UFC 260 Prelims: Alonzo Menifield and Marc-Andre Barriault Steal the Show

In an evening where so much took place, it"s important not to forget the show-stealing performances of Menifield and Barriault on the prelims. With their backs against the wall, both men answered the bell by securing finishes. Performance bonuses likely would have been awarded if not for the excitement that took place on the main card.

UFC 260 Prelims: Show Stealers

Alonzo Menifield

“Atomic" Menifield joined a very special club by locking up the ever-so rare Von Flue Choke in the opening round versus Fabio Cherant. The 33-year-old light heavyweight is now one of just four UFC fighters to win in such a manner.

Originally, Menifield was scheduled to face William Knight on the UFC 260 prelims. COVID-19 protocols forced a late opponent change, and the Fortis MMA product took advantage of fighting the debutant Cherant.

Back-to-back losses heading into the contest had Menifield in a must-win spot. Ironically, he entered the bout coming off a loss to Ovince St. Preux via Von Flue (Preux) Choke – then goes out and wins via that same choke. Kudos to Menifield, who"s now a win away from knocking on the door of the division"s top-15.

Marc-Andre Barriault

These two middleweights kicked off the UFC 260 prelims with a bang, but Barriault prevailed in spectacular fashion. “Powerbar" may have been fighting for his job after beginning his UFC career 0-3 with 1 no contest. His tenacious will to win was on full display against Abu Azaitar, and the end result was a TKO with just four seconds remaining in the fight.

All three judges had the fight scored 19-19 heading into the third and final round. It"s exactly that point when the 31-year-old middleweight began taking over. Undoubtedly, this was the best fight on the UFC 260 prelims and it honestly could have won Fight of the Night.

Despite not winning a bonus, surely Barriault will be content having secured his first UFC victory. Joaquin Buckley or Deron Winn would be a prime opponent for the Canadian in his next outing.

What did you think of the performances from Alonzo Menifield and Marc-Andre Barriault on the UFC 260 prelims? Drop your thoughts in the comment section below!

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @RyanTruland for all my latest work. Also, follow our social media at @OTHeroicsMMA to stay up to date with our content! Please visit our web page for everything that"s happening in the MMA world!

Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images