If you're a mixed martial arts fan, you know the sensation that is Gage, who was practically sent into a panic by Khabib's masterful wrestling. It's not every day you watch a fighter like Oliveira, lying on the mat trying to regain composure, too intimidated to engage on the ground.
In a night of two championship bouts, several fighters simply didn't showcase their usual level of brilliance. Lao Qian may have had decent wrestling skills, but on the ground? Well, let's just say he got caught in a diamond choke that left his fans gasping for air.
For now, Ye Chen has decided not to pursue a match against Diamond or Oliveira. It's not out of fear; after all, he's ranked ninth, a notch below the titans of the first and second rank in his weight class—a position that feels a tad too ambitious given the current circumstances.
However, the landscape is different for Gage and Chandler. Fresh off a recent loss to Oliveira and still licking his wounds, Gage hasn't stepped back into the octagon. As for Chandler, he may have bested the formidable Old Night Demon, but then lost, creating an intriguing scenario.
These two fighters are ripe for confrontation. Plus, fighting Diamond is a feather in Oliveira's cap—he's a household name in the UFC landscape, particularly in lightweight. At this level, he won't easily dive into battles against lower-ranked contenders.
You could feel the excitement bubbling in the arena, and even industry titans like DC and Dana couldn't help but clap in approval. Ye Chen's star is on the rise, his popularity soaring, and there's chatter around pitting him against either Chandler or Gage to elevate his status even further.
Dana, always a mastermind behind the curtain, is already nurturing strategies in his mind. When Dana wants to make a match, it's almost guaranteed he can pull the strings to make it happen—except for perhaps the iconic Khabib, who remains a special case.
Dana reflects on past encounters, notably the blockbuster rematch between Xiaoying and Connor, which raked in an astonishing 2 million PPV buys and generated $86.4 million from just one event. The financial allure is impossible to resist.
As the interview wraps up and Ye Chen prepared to exit, he noticed that the captivating woman he'd seen earlier in the front row had vanished again. Before he could dwell on that, he was swept away by a tide of delighted fans clamoring for his attention and autographs.
Leaving the venue, the electric atmosphere surrounding him escalated. Fans were ecstatic, eager to celebrate his success.
The shock came the next morning as Ye Chen scrolled through social media reactions from the previous night's adrenaline-fueled fight. It was undeniable—he had emerged as the major winner of the night, with his performance overshadowing even the headline main event.
His social media presence exploded, catapulting his followers from 130,000 to a jaw-dropping 1.06 million in a mere night. Ye Chen rubbed his eyes in disbelief, struggling to grasp the meteoric rise. Just the night before, he imagined his numbers might eclipse 300,000 after the dust settled—but this? This was unheard of.
Covington, a titan in the MMA world, had only just hit the million mark after being involved in a highly publicized incident. Ye Chen's rapid ascent was nothing short of phenomenal.
As it turned out, Dana had orchestrated a promotional blitz featuring Ye Chen's striking photo—where he appears silhouetted against a dramatic cage backdrop, with the inspiring caption: "The Lonely Warrior, The Fearless Fighter." The watermark of Ye Chen's Instagram handle made it all the more engaging.
"Now I get it!" Ye Chen chuckled to himself. "I knew it couldn't be that extreme overnight. And hey, most outsiders probably can't even spell my name correctly."
Of course, the real catalyst behind this overwhelming recognition was his thrilling back-to-back performances. The promotional efforts were simply icing on the cake.
A voice pinged on his phone—it was Gazi, a fellow fighter and friend. "Congrats, Ye Chen! You're phenomenal! If I'd known how epic last night was, I would've flown to Vegas to support you live. You looked so good out there!"
Messages flooded in from friends and fans alike, some astonished at the sudden surge in his follower count. "Is this real? You've shot past 800,000 followers! What sorcery is this?" Some even added playful jabs about their own stats as they celebrated his accomplishment.
Even Burns, who wasn't particularly close to him, chimed in with congratulations. The congratulatory notes from fans were pouring in, and surprisingly, there were hardly any negative remarks to be found.
But then something caught his eye—a familiar name, someone who had sent him a picture message from the previous night.
As he clicked the message open, his heart raced. He saw two long, elegant legs clad in UFC gear, a sight he recognized too well. There she was, the woman who had been sparring verbally with him for over a month, now displaying his apparel as if it was her own.
"Hmm, what do you think of the outfit I took from you?" she messaged, leaving Ye Chen utterly stunned.
In that moment, it all clicked. She was the same woman who had approached him with her father after he had triumphed over Jima. Those curious, familiar eyes were now making more sense.
"Not only did you escape unscathed last night, but you also became famous overnight. You must be feeling pretty annoyed about that?" Ye Chen replied, trying to keep his tone casual.
He might have accumulated millions of followers overnight, but he remained grounded, aware that being celebrated in the fighting world was a privilege that came with both expectations and responsibilities.
In a fleeting second, he realized he wasn't just another fighter anymore; he was carving out his own legacy—one thrilling round at a time.