Nunes beats Pena to regain UFC women’s bantamweight belt

DALLAS (AP) — Amanda Nunes won a unanimous 5-round final decision more than Julianna Peña in the primary function of UFC 277 on Saturday evening at to regain the women’s bantamweight championship that she missing final December.

Nunes (22-5), nicknamed “The Lioness,” is yet again a double-champion, already holding the featherweight belt. The judges’ scoring was 50-45, 50-44 and 50-43.

Peña conquer Nunes very last December at Las Vegas to claim the title in a person of the biggest upsets in UFC background.

Saturday’s struggle was the very first title protection for Peña (12-5) in the 135-pound division.

Brandon Moreno received the co-main occasion with a 3rd-round TKO about Kai Kara-France in a scheduled 5-round bout to choose possession of the interim men’s flyweight championship belt.

Nunes dropped Peña three instances in the second round, two times on ideal hooks and then with a still left to the forehead. Nunes took down Peña halfway via the third round and kept her on the mat, punching to the head to open up cuts along Peña’s hairline that left blood splattered on the mat.

Nunes experienced Peña on her back again yet again for substantially of the fourth and fifth rounds. Peña’s face was streaked with blood that stained a lot of the mat.

Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight concerning Moreno and Kara-France at 4:34 after Moreno, sporting a deep lower below his suitable eye with blood streaming down his facial area and onto his chest, landed a liver kick that dropped Kara-France. Moreno then finished him off.

Moreno (20-6), from Tijuana, Mexico, arrived in as the division’s prime-rated contender and Kara-France (24-10), from New Zealand, 2nd. Moreno was backed by a crowd that chanted “Mo-re-no!” and “Me-xi-co!” at times during the match.

Deiveson Figueiredo regained the flyweight belt from Moreno previous January with a unanimous determination in a trilogy battle in the 125-pound division. But because of a hand harm sustained by Figueiredo.

Afterward Saturday’s bout, Figueiredo entered the octagon carrying his championship belt and fulfilled with Moreno. Figueiredo mentioned he’d like to host Moreno in his native Brazil for the undisputed title, and Moreno indicated his acceptance.

Sergei Pavlovich was awarded a TKO in 55 seconds into a scheduled a few-round heavyweight bout against Derrick Lewis, the oldest fighter on the card at 37 years outdated and a supporter preferred from Houston. Pavlovich landed a series of punches to Lewis’ head and higher entire body. Lewis eventually went down but jumped appropriate back again up as referee Dan Miragliotta stopped it, as Lewis and the group each expressed their displeasure with the ruling.

Pavlovich (16-1) went in ranked 11th whilst Lewis (26-10) was fifth.

Alexandre Pantoja speedily finished off Alex Perez on a faucet out only 1:31 into their scheduled a few-spherical men’s flyweight matchup. Pantoja (25-5), rated No. 4, bought atop Perez (24-7), No. 6, together the fence and locked his arms throughout Perez’s jaw to power the submission.

Magomed Ankalaev scored a TKO at 3:09 of the second of a few rounds over Anthony Smith in a men’s mild heavyweight bout. Ankalaev (18-1), rated No. 4, took down Smith (36-17), No. 5, in the first spherical and then pummeled him alongside the base of the fence early in the second spherical when referee Jacob Montalvo stopped the combat. Smith instructed these attending to him afterward as he sat on the mat that he had a damaged remaining leg before he was aided from the cage.