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UFC ended 2019 with its most stacked PPV offering. UFC 245 was a star-studded event that had three huge title fights and a host of other intriguing contests with far-reaching effects on the respective divisions.
The main event of the evening saw Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington settle the score in a Welterweight Championship bout. Max Holloway looked to continue his legacy of being the greatest Featherweight of all time when he put his title on the line against the dangerous Alexander Volkanovski
Amanda Nunes returned to the Octagon to take on Germaine de Randamie in a Women's Bantamweight title contest.
UFC veterans Urijah Faber and Jose Aldo rounded up the main card with two Bantamweight fights against two top title contenders of the 135 lb division. The undercard had its fair share of moments as well as there were finishes and upsets galore.
The promotion ended the year on an emphatic high and it set the tone perfectly for the mouth-watering 2020 line-up.
On that note, here are the results and highlights of UFC 245:
UFC 245 Results: Prelims
Geoff Neal def. Mike Perry via TKO (head kick and punches) (1:30, Round One)
Irene Aldana def. Ketlen Vieira via KO (punches) (4:51, Round One)
Omari Akhmedov def. Ian Heinisch via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Matt Brown def. Ben Saunders via KO (punches and elbows) (4:55, Round Two)
Chase Hooper def. Daniel Teymur via TKO (punches and elbows) (4:34, Round One)
Brandon Moreno def. Kai Kara-France via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Jessica Eye def. Viviane Araujo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Punahele Soriano def. Oskar Piechota via KO (punch) (3:17, Round One)
UFC 245 Results: Main Card
#1. Petr Yan vs. Urijah Faber (Bantamweight)
Petr Yan was undefeated in the UFC and on an 8-fight win streak heading into this fight against The California Kid.
A win against the UFC Hall of Famer would put him firmly in contention for an immediate title shot. However, Faber, despite being the underdog, was focussed on charting his path towards winning UFC gold that has eluded him all his career.
Round 1: They touched gloves and Yan began pressing Faber right from the onset of the fight.
Faber tried to get his foot into the fight and he landed a good knee that popped the fans, who were firmly behind the California Kid in this one.
Yan shifted stances before rushing in for a low-kick, punch combo. He followed it with a head kick, 1-2 combo. Faber went for the front kick to the body. Yan answered by faking the left and connecting with a right hook. Faber caught a body kick and attempted to wrestle Yan to the ground but his defense held up.
Faber shot for another takedown but Petr was strong, who missed with a big uppercut. Urijah tagged Yan with a left hook but absorbed a left from Yan in the exchange.
They clinched and Yan landed a 1-2 on the break. Faber came back with an inside leg kick and a jab. Yan attempted a big knee as the round came to a close. That was a close round but Yan may have edged it.
Round 2: Faber was told to change levels and take the fight to the ground.
He circled before going for the step-in knee. Faber's movement looked more fluid and he made the most of it by slapping Yan with a left hook.
Yan went for the big lead right but missed. A wild exchange ensued as Yan landed a nice combination before a clinch began. It lasted for a few seconds before the fight returned to the center. They exchanged a few words as Yan shifted stances again. Faber grabbed hold of Yan's leg but he couldn't execute the takedown.
Yan laughed it off before coming right back with a huge straight left that sent Faber crashing back first into the cage.
Petr went in for the finish but Faber defended, and somehow, survived!
Urijah got back up, but Yan, however, knocked Faber down again with a huge elbow. This had to be it, right? Absolutely not!
Faber's toughness came to the fore as 'No Mercy' laid out the ground and pound. The nasty elbow opened up a huge cut under Faber's eye. The fight was momentarily stopped for the doctors to check on Faber, who gave him the go-ahead and he took the fight to the final round. 10-8 Yan
Round 3: Yan tried to pick up from the last round with a short left hook. Faber went low, but Yan landed with a head kick that was partially blocked.
They engaged in a clinch and Yan then landed a highlight-reel front kick straight to the face Faber, whose knees gave up instantly. That head kick was timed to perfection.
The referee wrapped it up as Yan scored a big walk-off KO.
Result: Petr Yan def. Urijah Faber via KO (0:43, Round 3)
No Mercy is the real deal! He extended his winning streak to 9 on the trot and called out Henry Cejudo for a title fight. Yan deserves a crack at Triple C's title on the back of this performance.
#2. Jose Aldo vs. Marlon Moraes (Bantamweight)
The former king of the Featherweight division came down to the Bantamweight division looking for a new challenge. Jose Aldo may have survived a scary weight cut, but as stated by the man himself, the old Aldo is dead and the Bantamweight version could be the fastest and most dangerous Aldo that the fans have witnessed.
However, his opponent was the #1 ranked Marlon Moraes, who was looking for a big win that would get him another shot at the Bantamweight title.
Round 1: Aldo moved around and tried to press Moraes in the early stages.
However, Marlon cracked Aldo with a beautiful switch kick to the head. He followed it up with a big combo that rattled Aldo for a few seconds. Jose, however, laughed it off and moved on.
Moraes kept moving backwards to create the distance for his strikes. Aldo kept following him and went for punches to the body. Marlon was getting the better of the exchanges as he waited and then landed the overhand right that connected to the left side of Aldo's head.
Jose's defence was solid as the shots hit the guard. Moraes landed a solid inside leg kick followed by a left up top. Marlon kept backing off but he was landing more in the first round. Aldo picked up the pace in the final few minutes by landing a few big combinations. Moraes ate two massive right hand-shots before clinching and taking the former Featherweight Champion down to the mat until the end of the round. Moraes looked a little gassed in the end as he rested over Aldo. 10-9 Moraes
Round 2: Moraes came in with two jabs and another switch kick to the body. Aldo finally unleashed one of his famous kicks as he sent one to the right leg of Moraes.
Moraes landed a few good jabs but Aldo kept walking his opponent down. Aldo landed a few solid jabs before landing a clean uppercut.
Jose was getting into the groove while Moraes wasn't doing much to get his opponent's respect.
Moraes got his game together by rocking Aldo with a big right. Marlon's pace slowed down as the combinations looked sluggish. Aldo touched Moraes with the jabs. Moraes attempted a wheel kick but Aldo saw it coming. Aldo went for a wild flying knee but missed.
He looked mad as he landed a huge uppercut. Aldo absorbed all the incoming shots and relentlessly walked Marlon down. Marlon ended the round with a snappy jab. 10-9 Aldo
Round 3: They showed some respect with a hug before the final round got underway.
Aldo landed a crisp right to get the third round going. Aldo continued the press and landed the jabs and punches to the body. Aldo was winning the fight on the scorecards and Marlon needed a big moment to change the outcome in his favour.
Jose just didn't let Marlon off the hook as he hounded him everywhere he went. Aldo connected with two jabs and a quick straight right with a minute left to go
Marlon suffered a cut near his left eye, who landed a left kick and a right. Moraes changed levels before landing a combination up top. He followed it up with a sharp right.
Both men went the distance.
Result: Marlon Moraes def. Jose Aldo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
That was a controversial decision, to say the least. The boos after the decision was announced said it all. Moraes stated in the post-fight interview that he was ready to give Aldo a rematch.
Did Moraes deserve the win or did Aldo get robbed?
#3. Amanda Nunes (C) vs. Germaine de Randamie (UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship)
The greatest female fighter of all time was the undisputed favorite heading into the first title fight of the night.
However, former Women's Featherweight Champion Germaine de Randamie was no pushover. While Amanda Nunes got the better of de Randamie during their first meeting, there was an outside chance of a massive upset. Did it happen though? Let's find out...
Round 1: Both women exchanged a few leg kicks but missed. Nunes faked a low shot and landed a big overhand right. Classic Nunes!
de Randamie went for a body kick but Nunes caught her right leg. They got back to the center. Nunes landed a combination, changed levels and took de Radamie down with ease.
Germaine landed a few up kicks from her back before getting to her feet. Nunes, however, caught her in a guillotine. The Iron Lady got her head out and both women were back on their feet and found themselves in a Thai clinch. This was de Randamie's territory as she looked to land a few shots in the clinch.
Germaine was put on her back again and this time Nunes unleashed some brutal ground and pound. Rights, lefts and elbows rained down as Germaine covered up. She briefly attempted to fight back with up kicks from ger back.
Nunes, though, looked like a killer as she went off on her opponent. It was ground and pound at its ruthless best. Germaine survived before Nunes locked in the Arm Triangle. It seemed like a wrap for de Randamie but she got out of another tricky position to take the fight into the second round. How did the former Women's Featherweight champion survive that round? 10-8 Nunes
Round 2: GDR weathered the storm and landed a good kick and right that unsettled Nunes in the first two minutes.
de Randamie controlled the Octagon better in the second round that prevented Nunes from initiating a takedown.
However, the champion found an entry, changed levels again and effortlessly took GDR down. de Randamie kept Nunes close to her body and the referee stood them up due to inactivity.
GDR rocked Nunes with a massive question mark kick! de Randamie was all over Nunes as she followed it up with a series of big knees. The Lioness was hurt as she clinched with the Muay Thai specialist.
GDR kept going high with a few knees in the clinch against the fence. Nunes looked to be in trouble and this was something that the fans are not accustomed to seeing.
Nunes stayed calm and landed another takedown as GDR settled for the butterfly guard. Nunes looked for another triangle but GDR maintained her position and stayed on her back until the end of the round. Amanda looked tired as the round ended. 10-9 Nunes
Round 3: GDR pressed the champ in the early stages of the round.
Germaine went for a big 1-2, but Nunes changed levels and went for the double leg. GDR tried to maintain her posture but Nunes execute an outside leg trip to get her opponent down to the mat.
On the mat, Nunes tried to set up a crucifix but de Randamie avoided getting into a bad position. Nunes worked on GDR in half guard. She worked on her wrist and elbow to create some separation. Nunes got into half mount and landed a few good shots from the top. GDR landed a few strikes from the bottom but Nunes continued to get up and connect with elbows.
GDR landed two big up kicks and one of them stunned Nunes. The champion recovered and continued to land elbows to the side of GDR's head. The round ended with Nunes on top. 10-9 Nunes
Round 4: The first of the two Championship rounds began familiarly as de Randamie missed a punch and Nunes pounced by taking her down.
Nunes kept the elbows coming in from top position as GDR. The Iron Lady scrambled and almost caught Nunes in an armbar. Nunes got out of the submission before both women briefly stood up.
The champion used her power to get her down and the fight remained on the mat until the end of the round. Nunes looked tired and keeping the fight down was her way of resting until the fifth and final round. 10-9 Nunes
Round 5: Nunes landed an early takedown, which was her eight of the contest. It was more of the same from Nunes as she connected punches to the body with the occasional elbows coming from the top.
Germaine wrapped her arms around Nunes to close the distance and landed a few punches from her back whenever she saw an opening. GDR was not doing enough to get back up and this was exactly what Nunes wanted.
Amanda laned big shots to the body and face of GDR from the guard. The fight followed the same pattern with a minute left on the clock.
GDR changed position but was unable to escape as Nunes continued the onslaught of punches to the body and head.
There was a brief separation with around ten seconds to go but de Randamie stayed on her back until the finish. 10-9 Nunes
Result: Amanda Nunes def. Germaine de Randamie via unanimous decision (49-44, 49-46, 49-45)
GDR earned a moral victory by taking Nunes the distance but The Lioness' grappling was on another level and that was the decisive factor at the end of the day.
Germaine had her moments when she rocked Nunes, but the champion put on another dominant performance to continue her legendary reign.
#4. Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski (UFC Featherweight Championship)
The second championship fight of the night was billed to be Max Holloway's toughest title defense to date. Alexander 'The Great' Volkanovski was undefeated in the UFC and looked like the Chosen One to take Blessed down. Did he succeed?
Round 1: The champion and the challenger studied each other in the first minute of the fight.
Holloway kicked things off with a jab. Volkanobski fired back with a kick. Holloway kept his distance and landed a few kicks and a right from the outside.
Alexander landed a few good low kicks. He tried to get into the pocket for a big shot but Holloway retreated. Holloway tried to touch his opponent and get into the groove as Volkanovski was looking for a big shot.
Holloway missed with a 1-2 while Alexander kept landing the calf kicks. The Great grazed the champ with a right. Max connected with a low kick. Volkanovski kept getting into the pocket and started to connect with the 1-2s.
They exchanged a few words before engaging in a clinch. The competitive first round ended with a body lock. 10-9 Volkanovski
Round 2: Volkanovski landed a good outside leg kick followed by a heavy calf kick. The strategy was obvious. Alexander looked to slow Holloway's movement down with the leg kicks.
Volkanovski kept chewing up Holloway's legs with various kinds of kicks. The powerful calf kicks kept landing. Holloway wasn't even checking the kicks at this point but his left leg had taken a lot of damage.
Holloway landed a right hand over the top. Alexander attempted a spinning back fist but missed. Holloway switched to southpaw to protect the left leg. Volkanovski attacked the lead right leg instead.
Holloway landed a good combination to the body of Volkanovski. Another competitive round went into the books. 10-9 Volkanovski
Round 3: Max began the round in southpaw. Volkanovski went to the body but Holloway moved out of the way.
Both men missed a technical exchange of strikes with Holloway landing a straight left. Volkanovski landed a good front kick to the body.
Volkaovski pressed forward and attempted a combination. Blessed kept moving around. The Great went low for another kick before going up with a right-hand shot. Volkanovski kept up with Holloway's pace and avoided getting tagged by the incoming strikes.
Max stunned Volkanovski with a left. Alexander got back to working on the legs. Volkanovski landed a string of good shots that included a jab followed by a low kick and a right strike.
Max, however, caught Volkanovski with a knee as he came in. They talked trash at each other with 20 seconds left to go. Max went for a few wild spinning attacks but missed as the third round came to close. 10-9 Volkanovski
Round 4: Volkanovski landed a few solid combinations as Max's movements looked limited.
They exchanged a few jabs before Volkanovski shot for the takedown. Holloway defended it well before the fight got back to the center.
The leg kicks continued to land, however, Max connected with a clean right-hand combination of his own.
Volkanovski landed with a right of his own. Holloway connected with a big uppercut in the pocket. Holloway fired off a left, Volkanovski responded with a swift right.
Both men exchanged words as Volkanovski looked composed as he landed jabs and straight punches. Holloway kicked it up a notch with a fervent combination. Volkanovski liked it as he nodded and got back to the legs.
Round 5: Volkanovski landed good jabs and left leg kick. Holloway tried to land a few strikes but he looked desperate.
This wasn't the Holloway style that we've all seen over the years. Holloway's legs had taken a lot of damage and the effects were all there to be seen.
Holloway tried to put together a few combinations with Volkaonvski slowing down a bit. Volkaonvski initiated the clinch but it lasted for only 20 odd seconds. Volkanovski got into the pocket and landed a huge elbow on the break.
Holloway, too, landed a few shots along the way. Alexander changed levels for the single leg but Holloway stayed firm and attempted a big uppercut. Volkanovski landed a few jabs, but Holloway finally had his opponent backing up. The real Holloway was starting to show up but it could be a little too late for that as both men went the distance.
Result: Alexander Volkanovski def. Max Holloway via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 50-45
That was close but Volkanovski executed his gameplan to the tee and deservedly walked out of the T-Mobile Arena as the new UFC Featherweight Champion.
And just like that, the greatest UFC Featherweight's title reign comes to an end in a close fight.
An instant rematch, anyone?
#5. Kamaru Usman (C) vs. Colby Covington (UFC Welterweight Championship)
The fans need no introduction to the main event of the evening. It's one of the most anticipated fights of the year which had it all - real animosity and an evenly-matched skillset between the two Welterweight standouts. Who had the last laugh in the end? Let's find out...
Round 1: Colby Covington started in southpaw while Usman opened in orthodox. Kamaru Usman went for a high kick but it hit Covington's guard.
Usman slipped as he landed the kick. Colby landed a few kicks to Usman's body. Chaos tried to get his volume game going but Usman kept him at range with a few rights.
Kamaru kept landing the rights but Colby absorbed it with his guard. Covington landed a big left over the top. Both men then engaged in a wild brawl in the pocket. They both exchanged a series of knees, rights, and lefts.
Usman looked hurt as Colby had a wicked smile on his face as he amped up the volume. Colby kept shooting the right jabs. Covington kept connecting with some big lefts after the jabs.
Usman tasted success with the right and a few uppercuts. Covington went for the flying knee but Usman caught it and followed it up with a body kick. Usman shifted stances as Colby landed an inside leg kick before the round ended. 10-9 Covington
Round 2: Usman came in with a few stinging right jabs. Usman also kept landing with the front kick to the body.
Covington landed a few jabs but Usman landed a left on the counter. He landed a few more lefts before going for the body kick. Kamaru connected a straight right followed by a front kick.
They exchanged a few brilliant shots. Colby landed a left followed by two popping jabs. Usman took a timeout as he got hit in the groin. Colby kept up the volume as he landed the jabs and the lefts to compliment the same.
Covington cracked Usman with a right but got hurt with a body shot. Chaos retreated until the end of the round. 10-9 Usman
Round 3: Covington reached out for the jabs while Usman attempted the front kicks to the body. Colby loaded up on the left hand but missed.
Usman popped the jabs. He connected with a big right hand and a kick to the body. The Nigerian Nightmare shut Colby's volume down with the front kicks and shots to the body.
Kamaru's front kicks to the body were the money in the bank, as per Joe Rogan, and it was worked in slowing Colby down.
Chaos struggled in this round as he couldn't get his range or volume going. Usman began to turn it up with a big left-hand strike and the body kicks.
Colby, however, stunned Usman with a big head kick followed by a strike from close range. Usman looked hurt and Colby rushed in for the finish.
However, the champion got poked in the eye and called for a timeout. The fight got underway after the doctors gave Usman the green signal. Usman landed a right to end the round. 10-9 Usman
Round 4: Covington may have broken his jaw as a result of a big left from Usman.
Another wild brawl ensued as Colby landed a few jabs and followed it up lefts and a head kick. Usman popped another jab to Colby's broken jaw. Colby landed a beautiful right but Usman replied with an equally good left.
Colby connected with a big uppercut. Chaos was showing the heart of a champion by getting the better of the exchanges with a broken jaw.
Usman's jab and front kicks continued to come in. He dug deep with a shot to the body. Covington landed a few good inside leg kicks. Both men went for head kicks with 15 seconds left in the round. 10-9 Covington
Round 5: Covington went for a few lefts before both men attempted head kicks. Usman's front kick to the body kept coming in. Colby landed a big shot after moving his head.
Usman went in for a straight right. Colby connected with three good shots while Usman went for the body with a couple of punches. Covington attempted a left and a high kick that got blocked. The Champion went for the big straight right but he missed.
Usman hurt Covington with a big right that sent Chaos back.
The Nigerian Nightmare knew that he could get the finish here and he went all-in for it.
Colby got knocked down by a cannon-like straight right from Usman. Chaos got back up but Usman sent him back to the mat with a powerful right from close range.
Usman then went in with the hammer fists and forced the stoppage as the T-Mobile Arena erupted.
Result: Kamaru Usman def. Colby Covington via TKO (4:10, Round 5)
What.A.Fight! The Nigerian Nightmare dug deep to pull off one of the most satisfying wins of his career.
Colby Covington, thought, deserves a lot of credit for fighting with a broken jaw and almost taking the fight to the scorecards. It could have been a different ballgame if the fight had gone the distance.
UFC 245 didn't disappoint!
