UFC 222 on pay-per-view (PPV) has come to a close and last night’s (Sat. March 3, 2018) event showcased some amazing mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. On the FS1 preliminary card young lightweight Alexander Hernandez picked up a shocking win over Beneil Dariush with a vicious first round knockout in just 48 seconds. The UFC […]
UFC 222 on pay-per-view (PPV) has come to a close and last night’s (Sat. March 3, 2018) event showcased some amazing mixed martial arts (MMA) competition.
On the FS1 preliminary card young lightweight Alexander Hernandez picked up a shocking win over Beneil Dariush with a vicious first round knockout in just 48 seconds. The UFC newcomer made an emphatic statement in his promotional debut, and was awarded a Performance Of The Night bonus for his finishing of a top-ranked 155-pound contender. He’ll take home a bonus of $50,000 for his efforts.
On the main card bantamweights Sean O’Malley and Andre Soukhamthath put on a great back-and-forth contest in which O’Malley was able to showcase some top-notch striking. Soukhamthath badly injured O’Malley’s leg late in the third round and ground-and-pounded him until the final buzzer.
In the end, however, O’Malley had done enough to get the win on the judges’ scorecards with an injured leg. The two men were awarded Fight Of The Night honors and an extra $50k to take home as well.
Finally, the co-main event of the evening saw jiu-jitsu specialist Brian Ortega become the first man in mixed martial arts (MMA) history to stop Frankie Edgar inside the cage. Ortega, despite having some slick skills on the ground, finished “The Answer” on the feet with a beautiful combination. He will now challenge Max Holloway for the 145-pound crown next. Ortega was awarded a Performance Of The Night Bonus as well, which means an extra $50,000 to take home.
UFC 222 ended in very familiar fashion—with Cris “Cyborg” Justino standing over another opponent victorious. Cyborg put away Yana Kunitskaya with a first-round TKO.
For a moment it looked like Kunitskaya had a glimmer of hope to pull off on…
UFC 222 ended in very familiar fashion—with Cris “Cyborg” Justino standing over another opponent victorious. Cyborg put away Yana Kunitskaya with a first-round TKO.
For a moment it looked like Kunitskaya had a glimmer of hope to pull off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. After Cyborg came out with a massive right hand, the Russian got Cyborg to the ground, took her bag and attempted a rear-naked choke.
When that didn’t work, she was headed toward an ending so many have seen against the UFC women’s featherweight titleholder.
The UFC passed along the end of the main event:
At this point, a victory like this for Cyborg is just another one in the win column; though she did take this fight at the last minute, making a quick turnaround from her win over Holly Holm to close out 2017.
She talked about taking the bout on short notice before calling out Amanda Nunes:
Outside of the Cyborg slaughter, plenty of intriguing fighters put in great performances. Brian Ortega made a huge statement, Sean O’Malley showcased some fun skills and a few other prospects put their names on the radar.
Here’s a look at the complete card results and a closer look at the main card:
Main card
Cris Cyborg def. Yana Kunitskaya via first-round TKO (3:25)
Brian Ortega def. Frankie Edgar via first-round TKO (4:44)
Sean O’Malley def. Andre Soukhamthath via unanimous decision
Jordan Johnson def. Adam Milstead via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
Brian Ortega vs. Frankie Edgar
Brian Ortega has been known for his submission game, but he’s apparently got some power too. T-City scored a devastating first-round finish of Frankie Edgar.
Late in the first round, Ortega flipped the fight when he caught Edgar with an elbow as the former lightweight champion was coming in. Ortega remained calm after seeing the damage he had done and kept pressuring until he landed a massive uppercut that put The Answer on the mat.
The UFC showed the beginning of the end for Edgar:
It’s now six wins in a row for Ortega with three wins coming by submission and three coming by way of TKO. As Luke Thomas of MMA Fighting noted, this was a coming-out party for T-City:
Ortega vs. Holloway is now one of the most intriguing potential fights in the featherweight division, as Ortega’s finish of Edgar makes him an interesting challenge for the champion.
Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath
Sean O’Malley did just about everything he could to add to his hype train in his unanimous-decision victory against Andre Soukhamthath.
Only a finish would have made the performance better, but that didn’t happen in large part because of an injury that left him unable to stand at the end of the fight. He did his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan while lying on the ground.
Before the injury put Sugar in survival mode, he showcased the unique and dynamic striking style that makes him a promising prospect:
O’Malley had Soukhamthath in trouble multiple times in the fight, throwing a variety of strikes set up by almost constant feinting and direction changes.
Soukhamthath had a chance in the third round to take advantage. O’Malley was clearly hurt, but rather than force him to fight on the bad leg, Soukhamthath looked to control him on the ground—which allowed O’Malley to cruise to the decision win.
All in all, this was a huge performance for O’Malley. The 23-year-old took a big step toward the popularity he seeks as a potential star in the division.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Stefan Struve
An old Pit Bull can learn new tricks apparently.
That’s the takeaway from Andrei Arlovski’s unanimous-decision victory win over Stefan Struve. The former UFC champion, who made his UFC debut 18 years ago, took the fight on all three judges’ scorecards thanks to his typically strong boxing and a more well-rounded approach.
He landed more takedowns in one fight than the rest of his UFC career combined, per Aaron Bronsteter of TSN Sports:
Of course, Arlovski showed off his traditional striking game. He landed his fair share of overhand rights and closed the distance against the taller Struve extremely well, but his ability to get Struve down and do damage on the ground gave him the edge.
Arlovski has now won back-to-back fights after a five-fight losing streak. With a different approach it will be interesting to see if he can re-invent himself for one more run at the title. In the ultra-shallow heavyweight division, anything is possible.
For Struve, this is another disappointing showing after losing to Alexander Volkov the last time out.
Ketlen Vieira vs. Cat Zingano
A thorough decision victory for Brazilian Ketlen Vieira over Cat Zingano kicked off the pay-per-view card. Vieira earned the nod on two of the judges’ scorecards with Zingano getting a 29-28 card to go her way.
While Zingano was able to make the opening round competitive, Vieira’s top game carried the day for the first two rounds. The 26-year-old shined in grappling situations, turning explosive takedowns into top control and ground-and-pound.
The UFC passed along the most impressive takedown for Vieira:
Vieira is now 10-0 with a win over a former title challenger in Zingano. It might not be long before Vieira becomes a title challenger herself.
For Zingano, her first fight back since UFC 200 in July 2016 was a disappointment. It’s a long road back after that kind of layoff, and it’s hard to tell if she’ll be relevant in the division again.
Last night’s (Sat. March 3, 2018) UFC 222 pay-per-view (PPV) has come to an end and what a night it was. In the main event of the evening UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” put on a dominant performance against young challenger Yana Kunitskaya. The Brazilian absolutely dominated her Russian counterpart in the standup department before […]
Last night’s (Sat. March 3, 2018) UFC 222 pay-per-view (PPV) has come to an end and what a night it was. In the main event of the evening UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” put on a dominant performance against young challenger Yana Kunitskaya. The Brazilian absolutely dominated her Russian counterpart in the standup department before pulling off a first round TKO.
In the co-main event Brian Ortega pulled off an amazing upset by becoming the first man in mixed martial arts (MMA) history to finish Frankie Edgar in his fighting career. Ortega has earned himself a shot at the 145-pound championship against Max Holloway next.
Check out how the mixed martial arts (MMA) world reacted to the UFC 222 PPV event on Twitter here below:
OMG! Brian Ortega just DEVASTATED Frankie Edgar with a series of strikes to the head and KO'd him. It was Gray Maynard times five! Holy cow. First round KO!
And just like that, it's over. Cris Cyborg TKOs Yana Kunitskaya in the first. She nearly knocked Kunitskaya out with the first punch of the fight. #UFC222
Hammerfisted into oblivion. Cyborg with the title defense. Yana held on to her as long as she could, and when she let go, Cyborg demolished her. First round.
#AndStill Cris Cyborg bombards Yana Kunitskaya with punches in the first round. Kunitskaya lasted longer than I expected and it was still a first round finish #UFC222
Round 1: Edgar presses forward and lands a nice leg kick. Ortega pops off a few jabs and Edgar tries to work his way inside with some fast strikes but Ortega circles out. A high kick for Edgar is just blocked and he follows it up with a nice combinatio…
Round 1: Edgar presses forward and lands a nice leg kick. Ortega pops off a few jabs and Edgar tries to work his way inside with some fast strikes but Ortega circles out. A high kick for Edgar is just blocked and he follows it up with a nice combination. A nice jab backs Ortega […]
The development of the UFC 222 fight card has been tumultuous, to say the least, but the card will go off Saturday night with Cris “Cyborg” Justino taking on Yana Kunitskaya for the UFC women’s featherweight championship serving as the main event at T-…
The development of the UFC 222 fight card has been tumultuous, to say the least, but the card will go off Saturday night with Cris “Cyborg” Justino taking on Yana Kunitskaya for the UFC women’s featherweight championship serving as the main event at T-Moble Arena in Las Vegas.
While Cyborg’s brand of violence is at least an awe-inspiring display, it isn’t what the main event was supposed to be.
A featherweight title fight between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar was scrapped because of an injury to the division’s champion, but Edgar will still fight on the card. He takes on rising featherweight Brian Ortega.
It isn’t a star-studded card, but there are some interesting scraps.
Here’s a look at all the matchups and some of the interesting storylines to keep an eye on.
Main Card (PPV at 10 p.m. ET)
Cris Cyborg (-1400) vs. Yana Kunitskaya (+750)—women’s featherweight championship
Frankie Edgar (-160) vs. Brian Ortega (+130)—featherweight
Sean O’Malley (-135) vs. Andre Soukhamthath (+105)—bantamweight
The name on the marquee might be Cyborg, but the real main event is Edgar vs. Ortega.
It’s a bout that combines two evenly matched opponents and real stakes on a card that doesn’t have any other fights that can say that. The winner of this fight is the clear-cut No. 1 contender for Holloway when he comes back from injury, barring a surprising return to the division from Conor McGregor.
Edgar is the consummate contender. He’s a former lightweight champion and has long ruled as one of the top featherweights now with a 7-2 record in the division. With both of those losses coming against Jose Aldo, there’s a reason he was supposed to be fighting for a title in this event.
Standing across from him is Ortega, whose stock has been rapidly rising. He doesn’t have the name recognition of Edgar, but he’s in a position to use this opportunity to become a high-profile fighter in the division.
His perfect record is underscored by a strong submission game, and he’ll be looking to execute a game plan that allows him to show that off.
With a member of the old guard set to take on a young and exciting name in the division, this will be a great test to see who deserves the next title shot in the division.
Prediction: Ortega via third-round submission
Is Sean O’Malley a Star in the Making?
The UFC is in need of stars, and Sean O’Malley just might fit the bill. The 23-year-old has an exciting style, a unique look and the record to warrant some attention.
UFC President Dana White has already taken a strong interest in marketing him:
As the highlights suggest, O’Malley is a creative and dynamic striker. As long as he’s able to step up in competition, the UFC could have a marketable fighter on the come up.
The only problem is we’ve seen this story before. All too often, the “next big thing” ends up taking an early loss when exposed to the wrong opponent too early.
Looking at the opening Vegas odds on the fight, there’s a chance that happens here. Andre Soukhamthath actually opened as the slight betting favorite (-159) and matches up well as a counter-striker to O’Malley’s ultra-aggressive style.
If O’Malley is able to get the better of The Asian Sensation in the exchanges and finish with a highlight-reel knockout, the hype train will have officially left the station.
If Soukhamthath is able to counter him at every turn and hand him a loss, he’ll just be the next overhyped pet project for the organization.
Prediction: O’Malley via second-round TKO
Is Stefan Struve or Andrei Arlovski Still Relevant?
It’s hard to tell how we should feel about this fight.
Sad because these are two fighters who shouldn’t be in the top 15 of a division?
Excited because it’s a fight between two top-15 fighters in a division?
Intrigued because the 7-foot Stefan Struve remains one of the most confusing fighters of all time?
The heavyweight division has long been one stuck in the past in terms of the contenders, but there is movement. Stipe Miocic has established himself as the champion, Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes have emerged as new contenders and names like Alexander Volkov and Marcin Tybura are on the fringe of the top 10.
So where does that leave a fighter like Andrei Arlovski, who is now 39?
“I’m still here, and that shows that I’m professional about what I’m doing,” he said, per Daniel Austin of the Calgary Sun. “I love to train, I love to fight, I have great people around me. For heavyweights, prime time is 35-plus, you look at George Foreman or Randy Couture.”
The Belarusian is 1-5 in his last six fights. Struve is coming off a loss to Volkov.
The winner of this can cling to some relevancy, but the loser is going to have an uphill climb to gain any momentum.
In the co-main event of UFC 222, which is set to take place tonight (March 3, 2018) live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will take on surging contender Brian Ortgea. Originally, however, Edgar was supposed to challenge 145-pound champion Max Holloway, but “Blessed” was […]
In the co-main event of UFC 222, which is set to take place tonight (March 3, 2018) live on pay-per-view (PPV) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will take on surging contender Brian Ortgea.
Originally, however, Edgar was supposed to challenge 145-pound champion Max Holloway, but “Blessed” was forced to withdraw with an injury. And at the end of the day, the 36-year-old Edgar simply wanted to remain on the card and remain active:
“My fans don’t want to see me not fight. Even some of my friends were telling me to wait and sit … but I think the real fans just want to see guys fight,” Edgar said Thursday at UFC 222 media day (Via MMAFighting). “They want to see good fights. Titles, all this interim stuff and everything, picking and choosing nowadays, it’s definitely left a little bit of a stain, I think, on the sport, so if I can just go out there and just put on a show for everybody, that’s [what I want to do].
“I just want to be active, period,” Edgar said. “I haven’t fought in almost in a year. I didn’t want to sit out for a year. But yeah, I’m not going to get these days back. Time’s ticking. I’m 36 years old; don’t feel it, don’t look it, but it’s the facts and I’m not going to get those years back. So I don’t want to sit idle and let those years pass.”
“The Awnser” will be facing a tough test in Ortega though, as the submission ace has compiled a 5-0 Octagon record. Knowing this, Edgar said that he needs to come out strong:
“[Ortega] is a great submission guy, but I think his gameness is the biggest thing,” Edgar said. “He’s been down. In his UFC career, he’s been down in a lot of his fights and he finds a way to win, even in third round. I think he has the most third-round finishes. That just goes to show you that he’s more game than probably, maybe anyone I’ve fought. That’s a dangerous guy. You can be up on the cards and think you’re smooth sailing, and he’ll find a way to win. So I’ve got to make sure I’m 100 percent focused.
“It’s only three rounds. You give up that first round, you’ve only got two to make it up, so you want to make sure you go out there and start hot. A five-round fight, you can maybe give up that first round, start slow and pour it on, especially someone like myself. But I’ve got to make sure I’m guns blazing out the gate.”
Who do you expect to come out on top in tonight’s co-main event?
UFC 222 ended in very familiar fashion—with Cris “Cyborg” Justino standing over another opponent victorious. Cyborg put away Yana Kunitskaya with a first-round TKO. 