3 things we learned from UFC 267

Three takeaways from UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi.

UFC 267 was free to watch for all ESPN+ subscribers, and it surely didn’t disappoint with the main event winner that made history.

Glover Teixeira closed the show with an upset win over Jan Blachowicz to earn the UFC light heavyweight title. Many felt that Blachowicz would run through the 42-year-old Teixeira, but that didn’t prove to be the case.

Islam Makhachev also continued his rise up the UFC lightweight division with another first-round submission over Dan Hooker. Petr Yan got back on track after his controversial loss to Aljamain Sterling with an interim title win over Cory Sandhagen.

The prelims didn’t disappoint either. Up-and-coming prospects such as Lerone Murphy earned statement wins, while UFC strawweight Amanda Ribas reminded the UFC fanbase as to how dangerous she can be in the octagon.

Here are three takeaways after watching what was an eventful card at UFC 267.

42-year-old Glover Teixeira proves that age is just a number at UFC 267

Teixeira became the oldest first-time UFC champion in modern history by submitting Blachowicz in Round 2. After Blachowicz landed some hard strikes to begin the second round, Teixeira got the fight to the ground and finished the fight with a rear-naked choke.

Teixeira had been on a roll heading into UFC 267 but was overlooked by many as a ‘has-been’ who had fallen short of UFC gold numerous times. But, he has now won six straight fights and will now look forward to beginning his title reign as the UFC light heavyweight champion.

Teixeira has been a role model for many of the division’s top contenders, including Blachowicz and top prospects such as Jimmy Crute. He proved that it doesn’t matter when someone gets a title shot, and anyone can be defeated at any moment.

Vyacheslav Kiselev may be the worst MMA referee of all-time

The UFC 267 prelims also featured a bit of controversy during the fight between UFC welterweights Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos and Benoit St. Denis.

Dos Santos dominated the fight from the opening minutes and had St. Denis badly hurt against the fence. Despite being unable to defend himself, referee Vyacheslav Kiselev allowed the fight to continue as many UFC fans and the broadcast team begged for the fight to stop, for St. Denis’ sake.

But things would only get worse. Kiselev wouldn’t allow a doctor to examine St. Denis after he was poked in the eye in the third round, limiting his vision.

The UFC brass pulled Kiselev from the remainder of the UFC 267 due to his poor performance and dangerous methods of officiating. He was originally slated to officiate the light heavyweight clash between Magomed Ankalaev and Volkan Oezdemir later in the night.

Lerone Murphy could be the UFC’s next British star

One of the biggest bright spots of the UFC 267 prelims was Murphy, who overcame some early struggles on the ground to knock out Makwan Amirkhani was a devastating knee in the second round.

Murphy remains undefeated in his professional career with a stunning record of 11-0-1., with four-straight wins to begin his UFC tenure. His win over a veteran like Amirkhani could go a long way in determining the remainder of his fight career.

Murphy’s kickboxing skillset appears dangerous for any level of competition in the UFC’s featherweight division, and he’s sure to face another tough test for his next fight. After entering UFC 267 relatively unknown to fans, he’s a name to watch going forward.

UFC 267 took place on Saturday, Oct. 30, live from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.