masterful finish of Miesha Tate, many MMA fans took to social media and message boards to voice their displeasure with how the night had gone.

2. Cain Velasquez isn’t going anywhere

After numerous injuries, including back surgery in earlier February, and the loss of his title to Fabricio Werdum 11 months ago, many fans thought Cain Velasquez had reached the end of his career. On Saturday night, Velasquez put those doubts to rest, finishing Travis Browne with punches in the first round after hurting him repeatedly on the feet. He also showed that even after all the health problems he has had in his career, he continues to add to his arsenal, showing off a beautiful spinning wheel kick in his UFC 200 bout. In the post-fight press conference, he told the media that he wants to face the winner of Stipe Miocic and Alistair Overeem after the two fight for the Heavyweight title at UFC 203 in Cleveland. While that is still up in the air, one thing is for sure; after seeing him dominate Browne on Saturday night, we know he is still a formidable opponent for any Heavyweight in the world.

3. Jose Aldo is primed for the Conor McGregor rematch

While many thought Frankie Edgar had what it took to beat Jose Aldo and get his long awaited fight with the Featherweight champion, Aldo reminded everyone why he was at the top of Pound-for-Pound prior to his KO loss to McGregor at UFC 194. Throughout the contest, he beat Edgar to the punch and shrugged off all 12 of his takedowns en-route to a unanimous decision victory over the former Lightweight champ. Immediately after the belt was fastened around his waist, Aldo walked to the side of the Octagon and motioned to McGregor who was sitting cageside, as if to say “lets do it again”. Dana White has come out and said that once McGregor takes on Nate Diaz in their rematch at UFC 202, he will go back to Featherweight and attempt to unify his title. One thing is for certain, he will have his hands full with a reenergized Jose Aldo, who looks like the Aldo of old at the still ripe age of 29.

4. MMA fans are still morons

When Daniel Cormier agreed to take on Anderson Silva on 2 days notice, nobody knew exactly what to expect. Silva was coming off gall bladder surgery 2 months prior, and had little to no training coming into his bout with the Light Heavyweight champion. Ultimately, he was unable to negate Cormier’s wrestling, and DC grinded him out for an easy unanimous decision. This was hardly shocking. What was shocking, however, was the behavior of fans in attendance who showered Cormier with boos for the better part of 15 minutes. The same Cormier who agreed to take on a new opponent on 2 days notice while taking a pay cut. The same Cormier who has taken short notice opponents on multiple occasions to help save fight cards. The same Cormier who has been nothing but classy in his career and a great ambassador for a sport that often gets a bad wrap in the mainstream media. This was the man who fans decided was unworthy of their applause. Do better MMA fans, do better. And for what it’s worth, it was your beloved Anderson Silva who decided to stall during the bout, not Cormier.

5. We’ll see Brock Lesnar again

After many believed Mark Hunt would end Lesnar’s night with a patented walk-off knockout, he used his powerful wrestling entries and takedowns to spoil Hunt’s night and get his first victory inside the Octagon just 6 days after the 6 year anniversary of his title-defending victory over Shane Carwin in July of 2010. After the fight, Lesnar appeared to be on cloud nine as he fielded questions from the media in his own personal press conference. He deemed himself a Top-10 heavyweight, and flirted with the possibility of another MMA fight in the future. After seeing his elation in the hours after his fight, it’s a safe bet to see Lesnar will return to the Octagon after fulfilling his obligation to the WWE when he takes on Randy Orton at Summerslam on August 21st.

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