Two UFC newcomers delivered maybe round of the year in an absolute barnburner at UFC 243

If you tuned into the UFC 243 prelims and didn’t know the names Brad Riddell and Jamie Mullarkey, you certainly won’t forget either of them now, not after after they threw down in one spectacular brawl.

Riddell, a teammate of Israel Adesanya who was making his UFC debut, and Mullarkey, a New South Wales native also making his debut on the big stage, put on a tremendous show Saturday night (Sunday locally) at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

Unfortunately for Mullarkey, Riddell got the best of things by a wide margin, as he earned a unanimous decision on scores of 29-27, 30-26, and 30-26, but not before Mullarkey proved he had otherworldly levels of toughness and resilience.

Riddell got the best of the action in the first round, using effective jabs to set up combos to the head and body as he dictated the tempo. Mullarkey, for his part, rebounded in the second round, the closest of the fight. While Riddle still landed in the standup, Mullarkey implemented a successful ground game in a tossup of a round.

Then came the third, one of the most memorable rounds of 2019 in all of MMA. Riddell was tired. Mullarkey was utterly exhausted. But both pushed on, and, well, we’ll let the action speak for itself:

Things somehow got even crazier in the final moments. Mullarkey, by this point, appeared to be out on his feet. Referee Marc Goddard apparently wasn’t going to stop the fight for anything short of decapitation. Mullarkey sauntered on.

Then came a moment that belongs on the UFC’s all-time highlight reel:

After the fight, Riddell was somehow coherent enough to give an interview.

“This is the best debut I could’ve ever had,” Riddell said, breathing heavily. “The best crowd I’ve ever been in front of. I think it’s the best crowd I will ever be in front of. …

“Yeah, mate. He’s pretty tough. … That definitely wasn’t my best performance. I look forward to a quick turnaround, fighting again as soon as I can.”

We think he should consider taking the $50,000 bonus that should be coming his way and take a little time off, but what do we know?

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