UFC 250 - Cody Garbrandt puts Raphael Assunção to sleep with vicious right hook
The co-main event of the UFC 250 card saw a bantamweight clash where former champion Cody Garbrandt took on divisional stalwart, Raphael Assunção. The fight was an exceptionally important fight for the division as well as the fighters. The bantamweight division currently has no champion. So two massive contenders with a name-value attached to them definitely shape the way people perceive the division.
Cody Garbrandt enters the fight on a career-low of a three-fight losing streak. Having last won a fight in 2016, this was a do-or-die situation for Cody Garbrandt. At some level, the win meant more than bouncing back from his losing streak, it was reminding people that he lost to a fighter who had tested positive for a banned substance and not because he wasn't skilled.
Raphael Assunção, easily the most underrated fighter at bantamweight entered the fight with a record of 27-7 and a career-low of a 2-fight losing streak. For Raphael Assunção the fight was reaffirming his position in the division and sending a statement that despite his age he was still very much a legit contender in the division.
Cody Garbrandt knocks out Raphael Assunção
Round 1 began with a pair of low kicks from Cody Garbrandt before trying for a wheel kick. The rest of the round sees Cody Garbrandt landing jabs and strikes whereas Raphael Assunção struggling to find room. The round very easily goes to Cody Garbrandt.
Round 2 sees a similar story with Cody Garbrandt again taking lead with the help of strikes. Round 2 is following a similar story Cody landing clean shots. Things turn exciting in the very last seconds of the round when Assunção tries for a jumping body kick but ends up on the receiving end of a tight right, ending the fight then and there.
Result: Cody Garbrandt def. Raphael Assuncao via KO (5-finger death punch) at 4:59 of round 2
Cody Garbrandt after the fight said, "I know I'm a skilled fighter. I'm fast, I'm strong, I'm technical, but I give these fights away." Adding on the possibility of future fights, "Man, we got some killers in this bitch."
Cody Garbrandt with this fight moves up to 12-3. Raphael Assunção drops down to 27-8 and is now on a three fight losing streak.