A knockout is not always the loudest moment on a fight card. At UFC 326, the crowd erupted during a Hall of Fame announcement, not because fans disagreed, but because the memories it evoked were impossible to forget. The UFC confirmed that Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk 1 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and almost immediately, people started talking about another fight from the same night.

That was what made the situation both humorous and awkward. Because UFC 248 is remembered not just for the epic fight between Weili and Joanna, but also for the main event between Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero that became one of the biggest duds in UFC history. And fans made sure that, with the legendary co-main event, even the main event was brought back into the spotlight.

Fans bring up Israel Adesanya while praising Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s HoF induction at UFC 326

The Hall of Fame announcement at UFC 326 itself drew nothing but praise. The five-round duel between Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk is still regarded as one of the best fights in history, and not just in women’s MMA. They landed nearly 300 significant strikes, fought through insane damage, and somehow survived till the final horn.

The decision was close, the pace never slowed, and Joanna’s swollen forehead became one of the most famous moments in UFC history. But what should have been a clean celebration quickly devolved into a reminder of one of the most ridiculed title fights of the era, and Israel Adesanya found himself back in the middle of the conversation again.

One comment summed it up perfectly: “Pity the main event of 248 turned out to be such an absolute dud with Izzy and Romero.” Another wrote, “This should have been the main event.”

A user added, “Such a banger before the worst main event.” The Hall of Fame honor served as a reminder that the fight everyone remembers from that night wasn’t the one that closed the show.

However, praise for the fight continued to flow in after the announcement at UFC 326. “Best fight I have ever seen,” one fan remarked. Another said it was overdue for recognition: “Hell yeah! The first women’s war to get flowers in the Hall of Fame.”

Others went even further, saying, “Joanna vs. Weili 1 still hits like a spinning backfist to the soul,” and, “Well f——deserved.” For many, it remains the benchmark for what a title fight should look like. Some fans said it simply. “Legit best women’s MMA fight I’ve ever seen.” Others described it as historic, adding, “All-time levels of nasty.”

That’s why the Hall of Fame announcement at UFC 326 had such an impact. It wasn’t just about celebrating one fight; it brought back an entire night that fans still argue about, where one fight became legendary, and the one after it never stopped getting criticized. In fact, even Israel Adesanya called it his most boring fight ever.

Adesanya admits to UFC 248 being the ‘weirdest’ boring fight in his career so far

That Hall of Fame moment at UFC 326 brought back more than just memories of Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk. It also reminded fans of the main event, which did not proceed as planned, as Israel Adesanya admitted. Looking back on UFC 248, the champion described it as one of the weirdest battles he’d ever experienced.

“One hundred percent, the weirdest fight I’ve ever been a part of,” he told Ariel Helwani. “Even for me, as a fan, [it’s] the most boring fight I’ve ever had, and I don’t have boring fights.

That’s not my style; that’s not my gig. You can just check my resumé and see that I come to fight.”

He claimed that Yoel Romero remained extremely defensive and waited for a counterattack, making him hesitant to open up after sensing Romero’s power early. According to ‘The Last Stylebender,’ once his vision was affected by a hit, he was not going to rush forward only to be knocked out, so the fight turned slow.

That explains why the reaction to the Hall of Fame announcement at UFC 326 felt so mixed. One bout from that night became legendary, while the other became a running joke, which even the champion was aware of. Years later, the women’s strawweight fight is immortalized, whereas Adesanya vs. Romero is regarded as the night when nothing happened—a contrast that fans are unlikely to forget anytime soon.