UFC Calgary felt like an overwhelming success, particularly when compared to the UFC Hamburg card from the previous week. There were a few barn-burners; some resulting in violent finishes, some going the distance. Outside of those great fights, there were some impressive finishes. There were a few meh fights, but none that were absolutely atrocious. Former long-reigning champions got back on track.
One of those barn-burners was the main event where Dustin Poirier officially launched himself into title contention with a decisive – even if somewhat controversial – victory over Eddie Alvarez. Expectations for this card may not have been exceeded, but they were certainly met.