UFC 224 Results: Amanda Nunes Beats Raquel Pennington in Main Event
Amanda Nunes is a bad, bad woman. The Lioness once again ended her night with the UFC women's bantamweight title around her waist with a fifth-round TKO win over Raquel Pennington in the main event at UFC 224 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.
The Brazilian didn't shy from the spotlight of fighting in her home country. She came out swinging and backed the challenger to the fence with vicious leg kicks that provided relentless pressure.
MMA analyst Ryan McKinnell noted the impact the early leg kick that knocked down Pennington had:
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Nunes was nearly perfect. She not only showcased her dominant striking, but she also took Pennington down later in the bout and did damage while there. Overall, it was the most comprehensive win of her four-fight title reign.
As Michael Carroll of FightMetric noted, the result also moved Nunes past Ronda Rousey for total finishes:
With a potential superfight against Cris Cyborg looming, the Lioness focused her post-bout interview on how difficult it was facing someone she liked, per Bloody Elbow:
Pennington's corner provided the one point of controversy. On the broadcast it was clear Rocky wanted no part of fighting in the fifth round, but her team talked her into going out, and she was TKO'd.
MMA journalist Patrick Wyman questioned the decision:
The Brazilian crowd was treated to plenty of action before the title match. Kelvin Gastelum and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza put on a show in the middleweight division, Mackenzie Dern showcased her potential and John Lineker did violence in the way only he can.
Main card
- Amanda Nunes def. Raquel Pennington via TKO (Rd. 5)
- Kelvin Gastelum def. Jacare Souza via split decision
- Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Cooper via submission (RNC) (Rd. 1, 2:27)
- John Lineker def. Brian Kelleher via third-round KO (3:43)
- Lyoto Machida def. Vitor Belfort via second-round KO (1:00)
Preliminary Card
- Cezar Ferreira def. Karl Roberson via submission (arm-triangle choke) (Rd. 1, 4:45)
- Oleksiy Oliynyk def. Junior Albini via submission (Ezekiel choke) (Rd. 1, 1:45)
- Davi Ramos def. Nick Hein via submission (RNC) (1st, 4:15)
- Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Sean Strickland via first-round KO (3:12)
- Warlley Alves def. Sultan Aliev via second-round TKO (doctor's stoppage, 5:00)
- Jack Hermansson def. Thales Leites via third-round TKO (2:10)
- Ramazan Emeev def. Alberto Mina via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Markus Perez def. James Bochnovic via submission (RNC) (1st, 4:28)
Jacare Souza vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Gastelum and Souza's middleweight bout turned out to be a slugfest.
Judges scored the first round for Souza. Try as Gastelum might to avoid going to the ground, Souza dragged the American to the mat with an attempted leg lock, where he transitioned to mount several times, landed ground-and-pound and even attempted an armbar Gastelum narrowly escaped:
In the second round, cardio appeared to play a role. The 38-year-old Souza struggled to keep up the pace set in the first frame, and Gastelum continued to push things, landing a one-two shot that put Souza on the mat:
Though the Brazilian would eventually make a late-round rally, Gastelum took the second frame.
It was a hard-fought win and one that should earn Gastelum a high-profile fight next. All of his victories have come against aging veterans, so there are still questions. But he should get a title shot soon, and that's exactly what he asked for after the bout:
Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Cooper
There may be work-ethic questions. There may be weight-management questions. But there's no questioning that Mackenzie Dern has an intriguing skill set that could set her up to be a serious contender in the strawweight division.
Dern missed weight by seven pounds Friday but put her skills on display Saturday night.
She's known for her impressive background as a grappler, but it was a massive overhand right that turned this fight on its side. The 25-year-old landed the punch squarely, sending Cooper to the mat and beginning the end.
Dern quickly transitioned to mount on top of Cooper, where she then shifted to a rear-naked choke that ended the bout.
The performance earned her respect from fellow fighter Sarah Kaufman, but it will be a while before people forget the error on the scale:
The win moves Dern to 7-0, but there are questions. If her will to prepare matches her natural talent, she's a star in the making. If not, there are plenty of high-quality strikers who would be willing to give Dern her first loss.
Brian Kelleher vs. John Lineker
In case anyone forgot, John Lineker is capable of all kinds of violence. Brian Kelleher found that out the hard way en route to a third-round KO.
Lineker was at his best from the beginning, landing huge hooks to the body that eventually set up the knockout in the third round when Kelleher was tired of retreating.
Kelleher had his moments. He landed an impressive spinning backfist that seemed to stun Lineker, but it takes much more than one strike to deter Lineker when he's pressuring.
Jordan Breen of Sherdog described the setup to Lineker's knockout:
As Carroll noted, no one in the lower weight classes can boast Lineker's knockdown track record:
After scoring back-to-back wins, Lineker should get a fight against someone with a lot more name recognition.
Vitor Belfort vs. Lyoto Machida
One of the night's highlights was the matchup of legends between Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida. The fight lasted six minutes, and about 10 seconds of it was exciting, but the Brazilian audience got to see a signature Machida knockout and the end of a legend's career.
After a first round that featured little no action, Machida unleashed a front kick that turned out Belfort's lights and ended his UFC run on a low note.
Machida's knockout drew a reaction from the internet. MMA journalist Josh Gross paid his respect to the Dragon for the finish:
The UFC posted a nice tribute to the Phenom:
Whether this truly means Machida has anything left or if Belfort will remain retired is yet to be seen, but this was a special moment for both fighters. When we look back on UFC 224, it will likely be one of the few things remembered.
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