UFC 224 Results: Matches to Make for the Winners and Losers
UFC 224 put on a show in Rio de Janeiro at the Jeunesse Arena on Saturday evening.
The 13-fight card featured 11 finishes, including six in the first round, and one of the year's best fights.
In the main event, Amanda Nunes retained her bantamweight title by battering and breaking Raquel Pennington for just over four rounds. The fight was stopped in a fifth round that never should have happened, and Nunes maintained her dominance over the division.
The fight of the night was a three-round battle between Kelvin Gastelum and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza. Gastelum got the split-decision nod to stake his claim as one of the division's best. Was it enough for a title shot?
The bill saw so many other fantastic performances. Lyoto Machida had a sensational front-kick knockout, Alexey Oliynyk hit another Ezekiel choke, Davi Ramos shined on the mat and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos landed a spinning-wheel-kick KO.
So, where do we go from here?
It is time to look at all the matches to make following UFC 224's sensational lineup of action. Every winner and loser is looked at for the latest installment. Let's get to work.
Preliminary Fights Quick Hits
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Markus Perez def. James Bochnovic via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:28 of the first round
- James Bochnovic should be cut from the roster.
- Markus Perez vs. Charles Byrd
Ramazan Emeev def. Alberto Mina by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Alberto Mina vs. Emil Meek
- Ramazan Emeev vs. Geoff Neal
Jack Hermansson def. Thales Leites by TKO at 2:10 of the third round
- Thales Leites vs. loser of Eric Spicely vs. Darren Stewart (May 27)
- Jack Hermansson vs. winner of Elias Theodorou vs. Trevor Smith (May 27)
Warlley Alves def. Sultan Aliev by TKO at 5:00 of the second round
- Sultan Aliev vs. Brian Camozzi
- Warlley Alves vs. winner of Ben Saunders vs. Jake Ellenberger (June 1)
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Sean Strickland by KO at 3:12 of the first round
- Sean Strickland vs. loser of Vicente Luque vs. Chad Laprise (May 19)
- Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Alex Oliveira
Davi Ramos def. Nick Hein via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:15 of the first round
- Nick Hein vs. Jason Gonzalez
- Davi Ramos vs. winner of Kajan Johnson vs. Islam Makhachev (July 28)
Alexey Oliynyk def. Junior Albini via submission (Ezekiel choke) at 1:45 of the first round
- Junior Albini vs. Arjan Bhullar
- Alexey Oliynyk vs. Fabricio Werdum
Cezar Ferreira def. Karl Roberson via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:45 of the first round
- Karl Roberson vs. Rob Wilkinson
- Cezar Ferreira vs. Thiago Santos
Lyoto Machida vs. Vitor Belfort
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Lyoto Machida def. Vitor Belfort by KO at 1:00 of the second round
Vitor Belfort fell victim to the front kick again, and Lyoto Machida sent another UFC legend packing with a front kick again.
Belfort called it a career after the KO. We'll take him at his word for now, as at the very least his UFC career is over.
As for Machida, after such a big KO, it is hard to imagine he gets anything other than a top-10 bout. Given how the division is shaking out, that leaves only one realistic choice for his next fight: David Branch.
Branch is coming off a big win of his own against Thiago Santos, but he isn't at the top of the division. Machida called for Michael Bisping's retirement bout. While that makes sense, there are better fights for Bisping to take to close out his career. A Machida vs. Branch bout helps better sort out the top 10.
John Lineker vs. Brian Kelleher
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John Lineker def. Brian Kelleher by KO at 3:43 of the third round
Brian Kelleher and John Lineker threw down for over two rounds. Both men cracked the other with hard shots, but it was Lineker who would finally land the killer blow. After eating shot after shot in the earlier stages, a left hook slipped through and blasted Kelleher on the chin to put him out.
Kelleher is immensely talented, but he still posts a 3-2 UFC mark. To help assist in putting him back on the winning track, the UFC should look at favorable bouts for his return. Pitting Kelleher against the winner of May 19's Guido Cannetti vs. Diego Rivas seems like a good idea for just that.
Lineker is essentially in a holding pattern until the top five of the division finish their upcoming tilts. Specifically, No. 3 Raphael Assuncao vs. No. 12 Rob Font at UFC 226 and No. 4 Jimmie Rivera vs. No. 5 Marlon Moraes at UFC Fight Night 131.
One of those two winners will get the next title shot; the other will get Lineker.
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Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Cooper
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Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Cooper via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:27 of the first round
Mackenzie Dern missed weight by seven pounds. She did not miss cracking Amanda Cooper with an overhand right before finishing her with a choke.
Cooper is not a top-tier fighter, but she is still serviceable in the strawweight division. A future bout against Chan-Mi Jeon would be a nice return fight for the American.
After missing weight by so much, it would be logical that the UFC force Dern to flyweight. She's fought at 125 before and looked good. Also, she has missed weight for three of her six strawweight bouts throughout her career. But Dern is sticking to 115. She plans to work with the UFC Performance Institute to make weight (h/t MMA NYTT's Damon Martin).
She'll likely get that chance. The UFC allowed Lineker to miss weight repeatedly at flyweight as well.
Alexandra Albu would be a great fight for Dern's return. Albu has enough deficiencies in her game to be a favorable fight for Dern but also poses enough skill and strength to be a true test. And on the off chance Albu would win, it's a bonus for the UFC, as she is marketable.
Jacare Souza vs. Kelvin Gastelum
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Kelvin Gastelum def. Jacare Souza by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
In a night filled with exciting finishes, Kelvin Gastelum and Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza put on a showcase of top-tier middleweight action. Gastelum did just enough to squeeze by Jacare, but no one would have argued if the decision went the other way either. It was very close.
Jacare will have to take a step back in the division. There aren't many good fights for him to rebound with, but perhaps UFC 226's Uriah Hall vs. Paulo Costa winner will provide him with that opportunity.
Gastelum has been chirping for a title shot for a while, and this victory should net him the winner of Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero.
Chris Weidman, who beat Gastelum, would be another choice. But without recent activity, he has been surpassed. The title shot is now Gastelum's. Barring injury, it is the only bout at 185 the UFC should book for him.
Amanda Nunes vs. Raquel Pennington
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Amanda Nunes def. Raquel Pennington by TKO at 2:36 of the fifth round
The champion has matured. What may have been an aberration against Valentina Shevchenko was proved to be how things are now. Nunes has developed her patience and is more than willing to pick her opponents apart rather than blitz them right away.
The unfortunate aspect of the fight was Raquel Pennington's corner sending her out for the final round after she told them she was done. Nothing in the previous four rounds showed that Pennington would suddenly find a quick end to the round. She was tired, beaten-up and mentally checked-out. Her corner failed her.
Pennington deserves a rest, but after being out since 2016, she needs to be more active to reclaim her status. May 27's bout between Gina Mazany and Lina Lansberg could provide Pennington's next foe. The winner would get a chance to face a top-five bantamweight and jump into the title picture.
If we are looking at Nunes' next defense, it really is Ketlen Vieira. The title picture is a mess for choosing legitimate contenders since Holly Holm has decided to fight at 145 and others are absent or coming off losses. Still, Vieira is not the fight to make.
The only fight to make for Nunes is a fight against Cris "Cyborg" Justino.
Holm's performance against Justino did show there is a path to victory, even if small. Nunes' domination at bantamweight and all-around abilities show that she is one of the very few threats to Cyborg in MMA. It is the fight to book. So make it.
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