The tension in T-Mobile Arena was palpable as Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev faced off in the octagon ahead of UFC 313’s main event. The night had already delivered electrifying action, and every fan in attendance — myself included — was anticipating a firefight in the final bout.

It’s no secret that the UFC awards some privileges to their money-making superstars. Israel Adesanya was granted an immediate rematch for the middleweight belt after suffering the worst loss of his career to a short-notice Sean Strickland.