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The Real Winners and Losers from UFC on ESPN 26

Another Saturday. Another night in Las Vegas.

Just a week after the controversial Conor McGregor circus came and went at the T-Mobile Arena, the UFC was back at its Apex facility home base for a 10-bout card topped by a pair of ranked lightweights.

Ranked ninth and 14th at 155 pounds, respectively, Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moises headlined the card with designs on raising their profiles in one of the promotion's hottest weight classes.

Makhachev is a self-professed disciple, friend and training partner of retired lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov, while Moises entered the match having won three straight and four of six in the UFC since graduating from Dana White's Contender Series in 2018.