Just a week after re-crowning a dominant champion and sending off a popular rabble-rouser just a few miles off South Beach, the UFC took its Fight Night business to the Heartland.

Though it didn't match the glamour of a pay-per-view in Miami, the sold-out event at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, wasn't lacking for star power thanks to the presence of a still-relevant ex-champion and a surging contender looking to glean his aura.

Featherweights Max Holloway and Arnold Allen headlined a rare six-bout main card that followed an eight-bout prelim segment and maintained the punching, kicking and grappling from its first strike just after 5:30 p.m. ET to the main winner's hand raise just before midnight.

The B/R combat sports team survived its sojourn to South Florida and was back in place for another Saturday show to compile the night's definitive list of winners and losers. Take a look at what we came up with, and drop a thought or two of your own in the comments.

Winner: Chasing History

Arnold Allen was in the opposite corner. But Max Holloway was chasing history.

The former featherweight champion and consensus future Hall of Famer was tasked with taking down his streaking featherweight opponent in a meeting of Top 4 stars at 145 pounds.

He did so via unanimous decision in Saturday's final bout, but just as important were the milestones he attained in doing so across five main event-quality rounds.

Holloway, now 31, was already one of just 15 fighters to achieve at least a 10-fight Octagonal win streak, and he passed additional benchmarks during Saturday's action, becoming the first UFC fighter to land 3,000 significant strikes across a career and the third to put in seven hours of time in the Octagon.

At the end of 25 minutes with Allen, he'd won by two scores of 49-46 and another by 48-47.

"I was trying to come out here and be careful," Holloway said. "I knew he hit like a truck. The goal was to keep tagging him if he doesn't want to go out. He's durable, and I welcome that."

Holloway had edges in significant head strikes (77-48), significant body strikes (42-18), leg strikes (26-9) and overall striking percentage (56-35).

It was also his 12th straight win in a non-title fight, last losing to Conor McGregor in 2013.

For Allen, it was the first UFC loss after 10 straight wins dating back to 2015 and just the second loss in a pro career that began in 2012. He ranked fourth at 145 pounds to Holloway's second entering Saturday.

"Max has been around a long time," he said. "He's one of the best. I love the man. He inspires me."

Winner: Refreshing the Memories

Edson Barboza has many years' worth of striking highlights.

And after Saturday night, the list got an addition.

The popular Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace snapped a two-fight skid with one of 2023's best early KOs, countering a Billy Quarantillo level-change with a devastating knee to the jaw that left the Buffalo-born featherweight semiconscious on the mat and on the losing side of the ledger at 2:37 of Round 1.

"I trained exactly this movement for eight weeks," said Barboza, who registered his first win in 23 months and the 14th KO in a career that began exactly 14 years ago this coming Monday.

Quarantillo was looking to snatch Barboza's No. 14 ranking at 145 pounds, and he came full of aggression, pursuing his long and lanky opponent around the cage.

He threw a kick followed by a right-hand strike and instantly dropped to pursue a takedown but instead met the point of Barboza's knee with the side of his jaw.

He fell immediately to the mat and had the fight instantly waved off by referee Keith Peterson, who briefly had to restrain him until he seemed to recognize, literally, what had hit him.

It was his third loss in eight fights since earning a UFC deal in 2019.

"Edson Barboza is still alive, and I'm in the best shape of my life," the winner said. "And I promise the next one's gonna be much, much better."

Winner: Climbing the Ladder

Azamat Murzakanov's nickname is "The Professional."

And given his performance since he began punching people for money, it fits.

To the dismay of a crowd bearing down with its requisite "USA" chants, the newly-minted 34-year-old Russian—he celebrated a birthday on Wednesday—bumped his record to a pristine 13-0 with an initially devastating and eventually methodical decision over light heavyweight foe Dustin Jacoby.

Now based in New Jersey, Murzakanov swept the scorecards with matching counts of 29-28 and will presumably move up in the 205-pound rankings from No. 15 to at least Jacoby's spot at No. 13.

Jacoby, who entered Saturday with six wins and a draw in eight UFC fights since his arrival in 2020, was wobbled with intermittent punches in the opening round and rallied to be competitive in the second before a series of hard left hands left him on the verge of oblivion in the final 10 seconds.

He was hit cleanly several times in the third as well but landed several shots of his own and pressed the action himself down the stretch as Murzakanov appeared visually tired.

A takedown with about 90 seconds left preceded a volley of ground strikes, but the Colorado-based slugger couldn't find a finishing sequence.

Jacoby fell for the second straight fight and to 18-7-1 overall since 2010.

"I would like to ask the organization for a fighter in the Top 10. I would like to show what a real fighter from Russia looks like," said Murzakanov, who claimed to have broken his arm late in the second. "I was told [Jacoby] was a great striker before the fight, and I wanted to show who actually is a great striker in this weight division."

Loser: Educating the Masses

The crowd in Kansas City didn't appreciate it.

And that's because, according to Daniel Cormier, at least, they didn't understand it.

Though the fans at the T-Mobile Center serenaded both Pedro Munhoz and Chris Gutierrez with boos throughout the tactical three-round battle between ranked bantamweight contenders, the ex-UFC dual champ maintained it wasn't the fault of the fighters.

"If you don't understand all the subtle, technical things about fighting, you see a fight like this, and you get bored," Cormier said. "They don't know what they're watching."

Indeed, though it wasn't a clone of boxing's classic Hagler-Hearns showdown—which, as it happens, occurred exactly 38 years prior—it was a compelling matchup of talented strikers that the ninth-ranked Munhoz won by unanimous decision, sweeping all three rounds on all three cards.

"He's such an upcoming talent," Munhoz said. "That's what I've been seeing in the Top 15 the last six years. I never turn a fight down. I want to fight the best."

Though ranked four spots ahead of Gutierrez's No. 13, Munhoz was a betting underdog heading in by virtue of four losses—all to former or current world champions—in his last six fights (1-4, one no-contest) compared to his foe's run of eight straight without a loss (7-0-1) since he was beaten on The Ultimate Fighter in 2018.

But he set the competitive tone just 90 seconds in when he dropped Gutierrez with a left hook and controlled the next two minutes on the mat.

The fight never went away from the stand-up position again, and Gutierrez seemed unwilling to risk coming forward to incur more striking damage.

"It's all about pace," said Munhoz, who stood 5'6" to Gutierrez's 5'9". "We're not too big for the division, but we've got a lot of heart."

Loser: Going for the Finish

TJ Brown had it all going his way.

The fighter from Arkansas had bloodied opponent Bill Algeo and gotten him to the floor early in the second round of their featured featherweight prelim and was aggressively stalking as the suburban Philadelphia veteran reeled backward toward the fence.

It was the continuation of a successful first round in which Brown landed 39 significant strikes out of 42 blows overall.

But what Brown didn't realize was that it was exactly where Algeo wanted him.

"He was hitting me a whole bunch," Algeo said, "so I had to get him in short range."

Indeed, the grizzled 33-year-old clipped the onrushing Brown with a quick left elbow that dropped him and allowed Algeo a few moments of ground punishment from the crucifix position before he transitioned to the rear-naked choke that abruptly ended matters at 1:40 of the second round.

It was Algeo's seventh career submission—sixth by rear-naked choke—allowing him to get his UFC mark back above .500 since a full-time arrival in 2020. He quickly turned heel with a faux retirement speech that he cut short with a verbal shot at the show's host city.

Not surprisingly, the rest of his remarks were drowned out by loud boos.

"Everything's going well," Algeo said. "I've got a beautiful baby boy at home. I want to make this special announcement that I ain't never retiring.

"I'd never retire in a dump like Kansas City."

Winner: Simultaneous Exits

You don't get many nights like the one Zak Cummings had.

The 38-year-old, who grew up in Missouri, returned to his home state after having not fought anywhere since 2020, soaked up the adoration of a raucous, chanting crowd and punctuated a nearly 16-year career with a brutal TKO of Ed Herman before laying his gloves down as a recognized sign of retirement.

Michael Bisping suggested the finish of fellow veteran Herman might have been "the best performance we've ever seen from Zak," which made it even more fitting that he'd end on a high note.

"I fought here six years ago," Cummings said. "And six years later to the day, I get to do it again. I really wasn't sure [if I'd keep going], but I can't think of a better way to go out."

His voice cracked as he picked up his young daughter and dropped his gloves to the mat, and he was joined moments later by his 42-year-old foe, who also announced his farewell after a career that began in 2003 and a UFC run that began on The Ultimate Fighter in 2006.

Herman was dropped several times by Cummings' punches, appeared to suffer a broken nose and was bleeding profusely when referee Dwayne Bess intervened at 4:13 of the third.

"I've been here a long time," Herman said. "I think I'm gonna hang 'em up here in this cage."

Loser: Strawweight Step-Up

It was examination time for Piera Rodriguez.

The 30-year-old Venezuelan was the only unbeaten fighter on Saturday's prelim show and put her pristine professional mark—including two straight wins since a successful turn on Dana White's Contender Series—on the line against a capable veteran in Gillian Robertson.

Robertson was making her Octagonal debut at strawweight after several years at flyweight and eight wins in 13 UFC fights. And as it turned out, she was a bit too heavy a task for Rodriguez to master.

A newbie by comparison with just nine overall fights to her foe's 18, Rodriguez looked good early from a stand-up position but had no answer once things went to the floor and ultimately wound up on the wrong end of a submission finish in Round 2.

But her initial loss didn't come without complaint.

Though the armbar Robertson locked in on Rodriguez's right arm was deep, Rodriguez insisted the sudden move she made with her left hand was not a tap. But that's precisely how referee Keith Peterson interpreted it to end the fight at 4:21.

Officially, it was Robertson's seventh submission in the UFC, her ninth in 12 career wins and a trigger for her to suggest immediate success will follow at 115 pounds.

"I honestly don't know if she did or not, but once the ref pulled me off, that's all I felt," Robertson said regarding whether Rodriguez tapped. "I wanted to do some damage. I wanted to be able to drop some ground and pound, draw some blood. Everyone knows that's my nickname, 'The Savage.'

"This feels like my new home. I'm ready for someone ranked next."

Full Card Results

Main Card

Max Holloway def. Arnold Allen by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)

Edson Barboza def. Billy Quarantillo by KO (knee), 2:37, Round 1

Azamat Murzakanov def. Dustin Jacoby by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Ion Cutelaba def. Tanner Boser by KO (punches), 2:05, Round 1

Pedro Munhoz def. Chris Gutierrez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Rafa Garcia def. Clay Guida by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card

Bill Algeo def. TJ Brown by submission (rear-naked choke), 1:40, Round 2

Brandon Royval def. Matheus Nicolau by KO (knee), 2:09, Round 1

Zak Cummings def. Ed Herman by KO (punches), 4:13, Round 3

Gillian Robertson def. Piera Rodriguez by submission (armbar), 4:21, Round 2

Daniel Zellhuber def. Lando Vannata by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Denise Gomes def. Bruna Brasil by KO (punches), 2:42, Round 2

Gaston Bolaños def. Aaron Phillips by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Joselyne Edwards def. Lucie Pudilova by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)