It was the night of the underdogs at UFC 207, especially when it came to the main and co-main events of the evening.
In one of the most stunning performances of the year, Amanda Nunes needed just 48 seconds to put away Ronda Rousey, who was back in the Octagon for the first time since suffering a knockout loss to Holly Holm in November 2015.
From the first exchange, it was clear Nunes was gunning for the knockout and she didn’t stop until Rousey was pinned against the cage and eating punches, forcing referee Herb Dean to intervene. Incredibly, Nunes landed 27 significant shots in just 48 seconds before getting the stoppage over Rousey.
Despite Rousey coming off a loss, fantasy players still had a lot of faith in the former champion, with 59 percent picking her to get the win. Out of the 41 percent who picked Nunes to come away with the victory, 86 percent said she would get the finish by knockout. Nunes came through in a big way for those fantasy players savvy enough to pick her to get the win.
In the co-main event, Cody Garbrandt shocked the world with a five-round masterpiece to dethrone Dominick Cruz and become the new UFC bantamweight champion of the world.
Garbrandt used a smart, tactical game plan to beat Cruz to the punch over and over again during the 25-minute war while also putting Cruz on the deck during the fight as well. Only 29 percent of fantasy players had Garbrandt winning going into Friday night, but it’s not likely he’ll be nearly as big of an underdog for his next fight after the performance he put on against Cruz at UFC 207.
More from UFC 207: Full results | Nunes retains crown with shocking Rousey KO | Postfight press conference highlights | Garbrandt stuns Cruz to win championship | Garbrandt gives championship to cancer survivor | Dillashaw, Kim, Borg go distance for wins
Backstage interviews: Amanda Nunes | Cody Garbrandt | Dominick Cruz | TJ Dillashaw | Ray Borg | Neil Magny | Tim Means
Octagon interviews: Amanda Nunes | Cody Garbrandt
UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers: Watch Tim Means vs Charles Oliveira on-demand | Order UFC 207 digital replay
.@Cody_Nolove wasn’t the only one whose dream came true at #UFC207. @anezbitt caught up w/the champ & Maddux Maple. https://t.co/95J9Z5uxkU
— AtTheBuzzer (@TheBuzzerOnFOX) December 31, 2016
While the main and co-main events both went to the underdogs, TJ Dillashaw was one of the bigger favorites to get a win at UFC 207 after he dominated John Lineker for three rounds. 78 percent of players had Dillashaw getting the win, with another 68 percent predicting that he would win by decision.
Dong Hyun Kim edged out Tarec Saffiedine in a close, hard fought battle at welterweight. Kim was the popular pick with fantasy players after 59 percent selected him going into the night, with another 60 percent saying that he would get the victory by decision.
The main card actually kicked off with one of the biggest upsets of the night after Ray Borg mauled Louis Smolka for three rounds en route to a lopsided decision win. Only 29 percent of fantasy players picked Borg going into the night with this fight also serving up an extra 120 points due to it being such a tight matchup on paper. For the players who picked Borg, he ended up as a huge points booster when it was all over.
While Neil Magny was taking on a former champion in Johny Hendricks, he enjoyed favorite status for their fight, with a whopping 67 percent picking him to get the win. Magny used a slick submission arsenal and strong striking to out duel Hendricks over three rounds, with another 66 percent of players correctly predicting that he would win by decision.
The rest of the prelims played out with two favorites and one underdog getting wins.
Antonio Carlos Junior defeated Marvin Vettori in a grueling three round battle after 69 percent of players picked him to win, while Alex Garcia slammed home a highlight reel knockout to finish Mike Pyle after 66 percent of players selected him going into UFC 207.
As for the upset, newcomer Niko Price looked outstanding with his submission victory over Brandon Thatch, despite just 21 percent of fantasy players picking him.
Overall, five favorites came away victorious with four upsets on the card and one no contest between Tim Means and Alex Oliveira that kicked off the night for UFC 207 in Las Vegas.
