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UFC 232 is in the books after a week's worth of controversy in the run-up to the event. The show was originally scheduled to emanate from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas but on December 23, 2018, it was announced that the venue for the show had been switched to The Forum in California.
The reason for the last minute change was simple; headliner Jon Jones would not be able to compete in Vegas as planned due to an anomaly on his pre-fight drug test earlier in December.
Jones had trace amounts of banned substance Turinabol in his system. This is the same substance that caused him to be hit with a 15-month suspension that he is only now returning from.
UFC President, Dana White was quick to exonerate Jones and explain that the trace amount is from the same substance ingested 15 months earlier. He also added that the event had to be moved due to the fact the Nevada State Athletic Commission, a week removed from the show, did not have the time to properly investigate.
There is likely much more to come on that story but the company attracted a boatload of criticism due to the fact that it put thousands of loyal fans out of pocket or at the very least inconvenienced due to the switch during the busy holiday period.
Which is why, UFC, coming out of the event, hoped that everyone would be talking about the action inside the Octagon, not the drama going on outside of it.
There were surprises to be had on an entertaining card; the company's final one of an eventful 2018.
Here, in the following slideshow, we look at the three biggest surprises.
#3 And your winner via toe poke to the eye!
Megan Anderson defeated Cat Zingano to secure her first UFC victory after a loss in her debut bout to Holly Holm back in June at UFC 225.
The win was not unexpected; the 28-year-old Anderson has a bright future in MMA whilst her opponent, the 36-year-old Cat Zingano is a fading force, having lost three of her past four fights heading into this contest.
However, what was surprising was the manner of Anderson's victory. In what may be a first in MMA, Anderson secured the win when a head kick saw her toe enter Zingano's eye.
It was a touch of good fortune for Anderson but a tough break for Zingano who never kicked on following her win over Amanda Nunes at UFC 178.
A truly bizarre finish.
#2 Carlos Condit did not announce his retirement
The result of the Michael Chiesa versus Carlos Condit fight at UFC 232 was never in question for anyone who has a passing knowledge of both fighters' recent records.
Chiesa dismantled Condit over the course of six long minutes for the former Interim Welterweight Champion, routinely taking him down to the mat. He tried to finish with punches before finding better luck locking in a kimura for the submission win. Chiesa was your winner.
Condit has now lost his last five fights and has not tasted victory since 2015. In fact, he has won just twice in his last 10 fights. The once great fighter is a shadow of the martial artist he once was and the biggest shock of the night was not his defeat but the fact that he did not retire immediately after his loss.
Condit has nothing left to prove. All he has left to do is damage his legacy.
#1 Amanda Nunes defeats Cris Cyborg
The biggest shock of the night came in the co-headliner when in the battle of the top female champions, Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes ended Cris Cyborg's 13-year, 21-fight unbeaten streak.
Cyborg had been the heavy pre-fight favourite with bookmakers and experts as she has rarely been challenged over the past decade, while Nunes, for all her immense talents, does not possess the same invincible aura.
However, a lot of MMA observers have a lot of re-evaluating to do after the UFC 232 clash. Nunes withstood some of Cyborg's shots and unloaded with a series of stunning combinations to knock Cyborg down to one knee before a final flurry decked the Featherweight Champion.
Your new dual champion, the first female in UFC history to achieve the feat, Amanda Nunes.
Nunes is the new female figurehead for the UFC after delivering one of the most shocking results of 2018.
Do you agree with our list of surprises? Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below.
