In the co-main event of last night’s (Sat. December 30, 2017) UFC 219 pay-per-view (PPV) event, Khabib Nurmagomedov took on striking specialist Edson Barboza. “The Eagle” came into the fight unbeaten in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career with a record of 24-0. He hadn’t competed inside the Octagon since November of 2016 when he […]
In the co-main event of last night’s (Sat. December 30, 2017) UFC 219 pay-per-view (PPV) event, Khabib Nurmagomedov took on striking specialist Edson Barboza.
“The Eagle” came into the fight unbeaten in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career with a record of 24-0. He hadn’t competed inside the Octagon since November of 2016 when he defeated Michael Johnson via submission. The dominant Russian grappler looked to silence any doubters he had left with a win over one of the best strikers the 155-pound division has ever seen.
Barboza came into the event on a three-fight win streak which included an amazing flying knee knockout this past March over Beneil Dariush. He hoped to put the first blemish on Nurmagomedov’s career.
From the opening bell Nurmagomedov was extremely dominant inside the cage. His pressure was relentless and he landed heavy shots on the Brazilian that opened up takedown opportunities. Once on the ground Nurmagomedov smothered Barboza with devastating ground-and-pound, battering the knockout specialist very badly.
In the end, Nurmagomedov took home a very lopsided unanimous decision win as Barboza was able to survive to the final horn.
You can check out some highlights from the fight here below:
UFC 219 went down tonight (Saturday, December 30, 2017) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, headlined by the women’s featherweight title fight between champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino and former bantamweight queen Holly Holm. Cyborg won a unanimous decision, going the 25-minute distance for the first time in her career, behind harder, cleaner strikes. […]
UFC 219 went down tonight (Saturday, December 30, 2017) from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, headlined by the women’s featherweight title fight between champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino and former bantamweight queen Holly Holm. Cyborg won a unanimous decision, going the 25-minute distance for the first time in her career, behind harder, cleaner strikes. Holm gave a valiant effort but failed to ever threaten Cyborg.
The co-main event saw the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov lock horns with the ever-dangerous Edson Barboza in a de facto #1 contender matchup at lightweight. “The Eagle” staked his claim once more as the number-one contender and one of the scariest individuals in MMA with his brutal dismantling of Barboza. The Brazilian survived to see the final bell, but it seemed like Khabib took his foot off the gas after smashing Barboza into the canvas early. Once he got the first takedown, Khabib compromised Barboza for the rest of the fight with absolutely savage ground and pound.
See how Twitter reacted to these pivotal bouts below:
Holm looks noticeably larger for this fight. Have to wonder whether or not that extra mass could be a disadvantage as the fight gets into the later rounds.
Cyborg is used to carrying that extra muscle, she has had it for 5+ years, Holm might not be.#UFC219
Well, that was a predictable ass-beating. Holm is currently in a similar spot to the one that Faber occupied across BW and FW a few years back, so I don't expect that to be her last title fight.
Dudes behind a keyboard bashing Holly Holm, yet she gave Cyborg the toughest test of her career and did something their Cheeto covered fingers would never have the guts to do. MMA fans can be the worst some times. #UFC219
Holly Holm made a good account of herself tonight, and I should have expected that, as she always gets licks in against an opponent willing to come forward. But Cyborg won every round. #UFC219
Like you, I’m surprised that went the distance. Great show of by Cyborg though, who hopefully reminded everyone that she’s a technical fighter whose worked on her gas tank. #UFC219
Holm landed her two best punches of the fight and all it did was piss off Cyborg. Major props to Holly for her approach and never going down. Credit Cyborg who is much more than a brawler. All standup affair belongs to Cyborg, 50-45. Cris is a better fighter after tonight.
I'm picking Khabib because he has three rounds to get his hands on Barboza. But if he hesitates and Barboza can keep the range and avoid a lazy leg kick, he could pull off the upset. Only problem is that Barboza struggles with pressure fighters and that's what Khabib is.
Conor better get GSP on the phone ASAP or convince Dana to give him Nate trilogy in March because he doesn't want to cross paths with Khabib https://t.co/ez8UGwnXFZ
Thank you for giving all of us all that wonderful violence. I am so grateful for those 15 minutes. Please don't stay gone so long. We need you. #UFC219
The UFC’s year-ending pay-per-view of UFC 219 is in the books from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, dominant women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg faced off with former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm arguably for the title of the greatest female fighter in MMA history. Cyborg put on another defining performance, […]
The UFC’s year-ending pay-per-view of UFC 219 is in the books from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In the main event, dominant women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg faced off with former women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm arguably for the title of the greatest female fighter in MMA history. Cyborg put on another defining performance, proving she could go five full rounds with a fellow champion by outlasting Holm for her first UFC title defense.
The co-main event saw a pivotal lightweight bout between returning oft-injured Khabib Nurmagomedov and surging striker Edson Barboza, a fight that only served to further muddy the all-out mess that has developed at the top of the UFC 155-pound fray. And muddy it did, as Khabib dominated the Brazilian Barboza from pillar to post to win a lopsided affair and insert his name firmly in the title picture.
Join LowKick MMA for the event’s post-fight press conference as the fighters unpack the fallout of 2017’s last PPV:
Each fighter in the main event of UFC 219 needed something very specific from the other. Each one had things in her core identity that perfectly filled in the gaps of her opponent’s.
Holly Holm has fame and cross-demographic admiration. Cris Cybo…
Each fighter in the main event of UFC 219 needed something very specific from the other. Each one had things in her core identity that perfectly filled in the gaps of her opponent’s.
Holly Holm has fame and cross-demographic admiration. Cris Cyborg has dominance, an aura of true greatness.
Make no mistake: This went beyond Cyborg’s featherweight belt. The champ wants Holm’s profile, to finally step into the spotlight as the fighter to watch in women’s MMA, no matter your interest level in the sport as a whole. Holm wants Cyborg’s MMA gravitas, a legacy that extends beyond that Ronda Rousey head kick.
The stakes couldn’t be clearer. It was just a matter of who brought home the spoils.
It was a compelling matchup in and out of the cage in the main event in Las Vegas. But the intrigue was dense across this relatively brisk 10-fight lineup. In the co-main, super-phenom Khabib Nurmagomedov continued his halting climb toward a lightweight title bout when he returned (again) from injuries and bad weight cuts to face one of the best strikers in the entire UFC in Edson Barboza.
And don’t forget about the return of Carlos Condit. The Natural Born Killer is less active than he once was. A collision with the excellent Neil Magny would determine if he still has it.
As always, the final stat lines only reveal so much. These are the real winners and losers from UFC 219. For the literal-minded among us, full results appear at the end. And hey…happy new year.
The stage is set for UFC 219 as each fighter made weight during Friday’s weigh-ins, including fan favorite and top lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Many fight fans were able to breathe normally once Nurmagomedov tipped the s…
The stage is set for UFC 219 as each fighter made weight during Friday’s weigh-ins, including fan favorite and top lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Many fight fans were able to breathe normally once Nurmagomedov tipped the scale at 155.5 pounds, proving that he means business Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against Edson Barboza.
Another fighter who has had a history of tough weight cuts is Cris Cyborg. She will be defending her featherweight title for the first time in the UFC against former bantamweight champion Holly Holm in the night’s main event.
The night’s co-main and main events can go either way, despite what the official odds might indicate. But before going into any more analysis regarding UFC 219’s main card, let’s take a quick look at this evening’s full slate of action inside of the Octagon with updated odds.
UFC 219 prelims (FS1, 8 p.m. ET)
Men’s light heavyweight: Khalil Rountree vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Men’s featherweight: Myles Jury (-260, bet $260 to win $100) vs. Rick Glenn (+200, bet $100 to win $200)
Men’s middleweight: Marvin Vettori (-225) vs. Omari Akhmedov (+175)
Men’s flyweight: Matheus Nicolau (-305) vs. Louis Smolka (+225)
UFC 219 main card (PPV, 10 p.m., ET)
Main event: Cris “Cyborg” Justino (-360) vs. Holly Holm (+270)
Co-main event: Khabib Nurmagomedov (-285) vs. Edson Barboza (+225)
Women’s Strawweight: Cynthia Calvillo (-260) vs. Carla Esparza (+200)
Men’s Welterweight: Carlos Condit (-165) vs. Neil Magny (+135)
Men’s Lightweight: Marc Diakiese (-185) vs. Dan Hooker (+150)
Co-Main Event: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Edson Barboza
It’s a tale as old as time: The wrestler vs. the striker. Except in this featherweight title eliminator bout between Nurmagomedov and Barboza, these are two of the dangerous men in the UFC’s 155-pound division.
There is no easy way to explain how dominant Nurmagomedov is on the ground with his suffocating sambo. When Nurmagomedov wants to take you down, there’s little you can do about it. In his most recent fight against Michael Johnson over a year ago at UFC 205, Nurmagomedov was clipped for seemingly the first time in his UFC career. However, he soon reestablished himself and took the fight to the ground, pummeling Johnson up against the cage.
Johnson was left helpless as Nurmagomedov continued to punish him, even telling him at one point to simply give up in the fight.
Nurmagomedov will look to do the same against Barboza and take the fight to the ground. But against a fighter as explosive as Barboza, that’s easier said than done.
If Nurmagomedov hesitates for even a split second on a takedown attempt, the fight could be over in an instant courtesy of a Barboza flying knee or kick. Barboza is the only fighter in UFC history to have two stoppage victories due to leg kicks, including the organization’s first-ever spinning wheel kick knockout.
The game plan is simple for both fighters. For Nurmagomedov, he has to bring the fight to the ground. For Barboza, the fight has to stay on its feet for him to win. At the end of the day, nobody has come close to beating Nurmagomedov, who really makes it looks easy inside of the Octagon.
Look for Barboza to test Nurmagomedov early in the first round by establishing distance with leg kicks and a jab, but Nurmagomedov will soon get his timing down to shoot for a double-leg takedown and bring the fight to the canvas.
From there, Barboza will struggle to break free of his opponent’s grip on the ground, as he won’t be able to survive more than two rounds of punishment before he is submitted by a rear-naked choke in the second round.
Prediction: Nurmagomedov defeats Barboza via submission (rear-naked choke) in the second round.
Main Event: Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm
It’s possible that no fighter has more to gain or lose than Holly Holm at UFC 219.
With a win over Cyborg, Holm will have wins over Ronda Rousey and Cyborg on her resume, along with being a two-division champion in the UFC, vaulting her into the greatest female MMA fighter of all time. But if she loses, she will have lost four of her last five fights, including three title fights.
While Holm’s incredible boxing career and kickboxing skills may give her an advantage against Cyborg, there’s little else she brings to the table besides looking for a knockout.
Holm’s strikes are some of the best in MMA, regardless of weight division or gender. But Cyborg isn’t just a brawler who fights at 100 miles per hour, she’s also a technical striker who has a strong background in muay thai, not to mention her black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu or multiple world titles in BJJ.
In order for Holm to be successful in the fight, she’ll have to create distance between herself and Cyborg to land her kicks and open up Cyborg. However, that’s not Cybrog’s fighting style.
Cyborg likes to close the distance and suffocate her opponent, backing them up against the cage while she bears down on her opposition like a lion preys on a gazelle. But if Cyborg doesn’t want to risk the chance of Holm finding an opening on the feet, she can bring the game to the ground and use her superior BJJ against her.
For as good as Holm is on the feet, she still has a lot of work to do on the ground. Stuffing takedowns and practicing submission defense is one thing, but going up against a black belt as strong and tenacious as Cyborg is a whole other ballgame.
Don’t be surprised to see Cyborg bring the fight to the ground early to wear down Holm and make her gas out. Holm will be able to get back to her feet toward the end of the first round, but she will have sustained a lot of damage to the body, leaving her gasping for air in between rounds.
In the second, Holm will look to open up with some body kicks to keep Cyborg at bay, but Cyborg will elude Holm’s attacks as she closes the distance and gets in the clinch with Holm, where she will deliver some vicious muay thai elbows and knees to the body.
Cyborg will begin to tee-off on Holm, who won’t be able to withstand the barrage of strikes on the feet until the referee puts an end to the beatdown in the second round.
Prediction: Cyborg defeats Holm via TKO (strikes) in the second round.
Weigh-ins for Saturday’s UFC 219 event went down without a hitch Friday, including Khabib Nurmagomedov hitting the lightweight mark. UFC female featherweight champion Cris Cyborg weighed in at 145 pounds, with challenger and former bantamweight t…
Weigh-ins for Saturday’s UFC 219 event went down without a hitch Friday, including Khabib Nurmagomedov hitting the lightweight mark. UFC female featherweight champion Cris Cyborg weighed in at 145 pounds, with challenger and former bantamweight titleholder Holly Holm coming in at 144. Cyborg and Holm main event the card from Las Vegas and the T-Mobile […]
