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UFC 215 has come and gone, and it wasn’t bereft of controversy that has, of late, become a staple of Amanda Nunes’ appearances over the past few months.
Although the fight was close, with Nunes having her moments particularly in the first half of the showdown, Shevchenko did more than enough to earn the win. However, the judges didn’t see it that way, and Amanda Nunes is still the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion -- much to the UFC and Dana White’s chagrin.
Valentina Shevchenko was robbed, much like Manny Pacquiao in his most recent fight against Jeff Horn. Whether or not the UFC chooses to book Nunes and Shevchenko to go at it one more time, remains to be seen.
Elsewhere on the card, Jeremy Stephens gave Gilbert Melendez a rude welcome to the UFC Featherweight division, whereas RDA made short work of Neil Magny.
Besides, the undercard saw a few upsets. So, without further ado, here are the complete results for UFC 215:
Main Card:
#1 Amanda Nunes vs Valentina Shevchenko
As expected, Amanda Nunes started strong, using the considerable size advantage she possesses over the much smaller Valentina Shevchenko.
However, it didn’t take long before Valentina seized control, clearly outworking the champion from Round 2 onwards and landing clean shots from long range.
One ought to note that the fight was incredibly close, but Valentina did clearly outwork Nunes down the stretch, and it was all ‘Bullet’ after a strong Round 1 for Nunes.
Needless to say, Shevchenko was shocked to hear the judges award the fight to Nunes, and this matchup shall go down in the history books as one of the worst decisions of all time.
Result: Amanda Nunes def. Valentina Shevchenko via Split-Decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
#2 Rafael Dos Anjos vs Neil Magny
Rafael Dos Anjos controlled the striking and pace of the bout, executing every attack at will.
He pressured Magny into a compromised position and jumped on him for the submission finish. In my opinion, RDA’s win over a game Magny is a clear indicator of the fact that the former UFC Lightweight Champion is without a doubt, a force to be reckoned with at Welterweight as well.
Result: Rafael Dos Anjos def. Neil Magny via Submission (arm triangle) (Rd 1, 3:43)
#3 Henry Cejudo vs Wilson Reis
Henry Cejudo absolutely trounced Wilson Reis; making a statement in his win over fellow top-Flyweight Reis.
Since the TKO loss to Mighty Mouse, Cejudo has shown a much-needed urgency in his MMA game, and at UFC 215, it shined through.
I expect the former Olympian to get another crack at the UFC Flyweight Championship, should he rack up another win in the months to come.
Result: Henry Cejudo def. Wilson Reis via TKO (punches) (Rd 2, 0:25)
#4 Ilir Latifi vs Tyson Pedro
Most fans and pundits, including me, expected Pedro to best Latifi and emerge as a much-needed young contender in the UFC’s barren Light-Heavyweight division.
Alas, it wasn’t to be!
Latifi put on an impressive showing in his latest outing and shut out Pedro on the feet as well as the mat.
Result: Ilir Latifi def. Tyson Pedro via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
#5 Jeremy Stephens vs Gilbert Melendez
Jeremy Stephens thoroughly dominated the returning Gilbert Melendez.
Now, granted that most fans may attribute that to Gil’s long layoff, however, it does raise the question whether all of Gil’s previous wins were aided by his steroid usage.
Gilbert looked like an absolute shell of his former self, returning from a steroid suspension to take a beating at the hands of Stephens.
Result: Jeremy Stephens def. Gilbert Melendez via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-25)
Preliminary Card (Fox Sports 1)
#1 Ketlen Vieira vs Sara McMann
Ketlen Vieira scored a major upset over former UFC title-challenger Sara McMann, finishing her with an arm-triangle choke in the second round of their showdown.
This win will surely propel Vieira into the upper-echelon of the 135-pound weight-class. On the flipside, this is a bad, bad loss for McMann, and a possible sign that her days as a top contender may well be over.
Result: Ketlen Vieira def. Sara McMann via Submission (arm triangle) (Rd 2, 4:16)
#2 Sarah Moras vs Ashlee Evans-Smith
Yet another upset on the card was Sarah Moras finishing Ashlee Evans-Smith in the very first round of the fight.
Evans-Smith is a rough n’ tumble gatekeeper for the division, and much like the aforementioned Ketlen Vieira, Sarah Moras now finds herself as a new contender in the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Division.
Result: Sarah Moras def. Ashlee Evans-Smith via Submission (armbar) (Rd 1, 2:51)
#3 Rick Glenn vs Gavin Tucker
Gavin Tucker was expected to run through Rick Glenn. However, it did not quite pan out that way.
One of a trio of undercard upsets, Rick Glenn dominated Gavin Tucker, and the scorecards were all over the board. This is a bad loss for Tucker -- one in which he got outclassed on the feet as well as the mat.
Result: Rick Glenn def. Gavin Tucker via Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-24, 29-27)
#4 Alex White vs Mitch Clarke
Alex White absolutely trucked through Mitch Clarke, besting him by technical-knockout in the second stanza of their matchup.
Neither White nor Clarke are at the elite level yet, but one ought to keep an eye on White. Should he carry the killer instinct and ferociousness that he displayed today, he can ascend to the top in the years to come.
Result: Alex White def. Mitch Clarke via TKO (punches) (Rd 2, 4:36)
Early Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
#1 Arjan Bhullar vs Luis Henrique
Arjan Bhullar put on a highly technical display of his overall MMA skills in what was his Octagon debut.
The former Canadian Olympian of Indian origin gave Henrique a grappling master-class. If he works harder on his striking, he’d definitely be a great addition to the UFC Heavyweight division.
Result: Arjan Bhullar def. Luis Henrique via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
#2 Kajan Johnson vs Adriano Martins
Kajan Johnson's return to the octagon couldn't have gone any better.
The Canadian fighter blew away veteran Adriano Martins with a huge strike in the final stanza of their lightweight contest.
Johnson outworked his foe throughout, and saw a small window of opportunity, pouncing on Martins, for the kill.
With this performance, Johnson is now 22–12–1 in his MMA career and finds himself riding a three-fight win streak.
Result: Kajan Johnson def. Adriano Martins via KO (punch) (Rd 3, 0:49)
