UFC: Nunes beats Pena to regain women’s bantamweight belt

DALLAS –

Amanda Nunes gained a unanimous five-round resolution over Julianna Pena in the principle occasion of UFC 277 on Saturday night time to regain the ladies’s bantamweight championship that she misplaced final December.

Nunes (22-5), nicknamed “The Lioness,” additionally holds the featherweight belt. The judges’ scoring was 50-45, 50-44 and 50-43.

“Double champ once more, child!” Nunes yelled to the group after the struggle. “That is the perfect day ever.”

Pena beat Nunes final December at Las Vegas to assert the title in one of many largest upsets in UFC historical past.

Saturday’s struggle was the primary title defence for Pena (12-5) within the 135-pound division.

Brandon Moreno gained the co-main occasion with a third-round TKO over Kai Kara-France in a scheduled five-round bout to take possession of the interim males’s flyweight championship belt.

Nunes dropped Pena 3 times within the second spherical, twice on proper hooks after which with a left to the brow.

Nunes took down Pena halfway via the third spherical and stored her on the mat, punching to the pinnacle to open cuts alongside Pena’s hairline that left blood splattered on the mat.

Nunes had Pena on her again once more for a lot of the fourth and fifth rounds. Pena’s face was streaked with blood that stained a lot of the mat.

“I may have completed her, however I needed to go 5 rounds along with her tonight to show I used to be higher than her,” stated Nunes, her proper eye swollen practically shut, utilizing crutches to achieve the interview session. “I may have gone six, seven rounds.”

Nunes got here out and added a left-handed stance to her regular right-handed stance. She believes that confused Pena.

UFC president Dana White stated Pena was taken from the sector after the struggle to see a plastic surgeon about harm to her brow.

“Julianna’s robust as nails,” White stated. “Her will to win is second to none.”

Nunes owned the bantamweight belt for greater than 5 years earlier than the December defeat, which snapped a 12-match successful streak that included 9 consecutive title fights.

Referee Herb Dean stopped the struggle between Moreno and Kara-France at 4:34 after Moreno, sporting a deep lower underneath his proper eye with blood streaming down his face and onto his chest, landed a liver kick that dropped Kara-France. Moreno then completed him off.

Moreno (20-6-2), from Tijuana, Mexico, got here in because the division’s top-ranked contender and Kara-France (24-10), from New Zealand, was second. Moreno was backed by a crowd that chanted “Mo-re-no!” and “Me-xi-co!” at instances throughout the match.

Deiveson Figueiredo regained the flyweight belt from Moreno final January with a unanimous resolution in a trilogy struggle within the 125-pound division. However Figueiredo sustained a hand harm a number of months in the past and couldn’t make a title defence, leading to UFC creating an interim title struggle.

After Saturday’s bout, Figueiredo entered the octagon carrying his championship belt and met with Moreno. Figueiredo stated he’d wish to host Moreno in his native Brazil for the undisputed title.

“I do not care (the place),” Moreno stated. “Let’s go.”

Moreno stated he would have instructed Figueiredo he did not respect his coming into the cage however did not need to set a foul instance for his 8-year-old daughter.

Sergei Pavlovich was awarded a TKO in 55 seconds right into a scheduled three-round heavyweight bout towards Derrick Lewis, the oldest fighter on the cardboard at 37 years outdated and a fan favorite from Houston. Pavlovich landed a collection of punches to Lewis’ head and higher physique. Lewis lastly went down however jumped proper again up as referee Dan Miragliotta stopped it, as Lewis and the group each expressed their displeasure with the ruling.

White stated the struggle should not have been stopped.

“Miragliotta made a mistake,” White stated. “It occurs.”

Pavlovich (16-1) went in ranked eleventh whereas Lewis (26-10) was fifth.

Alexandre Pantoja rapidly completed off Alex Perez on a faucet out only one:31 into their scheduled three-round males’s flyweight matchup. Pantoja (25-5), ranked No. 4, received atop Perez (24-7), No. 6, alongside the fence and locked his arms throughout Perez’s jaw to drive the submission.

Magomed Ankalaev scored a TKO at 3:09 of the second of three rounds over Anthony Smith in a males’s mild heavyweight bout. Ankalaev (18-1), ranked No. 4, took down Smith (36-17), No. 5, within the first spherical after which pummeled him alongside the bottom of the fence early within the second spherical when referee Jacob Montalvo stopped the struggle. Smith injured his left leg and was helped from the cage, however White stated there was no fracture.