Tag: Germaine de Randamie

UFC 245 medical suspensions: Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, others face potential lengthy layoffs

As you might expect, Colby Covington is going to be out awhile after UFC 245. But Kamaru Usman could be on the shelf as well.

Seven fighters are facing lengthy medical suspensions after a hard-hitting night of action at UFC 245.

Both main event combatants, [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag], face 180-day suspensions for injuries sustained in their back-and-forth main event.

Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) retained his welterweight championship, but not without sacrificing his well-being. “The Nigerian Nightmare” has been suspended 180 days or until X-ray of left thumb is cleared by physician.

Meanwhile, Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has been suspended 180 days or until his nondisplaced midline mandibular fracture is cleared by oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

Additionally, newly crowned UFC featherweight champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] is up for a potential 180 days suspension as well, for a potentially broken hand suffered against Max Holloway in the evening’s co-main event.

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Four other fighters could see 180-day suspensions for various injuries, including bantamweight contender [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag], [autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag], and [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag].

MMA Junkie acquired the full list of medical suspensions from the Nevada Athletic Commission, which you can read below:

  • [autotag]Puna Soriano[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days or until eye injury is cleared by physician; no contact for 21 days due to cut on left cheek
  • [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray/MRI of right hand and x-ray of right foot and left tibia/fibia are cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: No suspension
  • [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to cut on left eyebrow
  • [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Ian Henisch[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: No Suspension
  • [autotag]Ketlen Viera[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • Geoff Neal: Suspended for 180 days or until x-ray of left ribs is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Mike Perry: Suspended 180 days or until nasal x-ray is cleared by physician; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • Petr Yan: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right foot is cleared by an orthopedic physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days with no contact for 21 days due to cut on left eyelid
  • [autotag]Jose Aldo/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Alexander Volkanovski: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of right hand is cleared by orthopedic physician; also suspended 45 days with no contact for 30 days
  • [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to leg pain
  • Kamaru Usman: Suspended 180 days or until x-ray of left thumb is cleared by physician; also suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days
  • Colby Covington: Suspended 180 days or until nondisplaced midline mandibular fracture is cleared by oral and maxillofacial surgeon; also suspended 60 days with no contact for 45 days

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MMA Junkie Radio #3010: Reaction to Usman-Covington, Volkanovski’s win, more UFC 245

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” react to the year-end UFC 245 card, where three title fights took place in Las Vegas.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,010 of the podcast, the guys look back at all things UFC 245 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

THE RUNDOWN:

  • [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] finally settled their grudge, with Usman retaining his welterweight title after scoring a fifth-round TKO victory that Covington didn’t agree with the stoppage. It was a grueling fight, which resulted in Covington suffering a fractured jaw. Are we satisfied with how things played out, and what makes sense for both fighters moving forward?
  • [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] took it to [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] and came away with a unanimous decision victory to claim the featherweight title. The good news for Holloway: UFC president Dana White already has expressed interest in booking an immediate rematch. Should that happen?
  • UFC dual champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] retained her women’s bantamweight title with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]. And with that result, Nunes has just about cleared her division. What needs to happen next?
  • [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] spoiled [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s bantamweight debut by earning a close split decision win. But get this: champ [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] has called out Aldo coming off a loss. What? How does that make any sense?
  • [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]’s comeback hit a bump, as the UFC Hall of Famer lost by knockout to top contender [autotag]Petr Ya[/autotag]n, who looks legit as can be. As for Faber, does the 40-year-old legend need to call it a career? Or could this loss set the table for a future fight between Faber and T.J. Dillashaw?
  • We all love [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] because he’s as tough as they come. Where does he go from here after losing in 90 seconds to Geoff Neal?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Covington, Holloway, other UFC 245 losing fighters?

See who Colby Covington, Max Holloway and Germaine de Randamie should fight next after their title-fight losses at UFC 245.

After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters will be matched up with next.

With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 245’s most notable fighters.

Those fighters include [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who felt short of the welterweight title in a fifth-round TKO loss to Kamaru Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) in the main event, [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC), who dropped his featherweight belt in the co-main event, as well as [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC), [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) and [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC).

* * * *

Urijah Faber

Should fight: [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]

Rob Font

Why they should fight: Faber wanted to see where he belonged in the UFC bantamweight division, and in the roughest of ways, he found out in a brutal third-round knockout loss to Petr Yan.

The UFC Hall of Famer, who came out of retirement in June, said he wanted the biggest test available. That’s because if he passed, a title shot would be on the horizon. Yan showed Faber those aspirations might be too lofty, though, and now the 40-year-old has a decision to make.

Faber got a sweet new contract ahead of the booking against Yan, and now that he’s finally making the money he wants to fight, it’s hard to walk away. That’s why another retirement feels unlikely right now.

If Faber continues to fight, he will do what he always does: Take a top name at 135 pounds. It shouldn’t be someone quite on Yan’s level, but a name like Font (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC), who is coming off a “Fight of the Night” win over Ricky Simon at UFC on ESPN 7 this month, would be a good fit for “The California Kid” if he insists on continuing to compete.

Jose Aldo

Should fight: [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]

Pedro Munhoz

Why they should fight: Although the decision was debatable, Aldo’s bantamweight debut will go down as a loss after his narrow split decision defeat to Marlon Moraes.

There was plenty of criticism about Aldo’s drop to 135 pounds, including from yours truly, but he did not look out of place once inside the octagon. The weight cut didn’t look good from an outside perspective, but Aldo says differently, so we’ll have to take his word for it.

Getting to that weight took sacrifice, though, and if Aldo wants to put himself through that again, there’s a lot of fresh and interesting matchups for him at 135 pounds. With all the potential contenders at bantamweight and flyweight, it’s laughable UFC president Dana White is considering Aldo for a matchup with dual-champ Henry Cejudo. And we’re going to proceed as if that illogical idea doesn’t materialize.

Aldo could very much belong in the title discussion, he just needs a single win. Fighting someone like Munhoz (18-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), who may not be the biggest name but is very good and has a style that matches up well with Aldo, could be his opportunity to put on a statement performance.

Germaine de Randamie

Should fight: A top 10 bantamweight

Germaine de Randamie

Why they should fight: Much like the first fight against Amanda Nunes, the ground game of de Randamie was simply no match and ultimately was her downfall in a unanimous decision loss to the women’s bantamweight champion.

This title shot, quite honestly, felt like a gift opportunity to de Randamie. No one would’ve expected to fight for a UFC title again after she was stripped of the women’s featherweight strap in 2017. She got the chance because there was no more obvious contender, but could not overcome the dominant force that’s Nunes.

At this point it really doesn’t feel like de Randamie will fight for a title again, and at 35, she will have some decisions to make. There’s a good chance we don’t see de Randamie back anytime soon, as she’s been known for long layoffs. However, she likely has a couple more in her, and whatever the division looks like when she gets back, it’s sure “The Iron Lady” will get someone in the top 10 rankings.

Max Holloway

Should fight: [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]

Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski

Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Holloway should rematch Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) next after his title victory.

Colby Covington

Should fight: [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag]

Tyron Woodley

Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Covington should fight Woodley (19-4-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) next.

UFC 245 post-event facts: Max Holloway makes history, even in defeat

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 245, which saw Kamaru Usman beat Colby Covington in the main event.

The UFC’s final numbered event of the year took place Saturday at UFC 245 went down at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Three championship bouts were featured on the card, but it was Kamaru Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) who closed the show in dramatic fashion when he stopped Colby Covington (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) by fifth-round TKO to defend his welterweight title for the first time in the main event.

It was a memorable finish to close a memorable card, and for more on the numbers, check below for 60 post-event facts to come out of UFC 245.

* * * *

General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $369,500.

Usman, Covington, [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] and [autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 245 fight-night bonuses.

Debuting fighters went 2-0 on the card.

UFC 245 drew an announced attendance of 16,811 for a live gate of $4,041,119.14.

Betting favorites went 8-5 on the card.

Betting favorites improved to 22-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 2:49:00.

Main card

Usman extended his winning streak to 15 fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman became the fourth fighter in UFC history to start 11-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 11 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak is the third longest active streak in the company behind Nurmagomedov (12) and Tony Ferguson (12).

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second longest in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (12).

Covington suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) became the fourth undisputed featherweight champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski became the first Australian-born champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied with Arnold Allen and Zabit Magomedsharipov for the longest active streak in the division.

Volkanovski extended his winning streak to 18 consecutive fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski has earned five of his eight UFC victories by decision.

Volkanovski has outlanded his eight UFC opponents by a 650-301 margin in total strikes.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) has suffered four of his five career losses by decision.

Holloway landed 100+ significant strikes for the 10th time in UFC competition, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than seven such performances.

Holloway became the third fighter in UFC history to complete 22 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]’ (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC) five consecutive UFC title defenses are most among current champions.

Nunes’ seven victories in women’s UFC title fights are most in company history.

Nunes’ 12 victories in UFC competition are most for any female in company history.

Nunes’ 11 victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Nunes’ 10-fight UFC winning streak in women’s competition is the longest in company history.

Nunes’ nine-fight UFC winning streak at women’s bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

[autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) fell to 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in September 2017.

De Randamie suffered her first decision loss since June 24, 2011 – a span of 3,115 days and nine fights.

[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) improved to 18-2 in his past 20 fights dating back to December 2011.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) was unsuccessful in his bantamweight debut.

Aldo fell to 3-5 in his past eight fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Yan’s (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) six-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Yan has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

[autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC) suffered just the fourth knockout loss of his career.

Preliminary card

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]’s (13-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Usman (11), Leon Edwards (eight) and Santiago Ponzinibbio (seven).

Neal has earned 10 of his 12 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his five UFC wins.

Neal became the first welterweight since Usman to start 5-0 in the UFC.

[autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) fell to 2-5 in his past seven fights dating back to December 2017.

Perry suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

Aldana’s (12-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) five victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Nunes (11), Raquel Pennington (eight) and Ronda Rousey (six).

[autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) had her 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag] (19-4-1 MMA, 8-3-1 UFC) improved to 3-0-1 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in December 2017. He’s 4-0-1 in the weight class overall under the UFC banner.

Akhmedov’s five-fight UFC unbeaten streak at middleweight is tied with Paulo Costa for the second longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (seven).

[autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May.

Heinisch has suffered both of his UFC losses by decision.

[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]’s (22-16 MMA, 15-10 UFC) 15 victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (19) and Matt Hughes (16).

Brown has earned 20 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes 13 of his 15 wins under the UFC banner.

Brown’s 13 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied for second most in company history behind Vitor Belfort (12).

Brown’s 11 knockout victories in welterweight competition are the most in divisional history.

[autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag] (22-13-2 MMA, 8-10 UFC) fell to 5-7 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in August 2014; it includes one win in an outside promotion.

Saunders’ four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.

Saunders is 1-6 in his past seven UFC appearances dating back to May 2017.

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag] (7-0-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned five of his seven career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag] (7-4 MMA, 1-4 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to December 2016.

Teymur suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (16-5-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC) improved to 1-0-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September.

Moreno snapped his three-fight winless skid in UFC competition for his first octagon victory since April 2017.

[autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag] (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of her career.

[autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag] (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has earned six of his seven career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has suffered three consecutive losses after starting his career on a 12-fight unbeaten streak.

Piechota suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

UFC 245 matchmaker: The defeated

MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for UFC’s 245’s defeated in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”

MMA junkie’s Mike Bohn plays matchmaker and looks ahead to what makes sense for UFC’s 245’s defeated in this edition of “Sean Shelby’s Shoes.”

UFC 245 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Second highest event payout in program history

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 245 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $369,500.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 245 event took home event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $369,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 245 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

The full UFC 245 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]: $30,000
def. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]: $40,000

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]: $40,000
def. [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]: $30,000

[autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Geoff Neal[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag]: $10,000

[autotag]Irene Aldana[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Omari Akhmedov[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Matt Brown[/autotag]: $20,000
def. [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Chase Hooper[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Daniel Teymur[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Kai Kara-France[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jessica Eye[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Viviane Araujo[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Oskar Piechota[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2019 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $7,249,500
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $30,883,500

Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC 245 with Billie Eilish and a ‘Game of Thrones’ appearance

Check out the complete list of fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC 245 event.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC 245 went with as their backing tracks in Las Vegas.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13, Page 14

UFC 245 results: Amanda Nunes earns decision over game Germaine de Randamie

Amanda Nunes is still bantamweight champion, but her UFC 245 title defense wasn’t easy.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] is still UFC bantamweight champion, but her fifth title defense wasn’t easy.

It took all five rounds at UFC 245, but Nunes (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC), who also holds the featherweight title, earned a unanimous decision nod over challenger [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag]. The judges’ scores at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas 49-44, 49-46, and 49-45.

The first round was rough for de Randamie (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC). After a few exchanges on the feet, Nunes landed in an advantageous position on the ground. Standing over de Randamie, Nunes rained down dozens of strikes. Somehow, de Randamie did just enough to avoid a referee stoppage.

In the second, de Randamie’s toughness wasn’t solely displayed through her defense, but her offense, too. The former featherweight champion landed big shots on the champion, including a head kick, a jumping knee, and strikes from the clinch. Smartly, Nunes dragged the fight to the ground, where she controlled for its remainder.

Nunes went directly to her grappling-centric gameplan in rounds three through five. She dragged the fight to the ground in each round, where she controlled the majority of the final 15 minutes.

De Randamie’s offense in the final three rounds was largely limited to a hard upkick she landed in Round 3 and a triangle attempt in Round 4. The final round was all Nunes.

After the fight, Nunes took to the microphone to give her condolences to her friend and American Top Team teammate Walt Harris, who stepdaughter, Aniah Blanchard, was recently murdered in a case which drew national attention.

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Nunes’ victory is her 10th straight and her fifth successful UFC bantamweight title defense. It was her second win over her foe: At UFC Fight Night 31 in November 2013, Nunes defeated de Randamie via elbow strikes at 3:56 of Round 1.

With the loss, de Randamie’s five-fight win streak was snapped. Half of her four pro losses have been to de Randamie.

The bantamweight title bout was part of the main card at T-Mobile Arena. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 245 results include:

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Twitter reacts to Amanda Nunes’ title defense against Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245

See the top Twitter reactions to Amanda Nunes’ title defense against Germaine de Randamie at UFC 245.

[autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] once again showed why she’s the female GOAT on Saturday when he picked up another title defense, this time against [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] at UFC 245.

Nunes (19-4 MMA, 12-1 UFC), the UFC’s dual-division champion, defended her women’s bantamweight belt with a unanimous decision victory in her rematch with de Randamie (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC), which served as the featured bout on the pay-per-view card from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Nunes’ title defense against de Randamie at UFC 245.

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http://twitter.com/tatianaufc/status/1206076705128845312

‘UFC 245 Embedded,’ No. 6: ‘You’re going to the hospital tomorrow night’

One last behind-the-scenes look at the stars of UFC 245.

The UFC’s 12th and final pay-per-view of the year takes place Saturday with UFC 245, and the promotion’s popular “Embedded” series returns to get you ready.

UFC 245 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

In the main event, UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] attempts to defend his belt against [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] in a long-awaited grudge match. And in the co-main event, UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] puts his belt on the line against [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]. Also on the card, UFC women’s bantamweight champ [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] meets challenger [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag].

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The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the big-name stars at the top of the card. Here’s the UFC’s description:

On Episode 6 of UFC 245 Embedded, featherweight contender Alexander Volkanovski trains at the UFC Performance Institute accompanied by middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Everyone on Friday morning makes weight at the UFC 245: Official weigh-ins. Afterwards featherweight champion Max Holloway retreats to his room to eat a meal, and get “cupcake wasted.” Then it’s a final flex-and-faceoff for the crowd at the ceremonial weigh-ins. UFC 245 Embedded is an all-access, behind-the-scenes video blog leading up to the three title fights taking place Saturday December 14. Order the Pay-Per-View at ESPNPlus.com/PPV

Also see:

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