UFC 208 Results: The Real Winners and Losers from Holm vs de Randamie Fight Card
If you thought the only weird thing about UFC 208 was that the promotion planned a big event for Brooklyn, New York, in the dead of winter, you have only begun to scratch the surface of this card's weirdness.
When Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie met in Saturday's main event, it was for the inaugural UFC women's featherweight title. That's a brain teaser, because the best fighter in women's MMA and maybe any other MMA—Cris "Cyborg" Justino—makes her home at this weight class.
But she wasn't involved in this, thanks in part to her drug-test troubles, though this booking predates that. Holm and de Randamie are both excellent, likable competitors, but Justino hangs over the division like an unfinished thought balloon.
At the same time she was competing for this title, Holm was attempting to avoid being labeled the Buster Douglas of MMA. Harsh, perhaps, but true. If she didn't want to go down in history as the fighter who de-pedestaled Ronda Rousey but didn't do much else, she had to beat de Randamie.
And then there was Anderson Silva. Descending like an ace hostage negotiator, Silva was enlisted to enliven a lackluster pay-per-view event. At 41 years old, this may be the Spider's last credible chance to do that, as he took on wrestle-boxer Derek Brunson in the co-main event.
So the main and co-main had their share of strangeness, and that was only the beginning. UFC 208 was undoubtedly an odd duck—up and down the 11-fight slate and even a little beyond.
At the Barclay's Center, maybe even more than normal, the final stat lines didn't reveal everything. These are the real winners and losers from UFC 208.
Full results appear at the end.
Losers: Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie
1 of 7
In a fight where the most significant strikes were illegal, Germaine de Randamie defeated Holly Holm to become the inaugural UFC women's featherweight champion. The Dutchwoman won by decision, 48-47, 48-47 and 48-47.
One beat after the horn sounded to end the second round, de Randamie connected with a heavy right hand that rocked Holm. It was probably the cleanest shot either fighter landed over the five rounds. Referee Todd Anderson warned de Randamie for the clear late blow but did not penalize her.
At the end of the third, it happened again. This time, de Randamie landed multiple punches after the horn, at the end of a combination. On replay, it appeared that de Randamie again had plenty of time to pull up. Again, Anderson issued a warning but no penalty.
It's likely that storyline will overshadow the actual contest, which de Randamie controlled for significant stretches thanks to a wicked counter right hand. Holm moved in early behind quick punch flurries, but de Randamie was ready. Holm switched approaches and then worked from the clinch, landing a large volume in all phases.
As the final scores indicate, it was a close fight. So it casts a pretty long shadow when one has to wonder about the role of those clear infractions. What needed to happen for Anderson to take a point? Does it need to happen after a majority of the rounds? Because if that's the case, taking a point doesn't mean much, does it?
Broadcaster Joe Rogan asked de Randamie about the illegal shots after the fight.
"I was in the heat of the moment, and I apologized to her," de Randamie said.
Unintentional fouls are still fouls, though. If Anderson had taken a point, we may have seen a draw—or even a Holm win, had he taken two, you know, for the two infractions.
Instead of celebrating a new champion after a good fight, we're left with an outcome marred by uncertainty. It's an all-too-familiar feeling for MMA fans.
Winner: Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza
2 of 7
It's time for a title shot for Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza.
The alligator rose up from the swamp and dragged Tim Boetsch down below the scum, engulfing him with a first-round kimura.
Boetsch survived and even thrived for a while, keeping Souza at bay with active punching and defending an early takedown attempt.
The tide turned when Souza caught a kick and forced Boetsch to the mat. Boetsch pulled guard, but Souza passed with ease, quickly achieving full mount. From there he grabbed for Boetsch, found an arm, cranked at an awful angle and compelled the submission.
Afterward, Souza rightly called for a shot at the winner between Yoel Romero and current middleweight champ Michael Bisping, who will fight for the title later in 2017.
"My plan was to come out strong and finish him early," Souza said in a statement the UFC sent to MMA reporters after the fight. "I am the best in the world, and I wanted to make a statement. Of course, I am the most deserving of the title shot in my opinion, but I will wait now. I have nothing left to say about Romero or Bisping other than I will be waiting for the winner and I will be champion."
If I were them, I might want to keep running.
Loser: Anderson Silva
3 of 7
Did I say there was controversy at UFC 208? Oh, there was controversy.
Hey, we all love Anderson Silva. I love Silva. You love Silva. Silva might be the greatest champion of all time.
But come on. He didn't win that fight.
I mean, he did win it. The judges gave him a score of 29-28, 29-28 and an astonishing 30-27 for three reasonably entertaining rounds of what amounted to a few counters and stalling from guard for extended periods.
True, Derek Brunson was tentative, keenly aware of Silva's counterpunching ability and his own recent struggles with same (see his running into a shot from Robert Whittaker in his last engagement).
So, for all its nostalgic value—Silva did uncork some capoeira at one point—it wasn't exactly a high-output affair for either man. Ultimately, though, it looked like Brunson did enough to win.
The judges didn't see it that way. And although it was a close fight, there wasn't close enough to justify their view.
Winner: Dustin Poirier
4 of 7
Dustin Poirier is as dangerous a fighter as they come in the lightweight division. He showed it again with a majority-decision win in an outstanding bout with stalwart Jim Miller that earned both men $50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.
Poirier built a sizable lead early with heavy combinations against the fence and stout takedown defense against a strong wrestler. Miller, as is his wont, fought back and made it a brawl, providing an exciting pay-per-view opener for a card that frankly needed it.
Miller's big moment came as the final round started, when he attacked Poirier's leg with heavy kicks. For all his toughness, Poirier began to limp immediately as the limb filled with blood.
Poirier was able to hang on for the decision—head-scratching 28-28 scorecard from one judge and everything—on one good leg. In the process, he won his fifth bout in six contests and likely moved farther up the rankings. A win over Miller is always a great feather in any lightweight's cap.
Loser: Whatever Ian McCall Does Before Fights
5 of 7
It's beyond bad luck at this point.
Four consecutive fights, four consecutive fight cancellations for Uncle Creepy. At UFC 208, he was set to face Jarred Brooks. He was almost there. He weighed in and everything.
Then, Saturday afternoon, the other shoe fell. Gastrointestinal issues were to blame. But were they really?
This is the same guy who fought Demetrious Johnson to a draw back in 2012. He was considered an important part of the future of the UFC's then-fledgling flyweight division.
In all seriousness, there's no way to know for sure what was behind this, although drastic weight-cutting, particularly at lower weight classes like the flyweight division, is always a looming specter. Even so, not every scuttling was McCall's fault. Two cancellations from 2016, one against Ray Borg and the other against Justin Scoggins, had nothing to do with McCall.
But if you hadn't fought in more than two years and so many of your efforts seemed star-crossed, wouldn't you go out of your way to leave nothing to chance? Here's hoping McCall gets out from under this ladder, and soon. His once-promising career is stalling out.
Winner: Leg Kicks
6 of 7
It wasn't just Jim Miller who brought the leg kick fury to UFC 208.
In the preliminary headliner, prospect Randy Brown was a slight favorite over the much shorter, much less ballyhooed Belal Muhammad. But Muhammad was the far more solid fighter Saturday, derailing Brown's hype train with a unanimous-decision victory.
The key to Muhammad's success was the leg kick, which he repeatedly slammed home for point after point. It wasn't glamorous, but hey, Brown made no move to stop it.
What's more, Brown, for all of his athletic gifts, didn't seem to attack (or defend) with any discernible focus or coherence. A lot of sound and fury, ultimately not signifying a whole heck of a lot. He's still young, so he has plenty of time to marshal his talents, but now's probably the time to get that going.
UFC 208 Full Card Results
7 of 7
Main Card
Germaine de Randamie def. Holly Holm by unanimous decision (for inaugural UFC women's featherweight title)
Anderson Silva def. Derek Brunson by unanimous decision
Ronaldo Souza def. Tim Boetsch by submission (kimura), 3:41, Rd. 1
Glover Teixeira def. Jared Cannonier by unanimous decision
Dustin Poirier def. Jim Miller by majority decision
Preliminary Card
Belal Muhammad def. Randy Brown by unanimous decision
Wilson Reis def. Ulka Sasaki by unanimous decision
Islam Makhachev def. Nik Lentz by unanimous decision
Rick Glenn def. Phillipe Nover by split decision
Ryan LaFlare def. Roan Carneiro by unanimous decision
Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter.
.jpeg?w=600 "Updated Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket")
.jpg?w=600 "Could Leafs Trade for McDavid in 2027? 🤔")
