Main event: Max Holloway defeated Jose AldoIt looked like a true sequel as Max Holloway forced Jose Aldo into deep waters and finished him by TKO at 4:51 of the third round – the same round he did it in the first fight. Holloway’s pace is unreal and he invited Aldo to trade with him in the third and he got the better of the exchanges before dropping the former king and finishing him. Aldo looked great at times in the fight. He used his leg kick more and landed a couple big shots that sent Holloway’s head back but never was able to really rock him. The win puts Holloway at 12 in a row to tie Georges St-Pierre for the fourth-longest win streak in UFC history.
THEY SAID IT:
Max Holloway : “I feel really good. Actually, I feel great. I have worked hard to be here and I thank Overeem for the fight. It is one punch. Not just to Overeem, not just to Stipe [Miocic], I will do that to everyone. I am on my way to completing my dream. I always dreamed of being a world champion. I thought it would be in boxing but my dream changed when I discovered MMA. MMA was my calling and now I am on my way to this dream. Tell Stipe that I am coming. I am on my way to collect my belt. I thank him for keeping it for me but that time is over. That is my belt.”
Co-main: Francis Ngannou defeated Alistair OvereemIf Francis Ngannou wasn’t considered the scariest man on earth before his fight with Alistair Overeem, he is now. Ngannou knocked out Overeem with one punch, a colossus left upper cut that looked like it was out of a cartoon. He landed one nasty follow up hammer fist that wasn’t even necessary to beat Overeem by KO at 1:42 of the first round. Ngannou improves to 6-0 with all six wins coming by finish in the UFC and secures his title shot against Stipe Miocic in what will be a banger.
THEY SAID IT:
Francis Ngannou : “I feel really good. Actually, I feel great. I have worked hard to be here and I thank Overeem for the fight. It is one punch. Not just to Overeem, not just to Stipe [Miocic], I will do that to everyone. I am on my way to completing my dream. I always dreamed of being a world champion. I thought it would be in boxing but my dream changed when I discovered MMA. MMA was my calling and now I am on my way to this dream. Tell Stipe that I am coming. I am on my way to collect my belt. I thank him for keeping it for me but that time is over. That is my belt.”
Henry Cejudo defeated Sergio PettisIt was a tough act to follow for Henry Cejudo and Sergio Pettis, but “The Messenger” did exactly what he wanted to against Pettis and cruised to a unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. Cejudo landed a pair of takedowns and stifled Pettis’ offense and controlled him on the ground almost all 10 minutes of the fight. Cejudo went back to his roots to pick up an important and dominant victory. He out-landed Pettis for total strikes, 88-26.
THEY SAID IT:
Henry Cejudo: “I felt stronger out there. I never felt his power. My plan was to wrestle a little more, let my hands go when we were standing and I imposed my will. I’ve been dreaming about getting back to the championship for a long time and I just beat two Top 5 contenders. I want Demetrious Johnson. I know there’s talk of DJ and TJ [Dillashaw] but I think I deserve Demetrious. If not, then give me TJ. If DJ won’t fight him, I’ll fight him. DJ or TJ. Give me one of them.”
Eddie Alvarez defeated Justin GaethjeIt was almost impossible for this fight to live up to the hype but it found a way. Eddie Alvarez brought an absolutely insane pace to the fight, landing an unofficial 197 significant strikes before knocking out Justin Gaethje in the third round with a knee to the head at 3:53. Alvarez’s game plan was apparent early as he was throwing a lot of strikes and focusing on the body to try and slow down Gaethje. On the other side, Gaethje was using his lethal leg kicks to try and cut down Alvarez, but the “Underground King” couldn’t be stopped. In the third round, Gaethje had Alvarez limping bad and he could barely hold himself up at points, but the tough and savvy former champ fought threw it and timed the finishing knee perfectly. Gaethje withstood a ton of damage an inflicted a ton of his own, causing a huge hematoma on the side of the face of Alvarez. The loss is the first in the career of “the Highlight” and the former champ picks up his first win since losing the title to Conor McGregor.
THEY SAID IT:
Eddie Alvarez: “Titles are great but, at the end of the day, the thing everyone cares about is who the most violent fighter is and that’s what this fight was tonight. I trained for this like it was a five rounder and my plan was to finish in the third. If you’re not ready for Justin Gaethje, he’ll put you on your butt every time so I used the body shots to hurt him and control the pace. Every single day, I’m in the gym with my coaches. I try to be ready for anything.”
Tecia Torres defeated Michelle WatersonTecia Torres lived up to her nickname and kept the pressure on Michelle Waterson and the “Tiny Tornado” won a unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. Torres landed some powerful shots in the first round and some swelling started on the eye of Waterson. In the second, Waterson landed a head and arm throw and maintained top position for the majority of the round, but in the third Torres went back to the volume and secured the decision. Torres has now won three in a row and at No. 5 in the division now makes a stronger case as she pursues a title shot.
THEY SAID IT:
Tecia Torres: “Going into the third, I thought I had done enough to win the fight but I was a bit iffy because of her takedowns during the second round so I wanted to seal the deal in the third. I just kept throwing and looking for the finish. My goal in the third round was to finish her but I’m very happy to get the win. Rose [Namajunas] and I are have fought twice and we’re 1-1. I feel tonight was my best performance in the UFC and I would love to get that rematch. A trilogy fight for the title would be incredible and I would love to show off everything I have learned since the last time Rose and I fought.”
Paul Felder finishes off Charles Oliveira to close off the #UFC218 prelims! https://t.co/Be7AIrQgdS
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) December 3, 2017
It was a tough start for Paul Felder but an unbelievable finish as he took out Charles Oliveira with a series of ground and pound elbows to get the TKO stoppage at 4:06 of the second round. In the first, Oliveira scored an early takedown and attacked with a D’Arce choke and had Felder’s back for a bit, but the Irish Dragon stayed calm and was able to reverse the position and eventually get it back to the feet. He continued to bring the aggression in the second round and finially finished with the ground and pound. Felder is on an absolute tear, winning his last three fights all by knockout of TKO.
THEY SAID IT:
Paul Felder: “I have a lot of respect for Charles, he’s a very sneaky fighter, but I have crazy jiu-jitsu artists trying to choke me out daily in camp so I knew what to look for out there. It was a back and forth fight and he’s very tough. I knew that I could start dropping big elbows if I could get to the top position and that’s what I did. I felt him start to soften up. I did feel him tap but it was very light and I wasn’t 100% sure that it was a real tap or if it was just him moving. Dan [Miragliota] was watching over my shoulder and the last thing I wanted was to let up and him to say to keep going. I never want a fighter to take extra damage but I also wanted to make sure I finish the fight. That’s three straight finishes for me so I hope that the UFC sees this as time for me to step up in competition. I would love to fight Al [Iaquinta] if he decides he wants to fight again. I have a lot of respect for his style and I think we’d put on a hell of a show. I know Dustin Poirier is ahead of me but he just beat one of my teammates so I’d love to fight him too. I just want to fight the best 155-pound fighters in the world so, whoever that is, I’ll be ready.”
THE. SHOTS. KEEP. COMING. #UFC218 pic.twitter.com/X5ZZPDWZoU
— UFC (@ufc) December 3, 2017
In an instant classic and a serious contender for Fight of the Year, Yancy Meideiros outlasted Alex Oliveira in a fight that saw multiple swings of momentum and big strikes. Medeiros fought through 98 significant strikes from Oliveira and a first round that led to him staggering back to his corner on wobbly legs to finish Oliveira by TKO at 2:02 of the third round. The first round was a firefight where both guys got rocked bad. Medeiros looked in danger of not being able to answer the bell in the second after a bi first for Oliveira, but when he came out he came out strong. He landed his only takedown of the fight and rained down some devastating elbows, but Oliveira got the fight back up. In the third they traded again for a few minutes, before Medeiros dropped Oliveira on the fence with a flurry of body shots and big blows before getting pulled off. That’s three in a row for Medeiros and they’ve all come by finish.
THEY SAID IT:
Yancy Medeiros: “Thank you to Oliveira. He’s a cowboy and we all know that cowboys are tough; he proved it in that fight. Thank you to all my teammates and to Hawaii – I love you! Detroit, thank you for welcoming me and I hope you enjoyed what you saw tonight. Give us the bonus.”
>David Teymur defeated Drakkar KloseDavid Teymur’s tactical striking style frustrated Drakkar Klose and Teymur’s takedown defense was superb, allowing him to take a unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Teymur was having success coming in and out and landing an inside leg kick that bruised up the thigh of Klose over the course of the 15 minutes. Klose landed two of five takedowns but every time he got it there Teymur bounced right back up. The final striking numbers had Teymur with the 68-54 advantage in total strikes.
THEY SAID IT:
David Teymur: “I knew that this would be a very tough fight but that is why I fight in the UFC – so I can fight the best guys in the world. I am undefeated in the UFC and I’ve been fighting the top prospects. I want to fight a top 15 opponent and continue to prove myself.”
Felice Herrig defeated Cortney CaseyFelice Herrig did just enough in the eyes of the judges to secure a very close split decision win, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28, against Cortney Casey. The advantage for strikes landed went to Casey, who totaled 79 to 75 for Herrig. But Herrig landed the only takedown of the fight and looked to do a little more with her strikes landed, especially a very consistent and accurate left hook that she was hitting throughout the fight. Herrig extends win streak to four in a row.
THEY SAID IT:
Felice Herrig: “I’m very happy to get the victory. It was a close fight but I thought I had done enough to get the unanimous decision. You never know what the judges are looking for though so I’m just extremely happy to get the win. [Casey] is very tough and I think we both knew how close the fight was so we were both running high on emotion but there’s no bad blood there. Just a competitor spirit. I’m on a four-fight winning streak and I think I deserve high ranked opponents. The title just changed hands and I want to get my shot.”
Amanda Cooper defeated Angela MaganaIn a homecoming featured bout on UFC FIGHT PASS, Amanda Cooper mauled and finished a tough Angela Magana by TKO at 4:34 of the second round. Cooper landed 132 significant strikes and controlled Magana for over eight minute on the ground as she unleashed bombs and attacked with submissions until the referee stopped the fight late in the second. Cooper picks up her second win in the UFC, while Magana falls to 0-3.
THEY SAID IT:
Amanda Cooper: “I believed that I was the better fighter coming into this fight but I was surprised by how easy the takedowns came and how easy I controlled the pace. She’s a tough fighter but tonight was my night and I wanted to prove my dominance. When they told me the fight would be in Detroit, I was nervous. I felt like I fight better away from home because of all the pressure that comes with fighting in front of all your friends and family. I didn’t want to disappoint them. It was very therapeutic to win like this in my hometown. It showed me that all I need to worry about is growing and being the best fighter I can be. I’m still young in this sport and I want to continue to take smart fights and put on great performances. I study this division a lot and I want fights that will test me and push me to grow.”
Abdul Razak Alhassan defeated Sabah HomasiIn a controversial stoppage, Abdul Razak Alhassan took out Sabah Homasi by TKO at 4:21 of the first round. Both fighters had the other rocked several times in a chaotic first round. Homasi looked to go for a takedown as he was fighting with his back on the fence and as he dropped, Razak Alhassan landed a glancing punch and it seemed to take Homasi’s legs out from under him. Referee Herb Dean stepped in immediately but as he did Homasi looked to be fighting for the takedowns still and still fighting. Fans weren’t happy with the stoppage and UFC commentator Joe Rogan interviewed both fighters and explained that he too thought it was a bad stoppage. Homasi has now lost all three of his fights in the UFC, while Razak Alhassan picks up his second win in the UFC. Before the final sequence, Homasi had his moments, using some strong defense and combination work to touch Alhassan up a few times. Between the two of them they landed a total of 59 significant strikes.
THEY SAID IT:
Abdul Razak Alhassan: “I am obviously happy to win but how the fight ended is disappointing. I understand why the referee stopped the fight though since he was watching from behind. From that angle, it looked like he was injured from my punch and the referee must look out for our safety. However, if I lost a fight in that manner I know how I would feel, so I feel for Homasi. I expected the fight to be a war because my coaches had shown me how tough [Homasi] was but I thought he would start slow and that would come later in the fight. It was a lot of fun out there though. Regardless of the circumstances, it is great to have the win. I am not the type of fighter to call out or trash talk so I will be ready for whoever the UFC gives me next. I hope that that this is the start of me climbing the division and fighting bigger names.”
STILL UNDEFEATED!
Two @UFC fights. Two first round finishes for @DomReyes. #UFC218 pic.twitter.com/vHllEP1x8J
— UFC (@ufc) December 2, 2017
Dominick Reyes maintained his perfect record by overwhelming Jeremy Kimball before cinching in a rear naked choke that forced Kimball to tap at 3:39 of the first round. Kimball looked to wrestle as soon as the fight started and even landed a takedown in the opening minute. But it was Reyes who went on to dominate in the grappling exchanges, sweeping Kimball to get it to the ground before taking the back. Once on the back, Reyes was able to lock in a body triangle and he started raining big elbows before sneaking in his arm to apply the choke. Reyes is now 2-0 in the UFC.
THEY SAID IT:
Dominick Reyes: “That’s two UFC fights and two finishes so I feel awesome. The 205lb division is known for being one of the most exciting divisions in the sport and I’m trying to carry on that tradition. I took my UFC debut 22 days after my previous fight so it was great to get a full camp in for this fight. I wanted to learn more and improve my skillset and I think I showed that tonight by controlling the positions, locking in the body triangle and getting the submission. I’m a young guy who can finish the fight at any time so, wherever the UFC matchmakers think that puts me, is where I am. I don’t have a specific opponent in mind just yet. I’ll talk to the UFC and see who makes the most sense. I want to prove that I’m the future.”
WHAT A START TO THE NIGHT!@BigPrettyMMA stuns then finishes Crowder in round one!!! #UFC218 pic.twitter.com/glo7LWdws2
— UFC (@ufc) December 2, 2017
Justin Willis rocked Allen Crowder with a technical left hook that sent him staggering bac toward the fence. Seeing his opponent struggling to shake off the effects of the punch, Willis stormed in and threw a few big shots before the picture-perfect looping left hook sent Crowder to the mat, ending the fight in emphatic fashion. Willis got the KO win at 2:33 of the first round. Willis was winging big bombs early in the fight as he connected on a few combinations that had Crowder smiling a little bit. Willis just kept coming forward until the final blows landed to give him the amazing finish. Willis said after the fight that he is ready to take over the heavyweight division and to expect more big finishes as he continues his trek up the rankings. Willis improves to 2-0 in the UFC with the win.
THEY SAID IT:
Justin Willis: “It was incredible to start the night off with a bang for the fans here in Detroit. I call that the ‘pretty flex’. I’m a man of my word and I said first round knockout. My coaches were telling me to kick but I wanted to throw headshots and get the finish. It was very emotional for me in there because I came from nothing. I started from the bottom and now I’m here in the UFC – the biggest show on the planet. I’m going to keep knocking everyone out that steps in front of me. The guy that gets paid is the guy who steps up. Give me anyone and I will put them down. This is my time.”
