UFC 277 Report: Amanda Nunes defeats Julianna Pena to regain bantamweight championship
On Saturday night, UFC 277 took place from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The card was headlined by a pair of title fights, with Julianna Pena attempting to defend her UFC Bantamweight Championship against Amanda Nunes in the main event. Nunes lost her bantamweight title to Pena in December of 2021, a fight that she was massively favored in going into the bout. Despite the loss, Nunes remains a champion at featherweight, and it was decided that she would get an immediate rematch against Pena based on the dominance of her reign at bantamweight prior to Pena’s upset win. In the co-main event slot, former UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno fought Kai Kara-France to determine the division’s interim champion, with the current champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, sidelined due to injury. Moreno and Kara-France fought previously in December of 2019, an entertaining fight that Moreno won by unanimous decision. Since then, Moreno has established himself as one of the top flyweights in the world, and Kara-France as emerged as a contender himself following victories over Askar Askarov and Cody Garbrandt.
The commentary team for this card consisted of Jon Anik, Joe Rogan, and Daniel Cormier. Performance of the Night bonuses were awarded to Drew Dober and Alexandre Pantoja. Fight of the Night bonuses went out to Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara France. The announced attendance for this event was 19,442, with a total gate of $4,455,691.
QUICK RESULTS:
PRELIMINARY CARD
*Orion Cosce def. Blood Diamond by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
*Nicolae Negumereanu def. Ihor Potieria by TKO at 3:33 of Round 2
*Joselyne Edwards def. Ji Yeon Kim by split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)
*Michael Morales def. Adam Fugitt by TKO at 1:09 of Round 3
*Drakkar Klose def. Rafa Garcia by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
*Hamdy Abdelwahab def. Don’Tale Mayes by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
*Drew Dober def. Rafael Alves by TKO at 1:30 of Round 3
*Alex Morono def. Matthew Semelsberger by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
MAIN CARD
*Magomed Ankalaev def. Anthony Smith by TKO at 3:09 of Round 2
*Alexandre Pantoja def. Alex Perez by rear naked choke at 1:31 of Round 1
*Sergei Pavlovich def. Derrick Lewis by TKO at 0:55 of Round 1
*Brandon Moreno def. Kai Kara-France by TKO at 4:34 of Round 3 to win Interim UFC Flyweight Championship
*Amanda Nunes def. Julianna Pena by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-43) to win the UFC Bantamweight Championship
ORION COSCE (7-1, 172.5) VS BLOOD DIAMOND (3-1, 169.5) – WELTERWEIGHT
Cosce missed weight by 1.5lbs, and was fined 20% of his purse.
Cosce backed Diamond into the cage with a left hand, before changing levels in an attempt to bring Diamond to the ground. Diamonds defence held up well, and he was able to grab underhooks and reverse the positioning. With roughly two-minute remaining in the round, Cosce was able to throw Diamond down to the ground, and he began to work from side control. Diamond escaped to is feet, but was suplexed back to the ground, and he was unable to create separation from Cosce until the final seconds of the round. 10-9 Cosce.
Cosce quickly wrapped Diamond back up against the cage to begin the second round. Diamond defended Cosce’s attempts to bring him to the ground, and he was able to break away from the clinch with half the round remaining. Both fighters appeared to be slightly fatigued, but Diamond was clearly the stronger striker, and he had Cosce hurt from a number of powerful shots to the head and body. After landing a spinning backfist that really rocked Cosce, Diamond engaged Cosce in the clinch, which prompted his corner to start screaming at him to disengage. They remained wrapped up in the clinch until the end of the round however, and Cosce was able to recover. 19-19.
Cosce was able to take Diamond back to the ground roughly ninety seconds into the final round. Cosce took Diamonds back as Diamond attempted to return to his feet, and he started searching for a rear naked choke. Cosce transitioned to top position, where he attempted an arm triangle to no success. Cosce was able to maintain dominant position on the ground until time expired. 29-28 Cosce.
WINNER: Orion Cosce by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
Diamond found success on the feet in the second round, but for the vast majority of this bout, Cosce was able to control Diamond in the clinch against the cage, and ultimately started to dominate the fight on the ground by round three. In his post-fight interview, Cosce apologized for missing weight, stating that this was the first time that he’s missed weight in his career, and vowing to do better in the future. Cosce is now 1-1 in the UFC following this victory.
NICOLAE NEGUMEREANU (12-1, 205) VS IHOR POTIERIA (19-2, 204) – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Negumereanu quickly pressured Potieria into the cage, where he started hunting for a takedown. He was eventually successful, and Negumereanu began to throw down short ground and pound shots. Potieria was able to use the cage to make it back to his feet, but Negumereanu dragged him right back down, before allowing Potieria back to his feet. A strong opening round for Negumereanu.
The fighters traded heavy shots on the feet throughout the opening minute of round two. Negumereanu seemed to be landing the heavier strikes, and Potieria was starting to look a bit tired. Negumereanu’s right hand was continuously finding its target, and things were starting to look dire for Potieria. Negumereanu landed a series of knees to the head that rocked Potieria, and he proceeded to just overwhelm Potieria with brutal right hands and heavy knees against the cage until the fight was stopped.
WINNER: Nicolae Negumereanu by TKO at 3:33 of Round 2
This was an excellent performance from Nicolae Negumereanu. He dominated the first round with his wrestling, and overwhelmed Potieria on the feet in the second round to secure the finish. Negumereanu never let up after hurting Potieria, showcasing an impressive display of aggression and cardio, as he just teed off on Potieria against the cage for an extended period of time, ultimately forcing the referee to step in and stop the fight. Negumereanu is now 4-1 in the UFC, and he has won four consecutive fights.
JOSELYNE EDWARDS (11-4, 137.5) VS JI YEON KIM (9-5-2, 135) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Edwards missed weight by 1.5lbs, and was fined 20% of her purse.
Edwards was active with kicks early, forcing Kim to keep her distance. Kim’s distance was causing troubles for Edwards as well, who was unable to land many strikes of significance aside from her early kicks to the body. There was a brief moment in the final minute of the round where the fighters held their ground and traded shots, but by and large, Kim’s inactivity kept her a step behind Edwards. 10-9 Edwards.
Kim landed a strong right hand roughly a minute into the second round, which was her best moment of the fight to that point. Edwards continued to throw out front kicks constantly, which were doing a good job of keeping Kim at range. As the round progressed, Kim began to find a bit more success on the feet, landing heavy right hands whenever she committed to them. It was still a close round based off of activity, but I gave the slight edge to Kim. 19-19.
Edwards was fighting with a bit more aggression in the second round, however, she seemed to stumble over her ankle, and was forced to slow down as a result. Kim attempted to defend a takedown attempt from Edwards, but Edwards was ultimately successful in taking her to the ground with just over two minutes remaining. Kim quickly escaped to her feet, but ate a hard combination from Edwards as they broke from the clinch. They traded hands to end the round, but both women were able to stay on their feet, and the fight went the distance. 29-28 Edwards.
WINNER: Joselyne Edwards by split decision (29-28, 30-27, 28-29)
Inactivity really hurt Kim throughout this fight, but Edwards deserves credit for Kim’s lack of offensive activity, constantly keeping her at range by throwing out push kicks to the body, utilizing her height and reach advantages to great effect. Edwards did miss weight for this fight, however, she took this fight on short notice, a weight class down from her most recent weight class of featherweight, so I really don’t think the weight miss should be held against her here. Edwards UFC record now stands at 3-2.
MICHAEL MORALES (13-0, 170.5) VS ADAM FUGITT (8-2, 171) – WELTERWEIGHT
Morales landed the first big shot of the fight, a heavy straight right hand. Fugitt changed levels and took Morales to the ground, where he began to work from the guard of his opponent. Fugitt was not terribly active from top position, and Morales was eventually able to escape to his feet. Fugitt connected with a strong left hand, but Morales responded with one of his own before flurrying forward. Both fighters found success on the feet in the final seconds of the round, with each fighter connecting with quick shots throughout a series of wild exchanges.
Morales began the second round with a right hand, which hid a sharp jab behind it. Fugitt landed a pair of right hooks, before he switched up his attack, landing a heavy body shot. The fighters traded right hands, and it was tough to tell who was getting the better of these exchanges. Morales was the busier fighter offensively, and whenever he attacked in combination, he was getting big reactions out of Fugitt. Morales taunted after a big miss from Fugitt to end the round.
Fugitt committed to the takedown in the final round, but Morales’s defense held up, and he knocked Fugitt down with a short right hand on the break. Fugitt attempted to recover, but Morales quickly dropped him with another right hand, and the fight was stopped.
WINNER: Michael Morales by TKO at 1:09 of Round 3
Morales was a massive favorite according to the oddsmakers going into this fight, but Fugitt really held his own and made this an entertaining, competitive bout until the eventual finish. Morales is clearly a talented fighter, however, Fugitt was able to exploit some of his weaknesses to land effective offense of his own, and he found early success on the ground as well. However, in the end, Morales was able to finish the fight, showcasing impressive reaction time to tag Fugitt with that short right hand on the break from their early cinch exchange. Morales is now 2-0 in the UFC.
DRAKKAR KLOSE (12-2-1, 155.5) VS RAFA GARCIA (13-2, 155) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Klose threw a strong kick to the body early, however, Garcia was able to respond with a right hand that knocked Klose off balance. Klose regained his footing and began to march forward, throwing short combinations before engaging Garcia in the clinch. Garcia connected with a left hook that caused Klose’s knees to buckle, but Klose continued to press forward in pursuit of a takedown. Garcia’s takedown defense held up well, but Klose began to climb up onto Garcia’s back as Garcia attempted to turn away from him. Klose dragged Garcia to the ground, however, he was unable to do much with the position before time expired in the round. 10-9 Garcia.
Garcia defended a takedown attempt to begin the second round. As Klose pressed forward, Garcia changed levels and secured a takedown of his own, and he began to work from half guard. Klose was unable to escape the position, but he was able to keep Garcia from advancing his position or doing considerable damage, and the fighters were stood up. Klose flurried forward with a number of right hands in the final minute, but Garcia was able to take him back down before time expired. 19-19.
Garcia was able to take Klose back to the ground about a minute into the final round. Klose quickly escaped, and landed a big hook as he began to flurry forward. There were some wild exchanges on the feet in this round, and Klose was giving Garcia problems as Garcia’s cardio began to betray him. Klose began to dig into the body of Garcia as well, and Garcia started to drop his hands as a result. Still, Garcia was swinging back with heavy hands, and this was a fairly close round. 29-28 Klose.
WINNER: Drakkar Klose by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
These fighters were very evenly matched, but Klose’s pressure slowly ate away at Garcia’s gas tank, and eventually, Klose was able to take control of the fight. Garcia was able to take Klose down a number of times throughout the bout but was unable to do much with his control time, and in the end, this fight was decided by the damage that Klose dished out on the feet. Klose called out Tony Ferguson in his post-fight interview.
DON’TALE MAYES (9-4, 255) VS HAMDY ABDELWAHAB (5-0, 264.5) – HEAVYWEIGHT
Abdelwahab landed a pair of heavy leg kicks in the opening minute. A right hand from Abdelwahab knocked Mayes off balance, and he dropped him properly with a short-left hand not long after. Mayes attempted to pick himself up against the cage, however, Abdelwahab threw him down to the ground, and maintained dominant position for the time being. Abdelwahab was fairly inactive from this position, and the fighters were eventually separated. Mayes landed a heavy right hand before the end of the round. 10-9 Abdelwahab.
Abdelwahab hurt Mayes with another big shot in the opening seconds of round two, but Mayes quickly recovered. A left hand from Mayes hurt Abdelwahab badly, and Mayes immediately went on the attack in an attempt to finish the fight. Abdelwahab managed to survive the exchange, but his left eye was damaged from Mayes big shot. A kick from Abdelwahab landed low, and Mayes was given a short period of time to recover. Both fighters landed some big shots as the fight resumed, before Mayes slipped to the ground, allowing Abdelwahab to take top position for the remainder of the round. 19-19.
Abdelwahab quickly took Mayes down to begin the final round. The crowd booed Abdelwahab heavily as he was not terribly active from top position, however, the fighters were not stood up for several, and Abdelwahab retained top position until the round’s final minute. Both fighters were exhausted, but they traded heavy right hands one final time to end the fight. 29-28 Abdelwahab.
WINNER: Hamdy Abdelwahab by split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)
There were some very entertaining, wild moments in this fight, and there were also periods of time in this fight in which the earth stood still. The commentary team spent a large portion of the final round discussing referee stand-ups, and whether they should exist in the sport, but I don’t think the crowd in attendance had any issues with the referee’s decision to stand these guys up near the end of the final round. Abdelwahab largely looked quite promising throughout this bout, especially when you take into account the fact that he took this fight on twelve days’ notice. I was surprised to see one scorecard in favor of Mayes here, but I suppose one judge must have given him the final round based off of perceived damage from one of his late shots. This fight marked Abdelwahab’s UFC debut.
DREW DOBER (24-11, 1 NC, 155.5) VS RAFAEL ALVES (20-10, 155.5) – LIGHTWEIGHT
Both fighters were throwing big strikes early, clearly looking for a quick finish. Alves changed levels a minute into the round, and successfully brought Dober to the ground, where he began to work from half guard. The crowd chanted “stand them up” but referee Mike Beltran opted to let them work, and Dober was eventually able to escape to his feet without referee assistance. The fighters were swinging wildly back on the feet, and it felt as though it would only be a matter of time before one of these shots landed clean and ended the fight. The round eventually reached its conclusion, however, following a lengthy combination of strikes from Dober as Alves defended himself with his back to the cage.
A superman punch knocked Alves off balance in the opening minute of round two. Dober picked up where he left off in the second round, just constantly attacking Alves against the cage, who was forced to largely go on the defensive. Alves was doing a good job defensively, avoiding the majority of Dober’s biggest shots, however, he was falling far behind in terms of activity offensively, and I thought this was a fairly clear round to score in favor of Dober.
Alves shot for a single leg in the second round, however, Dover was able to remain on his feet. A huge left hook to the body dropped Alves, and the fight was immediately stopped as Alves turtled up.
WINNER: Drew Dober by TKO at 1:30 of Round 3
Drew Dober is always in entertaining fights, and this one was no exception. Dober was constantly on the attack, and Alves largely did a good job of defending Dober’s strikes, often in stylish fashion. In the end, it was a brutal body shot that ended the fight, and with this TKO stoppage, Dober has recorded his seventh knockout stoppage in the UFC lightweight division, tying him for second place all time in the division in terms of knockout victories.
ALEX MORONO (21-7, 1 NC, 171) VS MATTHEW SEMELSBERGER (10-3, 171) – WELTERWEIGHT
Morono connected with a looping right hand over the top early in the bout. A short-left hook from Morono found its target, putting Semelsberger on the retreat momentarily. Semelsberger attacked the lead leg of Morono with kicks, before pressing him against the cage in search of a takedown. Morono was able to stay on his feet, and the fighter’s traded elbows as they broke away from the clinch. Morono landed another looping right hand, and Semelsberger’s left eye was swelling heavily. 10-9 Morono.
Morono worked his jab throughout the opening minute of the second round. Semelsberger was caught by a right hook following a spinning backfist attempt from Morono. Semelsberger was having trouble getting going here, and Morono was really starting to take control of this fight as it progressed. The right hands from Morono continued to pile up, and this was another fairly clear round in his favor, despite a late takedown from Semelsberger. 20-18 Morono.
The doctor was brought in at the beginning of round three to check on the left eye of Semelsberger, and it was determined that he could continue. Semelsberger came out swinging in the final round, and he dropped Morono with a flying knee. He began to work from the guard of Morono, however Morono was able to escape to his feet. Morono seemed to have recovered, and he went back to working his jab as Semelsberger slowed down. They traded heavy right hands with roughly ninety seconds remaining in the round, before they started to wrestle in the clinch, a position they remained in until the fight’s conclusion. 29-28 Morono.
WINNER: Alex Morono by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Morono looked very sharp throughout the first two rounds of this fight. He worked his jab to great effect, and was really giving Semelsberger problems with his looping right hands. Semelsberger came into round three knowing that he was likely in need of a finish, and he almost got it with that early flying knee, but Morono weathered the storm and ultimately got his arm raised. Morono is currently riding a three-fight win streak following this win.
MAGOMED ANKALAEV (16-1, 206) VS ANTHONY SMITH (36-16, 206) – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
The fighters exchanged leg kicks to begin the fight. Both men eventually started throwing their kicks a level higher to the body. Neither fighter was terribly active, and the fans in attendance were voicing their displeasure. With roughly ninety seconds remaining in the round, Ankalaev partially connected with a head kick, before tagging Smith with a heavy low kick. Smith fell to the ground late in the round, and chose not to return to his feet, allowing Ankalaev to land a number of leg kicks before time expired. 10-9 Ankalaev.
Smith told his corner that his ankle was hurt between rounds. They traded leg kicks once more throughout the opening seconds of round two, before Smith opted to shoot for a takedown, to no success. Smith eventually pulled guard, and Ankalaev took top position with half the round remaining. Ankalaev postured up and started throwing down brutal ground and pound shots, and it was not long before the fight was stopped.
WINNER: Magomed Ankalaev by TKO at 3:09 of Round 2
Smith was clearly injured in the first round and did not have much to offer Ankalaev come round two. After the fight, Smith stated that he broke his leg in the first round, which likely would have occurred as a result of a successfully checked leg kick from Ankalaev. There is really no understating the toughness of Anthony Smith, who came out to fight in the second round despite his injury, but this will go down as a largely dominant stoppage victory for Magomed Ankalaev. Since dropping his UFC debut to Paul Craig, Ankalaev has won nine consecutive fights, and has firmly established himself as one of the top contenders at light heavyweight. In his post-fight interview, Ankalaev questioned how many more fights he would have to win before getting a title shot, which is fair question at this point. It would not shock me if he fought for the title in his next bout, but a number one contender’s bout against Jan Błachowicz is also a realistic possibility for Ankalaev’s next fight.
ALEXANDRE PANTOJA (24-5, 125.5) VS ALEX PEREZ (24-6, 125.5) – FLYWEIGHT
These two fighters immediately started trading punches in the pocket like lunatics. Pantoja took Perez’s back on the feet with four and a half minutes to work, and he locked in a body triangle to secure his position. Pantoja went for a rear naked choke, and while Perez defended his neck well, Pantoja just cranked back on the jaw of Perez, and Perez was quickly forced to submit.
WINNER: Alexandre Pantoja by rear naked choke at 1:31 of Round 1
This was the definition of a statement victory. Pantoja came out swinging with absolutely no respect for Perez’s power, took his back in thirty seconds, and submitted him less than a minute later. Pantoja defeated both Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France on the Ultimate Fighter and has since defeated Moreno again in the UFC. I imagine he was not pleased to be left out of the interim flyweight title matchup on this card given that fact, but he was aware that he needed a statement victory to secure a shot at UFC gold against Perez here. He accomplished just that, and in his post-fight interview, Pantoja cut an impassioned promo, making his case for a title shot in his next bout. In all likelihood, the interim champion coming out of this show will fight Deiveson Figueiredo next, but if Figueiredo is out for an extended period of time, it’s entirely possible that Pantoja could challenge for the interim championship in his next bout.
DERRICK LEWIS (26-9, 1 NC, 264.5) VS SERGEI PAVLOVICH (15-1, 254.5) – HEAVYWEIGHT
Lewis opened up with a leg kick. Pavlovich pressured forward and rocked Lewis with a right hand. Pavlovich went on the attack as he attempted to finish the fight, swarming Lewis with strikes against the cage. Lewis went down, and referee Dan Miragliotta immediately jumped in to stop the fight.
WINNER: Sergei Pavlovich by TKO at 0:55 of Round 1
The stoppage was quite controversial here, as Lewis popped right back to his feet as Miragliotta stopped the bout. Personally, I thought it was a bad stoppage, but with that being said, I understand why Miragliotta jumped in. When Pavlovich dropped Lewis, Lewis practically went down face first, and typically, that marks the end of just about any fight. Now, we saw Lewis pop right back to his feet here, however, I think Miragliotta’s decision in the moment was understandable. Regardless, the crowd was infuriated with the quick stoppage, and they booed both Pavlovich and Miragliotta out of the building following the fight’s finish. Despite the controversial stoppage, Pavlovich did nothing wrong here, and deserves praise for dispatching Lewis as easily as he did. Pavlovich has now won four consecutive fights in the UFC, all by knockout, and all in the first round.
BRANDON MORENO (19-6-2, 124.5) VS KAI KARA FRANCE (24-9, 1 NC, 124.5) – INTERIM UFC FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
This was a rematch of a bout from December of 2019, a fight that Moreno won by unanimous decision.
Moreno worked his jab to begin the fight. Kara-France caught Moreno with an accidental low blow, resulting in a momentary pause in the action. Kara-France was waiting to counter, but Moreno was fighting patiently, and he was pulling ahead in terms of general activity. A big left hand from Moreno was the most significant shot of the opening round, knocking Kara-France’s head back. Kara-France connected with a strong right hand late in the round, and proceeded to successfully defend a deep takedown attempt from Moreno.
Moreno ducked under a head kick and pressed Kara-France against the cage in search of a takedown. Kara-France defended the attempt and created separation to escape the clinch exchange. Kara-France seemed to be having a bit of trouble in creating his own offense, but was countering well whenever Moreno got overly aggressive. This was a close round, but I gave the slight edge to Moreno.
Kara-France swept Moreno to the ground early in the third round, and he began to work from the guard of Moreno. Kara-France cut Moreno open, and caught him with some heavy right hands as Moreno escaped to his feet. Kara-France was landing some strong shots on the feet, and while the activity was still there for Moreno, this was a strong start to the round for Kara-France. Moreno caught Kara-France with a clean left uppercut, before tagging Kara-France with a spinning back fist. A strong kick to the body dropped Kara-France, and Kara-France immediately turtled up in agony. Moreno followed Kara-France to the ground, and he threw down ground and pound strikes until the fight was stopped.
WINNER: Brandon Moreno by TKO at 4:34 of Round 3 to win Interim UFC Flyweight Championship
I thought Moreno looked great throughout this fight, although Kara-France was having a fantastic third round prior to the finish. Moreno fought with a different game plan than he did in the first bout, and Kara-France was not finding opportunities to land heavy strikes with the same consistency he did last time, as Moreno really showcased an elite understanding of distance throughout the majority of this fight. That’s not to say it was a flawless performance, but Moreno looked quite impressive, and the fight-ending kick to the body was absolutely brutal. After the fight, Deiveson Figueiredo came into the octagon, and the fighters respectfully agreed to a title unification fight in Brazil. If Figueiredo is healthy, that will definitely be the next title bout at flyweight, and that will certainly be fight that delivers in terms of entertainment value, just as their last three bouts have.
JULIANNA PENA (11-4, 134.5) VS AMANDA NUNES (21-5, 135) – UFC BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
This was a rematch of a bout from December of 2021, a fight that Pena won by submission in the second round.
Nunes attacked the lead leg of Pena with heavy kicks, as the fighters traded punches. Nunes seemed to be landing the heavier punches, but Pena was still finding success with her jab and straight right hands. A counter right hook caught Pena on her way in, dropping her to a knee momentarily. This sequence repeated itself with Nunes landing another counter right hand, and these shots were clearly affecting Pena greatly. Pena defended a takedown towards the end of the round before the fighters traded heavy jabs and straight right hands. 10-9 Nunes.
Nunes dropped Pena hard with another counter right hand early in round two, and Pena looked a bit wobbly as she returned to her feet. Pena began to rush in wildly but was countered by yet another counter right hand that floored her again. Pena’s straight shots continued to give Nunes trouble, however, the momentum of this fight was firmly in favor of Nunes following the two knockdowns. Nunes knocked Pena down for a third time with a straight left hand, but once again, she allowed Pena to return to her feet. 20-17 Nunes.
Nunes began the third round with a spinning elbow. Pena worked her way into the clinch but was unable to keep Nunes there. Pena pressured forward with strikes, however, the counter shots from Nunes were keeping Pena at range. Nunes took Pena down and began to work from her guard with half the round remaining. Pena worked for an armbar off of her back, but she ate some big elbows, and one of Nunes’s shots cut Pena open along her hairline. 30-26 Nunes.
Pena was quickly taken back to the ground to begin round four. Pena was continuously looking for submissions off of her back, and she nearly caught Nunes in an armbar at one point, which was quite the dramatic moment in what had largely been a one-sided fight to that point. Nunes was doing a considerable amount of damage with her ground and pound shots, and Pena was a bloody mess by the time she made it back to her feet. Nunes dropped her right back to the ground, and this was likely another round in her favor. 40-35 Nunes.
Nunes took Pena right back down in the fifth round, however, Pena was able to escape to her feet following a D’Arce choke attempt from Nunes. Nunes wasted little time before dragging her back down, and she moved into half guard with just over two minutes remaining in the fight. A right hand from Nunes hurt Pena, and she took Pena’s back with a minute remaining. Pena escaped the body triangle that Nunes had locked in, and she was able to go the distance. 50-44 Nunes.
WINNER: Amanda Nunes by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-43) to win the UFC Bantamweight Championship
This was a very one-sided fight. Pena showed off a remarkable degree of toughness, and actually had Nunes in a spot of trouble when she attempted an armbar in the fourth round, but by and large, she had very little to offer Nunes in this bout, and Pena took a ton of damage both on the feet and on the ground. Nunes fought quite patiently compared to their previous bout, and was able to drop Pena repeatedly with strong counters. I thought this fight was one-sided enough that there is no need for an immediate trilogy fight between these two fighters, and with Ketlen Vieira fresh off of a pair of wins over big names in Miesha Tate in Holly Holm, I imagine that will be the next title fight at bantamweight. Still, these two fights against Nunes have been huge for Julianna Pena, and she has established herself as one of the bigger names in the woman’s bantamweight division despite ultimately losing her championship back to Nunes here.
