Last night’s (Sat. November 4, 2017) UFC 217 pay-per-view (PPV) provided some of the most shocking results of the year, like when mixed martial arts (MMA) fans were absolutely stunned when TJ Dillashaw knocked out hated rival Cody Garbrandt to recapture the 135-pound crown. Garbrandt came into the bout undefeated in his MMA career after having […]
Last night’s (Sat. November 4, 2017) UFC 217 pay-per-view (PPV) provided some of the most shocking results of the year, like when mixed martial arts (MMA) fans were absolutely stunned when TJ Dillashaw knocked out hated rival Cody Garbrandt to recapture the 135-pound crown.
Garbrandt came into the bout undefeated in his MMA career after having won 11 straight fights. His most recent appearance inside the cage saw him down bantamweight legend Dominick Cruz via lopsided unanimous decision to capture the 135-pound title at 2016’s UFC 207. He then made preparations to defend his title for the first time against his ex-teammate-turned-rival TJ Dillashaw.
Dillashaw was on a two-fight win streak since dropping the bantamweight title back in January of last year when he was defeated by Cruz. After racking up wins over Raphael Assuncao and John Lineker, Dillashaw earned the right to challenge Garbrandt in his first title defense.
When the pair finally met, it was a fairly even exchange inside the Octagon as “No Love’ dropped Dillashaw with a big shot late in the first round. In the second round, Dillashaw knockedGarbrandt dow with a nice high kick and eventually landed a huge shot that folded Garbrandt over, pouring on the ground and pound to finish the fight.
Noah K. Murray for USA TODAY Sports
There had been a ton of bad blood between the pair leading up to the bout due to their history as Team Alpha Male teammates and then opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 25. After the fight, it seemed Garbrandt and Dillashaw had buried the hatchet by embracing; however, Garbrandt told a different story at the post-fight press conference.
When “No Love” got his opportunity to speak, he did admit that he respects Dillashaw, but only as a fighter and not a person:
“Training with TJ I’ve always known that he’s a competitor,” Garbrandt said. “I know that he has great skill, I’ve always respected his skills leading up to the fight – I don’t respect him as a person but as a fighter I give him respect in there. But after – win, lose or draw, I’m always going to give my adversary respect.
“And he caught me with a big shot, capitalized on a technical error I did. I felt good the first round, like I said I’m the better fighter in there, and I’d like to run it back. But that’s up to the UFC. I know the fans would love to see that, I truly believe I’m the best in the world, and I can’t wait to go out and show that.”
“No Love” is willing to do whatever it takes to get back to the title, even if it means earning his way back by picking up some wins over fellow top contenders:
“I truly am the better fighter,” Garbrandt said. “I’ll show that in the rematch, but whatever they want to do. If I have to wipe out the whole f*cking division – I will. There’s a lot of people calling me out when I’m the champion, just because I have a little setback – I’m still here, I’m still hungry. This is a learning experience. I’ve learned so much more in my life from the losses than the wins. I’ve been here before.
UFC 217 emanated tonight (Saturday, November 4, 2017) from Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The biggest card of the year was topped by a championship tripleheader. The main event saw the return of Georges St. Pierre against middleweight champ Michael Bisping. GSP looked in vintage form, largely outstriking the champion and taking him […]
UFC 217 emanated tonight (Saturday, November 4, 2017) from Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The biggest card of the year was topped by a championship tripleheader.
The main event saw the return of Georges St. Pierre against middleweight champ Michael Bisping. GSP looked in vintage form, largely outstriking the champion and taking him down on multiple occasions. He dropped Bisping with a left hand and pounced, jumping on the Brit’s back and choking him unconscious.
In the co-headliner, Cody Garbrandt defended his title for the first time opposite former teammate TJ Dillashaw in a grudge match for the ages. After nearly knocking out the challenger at the very end of round one, Garbrandt found himself on the business end of a head kick followed soon after by a left hook. Follow-up shots separated Garbrandt from his senses entirely, as Dillashaw regained his title.
The first title fight of the night featured inimitable strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk looking to turn back challenger Rose Namajunas. In the most stunning result of the night, “Thug” rose smashed Jedrzejczyk for a first-round knockout, dropping her twice along the way.
Three titles changed hands during the historic event. See how Twitter reacted to these explosive title tilts below:
The only fighters in UFC history to hold championships in 2 different weight classes. Randy Couture BJ Penn Conor McGregor Georges St-Pierre pic.twitter.com/E1Sq5TNjeM
Cody Garbrandt – TJ Dillashaw is the kind of fight you should never forget. Let’s do this thing. Expect WAR and VIOLENCE.#UFC217pic.twitter.com/FoGjx40sRL
Alright the first of three title fights is next. Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Rose Namajunas for the strawweight championship. #UFC217pic.twitter.com/CNe7X8EPR9
In a sport that is often marked by hyperbole, it’s fair to say UFC 217 is among the best cards the organization has put on.
The night featured not one, not two, but three title changes to close out the night. As MMA writer Mike Bohn noted, it was…
In a sport that is often marked by hyperbole, it’s fair to say UFC 217 is among the best cards the organization has put on.
The night featured not one, not two, but three title changes to close out the night. As MMA writer Mike Bohn noted, it was the first time that has ever happened:
The night was capped by the incredible return of Georges St-Pierre to the Octagon. Coming back as a middleweight, GSP looked like a bigger version of his usual self, throwing smooth combinations on the feet and shooting powerful takedown attempts.
St-Pierre won the round but showed just glimpses of his old-school style.
Those glimpses would become bigger in the third round, but the second round was a close one. St-Pierre slowed while Bisping kept up his volume. The new champion did score a second takedown, which the UFC passed along:
While it appeared St-Pierre might have a hard time with his cardio at 185 pounds, the third round ended up being his best. He took down The Count once again and kept him there. He took some elbows from the ground that had him donning the crimson mask, but he came back with a vengeance.
St-Pierre fired a left hook that landed flush on the chin and floored Bisping. From there, the rush was on, and he latched on to a rear-naked choke that drew the stoppage.
It was a night that was truly the epitome of MMA chaos. Here are the complete results for the night along with a closer look at each of the main card bouts.
Main card
Georges St-Pierre def. Michael Bisping via third-round submission (4:23)
TJ Dillashaw def. Cody Garbrandt via second-round TKO (2:41)
Rose Namajunas def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk via first-round TKO (3:03)
Stephen Thompson def. Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision
Paulo Costa def. Johny Hendricks via second-round TKO (1:23)
Undercard
James Vick def. Joseph Duffy via second-round TKO (4:59)
Mark Godbeer def. Walt Harris via first-round DQ (4:29)
Ovince Saint Preux def. Corey Anderson via third-round KO (1:25)
Randy Brown def. Mickey Gall via unanimous decision
Curtis Blaydes def. Aleksei Oleinik via second-round TKO (1:56)
Ricardo Ramos def. Aiemann Zahabi def. via third-round TKO (1:58)
Cody Garbrandt vs. TJ Dillashaw
The fight between Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw promised fireworks.
It delivered.
With the two former training partners having a high level of familiarity with one another, the fight started slow. Neither fighter was willing to commit to much in nearly four minutes of fighting. The end of the round saw No Love floor Dillashaw in what looked like the moment the champion would take over the fight.
In reality, it was the last highlight Garbrandt would have in the match.
Dillashaw started the second round with a high kick that floored the champion. Garbrandt jumped back to his feet and continued to throw with the challenger, up until a right hand put him right back on the mat to end.
The UFC passed along the highlight:
It was an incredible comeback in an incredible fight. With both fighters representing the best in the weight class, it’s likely we will see the matchup again, and fans should be happy about that.
For now, Dillashaw has set his sights on Demetrious Johnson, the champion at the 125-pound weight division:
Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Rose Namajunas
Rose Namajunas didn’t buy into the hype of champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and she shocked the world as a result. Going into the night as the biggest underdog of the three title challengers, Thug Rose snatched the women’s strawweight crown from Joanna Champion with a first-round knockout.
The fight got off to an inauspicious start with a prolonged feeling-out period. But when Namajunas decided to attack, she was successful:
That was the first knockdown, and the knockout wasn’t far behind. After resetting, Namajunas unleashed a hellacious left hook that floored the champion, Thug Rose went to the ground and made the result official with strikes until the referee put an end to the fight.
Chamatkar Sandhu of MMA Junkie nominated the bout for the upset of the year:
It’s certainly a good candidate. Given Jedrzejczyk’s dominance of this division, the coronation of a new champion is a reset for a bevy of strong contenders, including Claudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Jessica Andrade.
All of those fighters lost to Jedrzejczyk in title fights but now have new life with Namajunas as champion. The 25-year-old just put on an impressive performance and will have plenty of opportunities to legitimize her reign as the champion.
Stephen Thompson vs. Jorge Masvidal
Giving Stephen Thompson space is a recipe for a bad time. Jorge Masvidal did just that, and it cost him.
In a fight that could have made Masvidal the next contender for Tyron Woodley’s next title fight, Wonderboy simply picked him apart for three rounds. Trying to attack Thompson’s unique karate stance, Masvidal could never figure out how to get close enough to do much damage.
Meanwhile, Wonderboy had no problem landing effective shots at will from range:
Thompson is now in a difficult position in the division. A performance like this reminds fans that he got two shots at Woodley for a reason. The problem is that his style doesn’t make it a great matchup. Both fighters are simply too risk-averse against one another.
So with two fights against Woodley and the rematch being nearly unwatchable, it’s hard to argue to see that pairing again. Yet, he’s one of the top welterweights in the sport.
Where he goes from here will be one of the more interesting subplots to come out of UFC 217.
Johny Hendricks vs. Paulo Costa
If you’re a top-tier middleweight in the UFC right now, Paulo Costa is not the guy you want to see across from you in the cage. Johny Hendricks was on the wrong side of the 26-year-old’s onslaught to kick off the main card in New York as Costa picked up a second-round TKO win.
Costa was the aggressor from the jump, stalking down Hendricks and attacking with both hands and feet. The UFC passed along some of the highlights from the opening round:
Hendricks did land two left hands that stunned Costa, but nothing came of them.
Instead, they only served to show that Big Rigg’s days of being a contender are behind him and Costa’s best days are likely ahead of him. As Mike Chiappetta of MMA Fighting noted, that’s a good sign for the UFC because the organization could use all the young stars it can find right now:
Costa certainly made the statement he needed to make with the win. His power and striking diversity make him an interesting prospect going forward, and his 11-0 record is going to be hard to ignore when the newest UFC rankings come out.
UFC 217 popped off tonight (Saturday, November 4, 2017) from Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, headlined by a trio of title clashes. The three challengers all dethroned the champions in epic and stunning fashion, and so the three of them took home Performance of the Night honors. Rose Namajunas unseated formerly dominant strawweight […]
UFC 217 popped off tonight (Saturday, November 4, 2017) from Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, headlined by a trio of title clashes. The three challengers all dethroned the champions in epic and stunning fashion, and so the three of them took home Performance of the Night honors.
Rose Namajunas unseated formerly dominant strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk in stunning and brutal fashion, dropping her twice and finishing her in the first round. The second knockdown was a lunging left hook that folded the champion, buckling her legs completely. “Thug” Rose came through as the biggest underdog on the card in sensational fashion and took home an extra $50,000 for her efforts (as well as a shiny new belt).
In the co-headliner, TJ Dillashaw also sprang an upset via knockout. In the long-awaited grudge match with former Team Alpha Male teammate and champion Cody Garbrandt, the former bantamweight ruler got it done with a head kick and a massive left hook. Dillashaw had to survive a harrowing end to round one, when he himself was dropped and nearly finished. He was saved by the bell and staggered back to his corner, but he made Garbrandt pay for failing to finish the job. Dillashaw got his belt back and will enjoy an extra $50,000 in his bank account come Monday.
In the main event, a historic third title changed hands as Georges St. Pierre returned from a four-year retirement and looked like he never left. He outstruck and out-wrestled champion Michael Bisping for most of the fight, particularly in the first and third rounds. “Rush” closed the show in the third by dropping Bisping with a left on the chin. He followed the Brit to the mat, forced him to turtle from the ground and pound onslaught that followed, took the back, and sunk in the fight-ending rear-naked choke. Bisping elected to go unconscious rather than tap. With that, GSP became the fourth man in history to hold UFC belts in two different weight classes.
No Fight of the Night bonus was handed out. Instead, the last Performance of the Night bonus was split between undercard finishers Ovince St. Preux and Ricardo Ramos, who both took home an extra $25,000.
Ramos obliterated Aiemann Zahabi – brother of TriStar gym head coach Firas – with a spinning back elbow in the second round of their bantamweight fight to open the card. St. Preux came back to dust fellow ranked light heavyweight Corey Anderson with a flush third-round head kick after being outwrestled for most of the first ten minutes. Both Zahabi and Anderson were unconscious before they hit the deck, follow-up shots unnecessary.
Keep it locked to LowKickMMA for all your UFC 217 post-fight news, notes, and analysis.
Tonight’s (Sat., Nov. 4, 2017) blockbuster UFC 217 is in the books from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In the main event legendary longtime welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre returned to the sport after nearly four years off against middleweight champion Michael Bisping, emphatically winning the title with a third-round submission. The card also […]
Tonight’s (Sat., Nov. 4, 2017) blockbuster UFC 217 is in the books from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
In the main event legendary longtime welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre returned to the sport after nearly four years off against middleweight champion Michael Bisping, emphatically winning the title with a third-round submission.
The card also featured two other high-profile title fights, with TJ Dillashaw stopping former teammate Cody Garbrandt in the co-main event. Finally, longtime women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk lost her belt to top contender Rose Namajunas in the pay-per-view (PPV) main card’s first title fight.
Obviously, there’s a ton to unpack with an event of this magnitude, so join us for the event’s post-fight press conference streaming live shortly after the main card ends right here:
For the second time in his career, TJ Dillashaw is the champion of the UFC’s bantamweight division. The 31-year-old reclaimed his throne by beating Cody Garbrandt via second-round TKO in the co-main event at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden in New York…
For the second time in his career, TJ Dillashaw is the champion of the UFC’s bantamweight division. The 31-year-old reclaimed his throne by beating Cody Garbrandt via second-round TKO in the co-main event at UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Saturday.
The fight started with an extended measuring period between the former teammates. The first frame was light on action, but when the two collided, Garbrandt’s speed and power carried the exchanges.
The highlight of the first five minutes was a knockdown from No Love to put the exclamation on a good beginning for the champion:
Dillashaw wasn’t to be counted out, though. The challenger opened the second round with a head kick that floored Garbrandt. Although he got right back up, it was sign of things to come.
The former champion became the new champion when he knocked down Garbrandt with a right hook and rained down a flood of strikes in their next exchange.
Dillashaw’s method of standing in the pocket to pick up the win was not the way most thought it would go. Jordan Breen of Sherdog praised Dillashaw for taking punishment to deliver the strikes he had to:
After the bout, Dillashaw set his sights on Demetrious Johnson once again, per MMA Fighting:
This is likely just the first chapter in a bitter rivalry between the new champion and Garbrandt. The two haven’t been shy about their disdain for one another. The former Team Alpha Male teammates have gone back and forth about Dillashaw’s public fallout with the Sacramento-based group.
The two fighters’ status as top contenders in the division is reason enough to believe their paths will cross again.
For now, Dillashaw can once again claim to be the best bantamweight in the world. The last time he won the title, it was in shocking fashion as he dominated longtime champion Renan Barao in May 2014. He then defended the belt twice—once each against Joe Soto and Barao. When he beat Barao again in July 2015, it looked like it was his division to lose.
But Dominick Cruz’s return had something to say about that. Cruz came back from a 15-month layoff to beat Dillashaw.
Since then Dillashaw has defeated the No. 4 and 5 fighters in the division in Raphael Assuncao and John Lineker, respectively. After this win over Garbrandt, Dillashaw has two obvious choices for his next bout: Cruz or Johnson.
A rematch with Cruz makes sense. He lost the first bout, but he has the belt again and Cruz remains the No. 1 ranked bantamweight.
The other option is one that’s been in the works before: Dillashaw could move down to 125 pounds to take on pound-for-pound No. 1 Johnson.
“He’s the pound-for-pound kingpin and on top of the world right now,” Dillashaw said on the MMA Hour (via Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting). “I definitely feel that he’s a winnable fight. I definitely feel I could have stopped him from breaking the record and it could have been something great, big-money fight for himself. Yeah, that’s something I’d love to do. Big-money fight, and especially knowing that I can definitely make the weight. … That’s definitely something that’s in my crosshairs.”
With Dillashaw’s win over Garbrandt, it’s a matchup the fans would clamor for. He’s already been the champion of this division. An attempt to become a two-division champion makes sense as his next endeavor.
(@brad_mmauk) 
This is my face right now. 
In a sport that is often marked by hyperbole, it’s fair to say