Bisping vs St-Pierre | Garbrandt vs Dillashaw | Jedrzejczyk vs Namajunas | Thompson vs Masvidal | Hendricks vs Costa | Vick vs Duffy | Harris vs Godbeer | Saint Preux vs Anderson | Brown vs Gall | Oleinik vs Blaydes | Zahabi vs Ramos
Action starts at 10 pm ET
Main event: Michael Bisping vs Georges St-Pierre
Fight coming up later tonight on Pay-Per-View
Co-main: TJ Dillashaw defeated Cody Garbrandt
Cody Garbrandt dropped TJ Dillashaw just before the end of round one, but the challenger made it out of the round and stumbled back to his corner. Garbrandt looked to be in complete control, but Dillashaw recovered and landed a head kick in the second that rocked Garbrandt and then a counter right hook that knocked out the now former champion. Dillashaw regained the bantamweight championship at 2:41 of the second round. The bout lived up to the hype as it was a high-level striking contest. Garbrandt looked as fast as ever, but Dillashaw weathered the storm and timed a counter perfectly. After the finish, Garbrandt popped back up, likely still on dream street and TJ was in the process of celebrating. After a few moments the two embraced and shared some words. After Dillashaw was announced the winner, he told Garbrandt they’d meet again.
THAT LEFT HOOK THO!!!@RoseNamajunas #UFC217 pic.twitter.com/bxo33yzSLi
— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2017
Rose Namajunas defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk
In perhaps the upset of 2017, “Thug” Rose Namajunas shocked Madison Square Garden with a first-round knockout against Joanna Jedrzejczyk to become the new women’s strawweight champion. Namajunas rocked Jedrzejczyk early in the fight and dropped her, but the former champion made her way back to her feet. Then she got tagged with a left hook that connected right on the chin and she fell again. Namajunas followed up with a bunch of other shots before the referee waved his hands to end the fight. Jedrzejczyk suffers her first career loss and Namajunas cashes a ton of tickets as what ended around a 6-to-1 underdog pick. Namajunas looked quick and explosive with her striking and becomes the third UFC strawweight champion in history. Jedrzejczyk falls one defense short of tying Ronda Rousey’s record of 6.
THEY SAID IT:
Rose Namajunas: “It really hasn’t hit me yet. For some reason, I kept seeing the finish coming in the third but I’ll take the first! The build-up to the fight really showed me a lot. In many ways, Joanna showed me how to be a champion but also showed me how not to behave as a champion. I hope tonight changed some of her opinions about me. I have so much respect for her and for anyone who steps into the Octagon and does this. I’m so happy right now. I can’t wait to get home, look at my garden and take this all in.”
Stephen Thompson defeated Jorge MasvidalIt was a masterclass performance from Stephen Thompson, who scored a knockdown against Jorge Masvidal and out-struck “Gamebred,” 73-58 to get his first win since 2016 by unanimous decision, 30-26, 30-27, 30-27. Wonderboy looked like his old self, making Masvidal miss and getting inside and out quickly with cobra-like strikes. Masvidal seemed frustrated after 15 minutes because of the awkward style of Thompson. Champion Tyron Woodley tweeted that it isn’t that easy to fight Wonderboy, who makes life tough in there for his opponents.
THEY SAID IT:
Stephen Thompson: “I feel great. Obviously, I want to perform better each time I fight but, after eight months off, it just feels great to be back. Masvidal is tough. He threw a lot more leg kicks than I expected him to but it was my fight. I want the winner of Lawler-Dos Anjos next. I’m always looking for what will get me back to the title and Lawler is ahead of me in the rankings currently so I think the winner of that fight makes a lot of sense.”
Paulo Costa def. Johny HendricksThe hype is very deserved in the case of Paulo Costa, who decimated former champion Johnny Hendricks before finishing by TKO at 1:23 of the second round. Costa targeted the body of Hendricks, who fought tough and with a lot of heart to withstand the early onslaught from the bigger and stronger Costa. But in the end the 51 significant strikes from the Brazilian allowed him to get Hendricks out of there. Hendricks wasn’t thrilled with the stoppage but the likelihood of him recovering and getting back into the fight seemed very low. Costa improves to a perfect 11-0 and positions himself for consideration for a top 15 spot in the middleweight rankings.
THEY SAID IT:
Paulo Costa: “I feel great. This was the biggest win so far of my career. I am very confident in my abilities and the team I have around me. Johny Hendricks isn’t just anyone. He is a former world champion and I beat him – dominantly. I feel like I deserve a Top 10 opponent. I want to fight Derek Brunson next.”
AT THE HORN!!!@JamesVickMMA finishes Duffy in round 2 w/ SECONDS remaining!! #UFC217 pic.twitter.com/1bOKhInhXv
— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2017
James Vick defeated Joe Duffy
Joe Duffy came out tough in round one and landed some good shots on James Vick, but in the second round Vick’s size and reach advantage started to show as the long lightweight began to touch up Duffy before dropping him and finishing at the end of round two by TKO at 4:59. Vick said after the fight that he studied Duffy and knew he’d be able to use his upper cut, which was what dropped Duffy. Vick improves to 12-1 and has now won three in a row. Vick said his 8-1 record in the UFC and nobody wants to fight him. Vick wants the main event spot in Austin, Texas.
THEY SAID IT:
James Vick: “I feel like he was looking for a way out and found one. The referee is supposed to grab me to separate us and I never felt that so I was going for the finish. I didn’t think I had done anything wrong. You don’t spend eight weeks in a camp, have the fight cancelled and rescheduled and train for another four weeks to do something stupid and get disqualified. In my mind, he quit tonight.”
Mark Godbeer defeated Walt HarrisIn a disappointing ending, Mark Godbeer was declared the winner by disqualification due to an illegal kick from Walt Harris. While in the clinch, Harris landed a knee that went below the belt and when the referee screamed to stop and tried to get in the middle, Harris threw a headkick that landed flush and Godbeer fell to one knee in the corner. Harris complained that he didn’t hear the ref say stop and didn’t seem to realize he hit Godbeer with a low blow. In any case, two losses in a row now for Harris, who was submitted by Fabricio Werdum last month in a short notice fight. Godbeer has won two in a row. />
THEY SAID IT:
Walt Harris: “I feel like he was looking for a way out and found one. The referee is supposed to grab me to separate us and I never felt that so I was going for the finish. I didn’t think I had done anything wrong. You don’t spend eight weeks in a camp, have the fight cancelled and rescheduled and train for another four weeks to do something stupid and get disqualified. In my mind, he quit tonight.”
Ovince Saint Preux defeated Corey AndersonIt was a tough matchup for Ovince Saint Preux against Corey Anderson, who looked in top form as he collected three takedowns and was out-striking OSP early in the third round. But OSP, always the dangerous striker, landed a highlight-reel KO headkick at 1:25 of the final frame to earn his 16th UFC win. Saint Preux rocked Anderson in the first and the second but was being out-wrestled and likely losing rounds because of it. But the one-hitter-quitter gives OSP his third win in a row and the former Tennessee Volunteer football player called out Ilir Latifi after the fight for a bout in December.
ICYMI: @003_OSP wins in DEVASTATING fashion
(Via @UFConFOX) #UFC217 pic.twitter.com/Gxh0tf3Sl4
— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2017
THEY SAID IT:
Ovince Saint Preux: “The first round was a lot of fun. I caught him a couple of times, he hit me too. In the second round, I caught him with that high kick and was able to go back to it in the third and get the knockout. About a month ago, Latifi called me out and that’s why I mentioned him tonight. Let’s do it December 30th in Las Vegas. I’m ready to go.”
Randy Brown defeated Mickey GallRandy Brown came out in the first round and established control, out-striking Mickey Gall and landing a takedown. Gall came back strong in the second round but it wasn’t enough, as Brown picked up the pace in the third to cruise to a unanimous decision win, 29-28, 29-28, 29-27. Both Brown and Gall are products of the “Dana White: Lookin’ For a Fight” reality series, and Gall loses for the first time in his career. Brown picks up his fourth UFC win to improve to 10-2. Final numbers show Gall out-landing Brown for the fight in total strikes, 79-59, but Brown held the significant strike advantage at 48-10. When the fight was on the ground, Gall was working hard for a submission, but Brown defended well and even attacked with his own jiu-jitsu. By the end of the fight Gall was busted up from a combination of standing and ground strikes.
THEY SAID IT:
Randy Brown: “I took Mickey very seriously coming into this fight. I knew I was the more experienced guy but he’s a great fighter. He was very composed and kept the pace up. In the third round, I really took over but he was still talking to me. Overall, I thought it was a great performance and it was fun to fight in my hometown with all of my family and friends here. I’m going to talk to my team and the UFC. We have some names in mind but, for now, I’m just going to celebrate this win. I should get a ‘Lookin’ For A Fight’ title belt.”
Action starts at 7:00 pm ET
Curtis Blaydes defeated Aleksei Oleinik
It was a confusing finish in this one, but there was no doubt that Curtis Blaydes did enough to earn the victory. Blaydes grazed Aleksei Oleinik’s head (his ear actually) with a kick while he had one hand on the ground. The referee stepped in and most believed it might be an illegal blow. Instant replay was used to determine that wasn’t the case and the referee stopped the fight on doctor’s orders because Oleinik was unable to continue at 1:56 of the second round. Blaydes battered Oleinik in the first round and landed three takedowns in the first five minutes. He had Oleinik staggered toward the end of the round and the Russian stumbled back to his corner. Blaydes improves to 8-1 and collects his third UFC victory.
THEY SAID IT:
Curtis Blaydes: “I’ve seen so many highlight videos of guys standing up and eating a kick as they take their hands off the mat so I saw an opportunity. I wanted to get a bonus tonight and I saw that as my best opportunity. While we waited on the decision, I felt like I was going to be robbed of my performance tonight. I’m proud of what I did out there and I didn’t want that to be taken away by the fight stoppage. I’m very happy with the win but I wish I’d gotten a chance to really finish him. I want to get back in the Octagon soon but I like having time in the gym to improve. I feel I showed a lot of improvement tonight compared to my last fight so I’m excited to get back home and into the gym.”
OHHHHH!!!!@RicardoRamosMMA lands the spinning back elbow on the 2nd try and puts Zahabi OUT!! WOW!! #UFC217 pic.twitter.com/AhxEz4Fhon
— UFC (@ufc) November 4, 2017
Ricardo Ramos defeated Aiemann Zahabi
Aiemann Zahabi was likely down on the scorecards in the third round when he started to get aggressive, moving forward with some offense looking to catch Ricardo Ramos. The finishing sequence came in the third when Zahabi caught Ramos with a left hook and a jab. But as the Canadian just missed on a straight right hand, Ramos put everything he had into a spinning back elbow and lenaded it directly on the chin of Zahabi, who was knocked out on contact. He dropped to the canvas and didn’t move for almost 30 seconds. It was only the second spinning back elbow KO in UFC history. The loss was the first for Zahabi, as Ramos remained unbeaten in the UFC with his second victory.
THEY SAID IT:
Ricardo Ramos: “[Zahabi] was very tough. My plan was to finish him in the first round but I am very happy that I got the victory. This was not something that I saw in his game, I just have a lot of tricks up my sleeve. Now I want to fight someone in the Top 15. I believe that I’m the one and I will be champion. I want to prove that against someone who is ranked.”
