UFC 215: Nunes vs Shevchenko 2 - Results
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)