Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero might not have fought for the middleweight belt at UFC 225 on Saturday in Chicago, but it didn't stop them from putting on one of the best fights of the year.
The Reaper defeated Romero in a split decision that might be controversial to some. What wasn't controversial is it was a back-and-forth fight that lived up to the hype, as So Cal News Group's Josh Gross noted:
Josh Gross @yay_yeeJudges: 48-47, 47-48, 48-47 for Whittaker. Tight, tight fight. Whittaker says he broke his right hand in the opening round. Good Lord it's rough in there against Yoel Romero.
At first, it appeared the weight cut that left Romero 0.2 pounds over the 185-pound limit and unable to win the title would lead to a bad night at the office. He looked sluggish in the first two rounds as Whittaker opened up early and grabbed a lead on the scorecards.
But Romero is always dangerous, especially when it looks like he's out of the fight.
The massive 6'0" middleweight landed a left hand that knocked down Whittaker and opened the floodgates for a brawl to break out in the United Center. If the bout isn't a contender for Fight of the Year, the round should get consideration. Fighter Michael Chiesa agrees:
Michael Chiesa @MikeMav22Round 3 was round of the year, that was fight of the year. That was an amazing main event. Thank you @robwhittakermma and @YoelRomeroMMA. #ufc225
Romero scored knockdowns in the fourth and fifth rounds, leading many to believe Romero should have won. However, that wasn't the case on two of the judges' scorecards, and the Australian once again got his hand raised.
After Romero missed weight, it's uncertain where his next fight will be, but a trilogy shouldn't be out of the question. After the bout, the Cuban said he felt he won and should be the champion, per Gross:
Josh Gross @yay_yeeRomero says he didn't lose tonight. Believes he would have made weight and thinks he deserves to hold the UFC 185lb title.
The middleweight bout wasn't the only notable action that went down, though. There were plenty of high-profile fights that will have an impact on their divisions, including Colby Covington capturing the interim welterweight title.
Here's a look at all the results and a closer examination of each main card bout.
Main card
Robert Whittaker def. Yoel Romero via split decision
Colby Covington def. Rafael dos Anjos via unanimous decision
Holly Holm def. Megan Anderson via unanimous decision
Tai Tuivasa def. Andrei Arlovski via unanimous decision
Mike Jackson def. CM Punk via unanimous decision
Undercard
Curtis Blaydes def. Alistair Overeem via third-round TKO (2:56)
Claudia Gadelha def. Carla Esparza via split decision
Mirsad Bektic def. Ricardo Lamas via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Chris de la Rocha def. Rashad Coulter via second-round TKO (3:53)
Anthony Smith def. Rashad Evans via first-round KO (0:53)
Sergio Pettis def. Joseph Benavidez via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Charles Oliveira def, Clay Guida via submission (guillotine) (R1, 2:18)
Dan Ige def. Mike Santiago via first-round TKO (0:50)
Colby Covington vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Love him or hate him, Colby "Chaos" Covington did something unique at UFC 225. He somehow turned in a high-paced, incredibly frustrating fight en route to the biggest win of his career.
The polarizing 30-year-old plied his usual high-paced, wrestling-heavy game against Rafael dos Anjos for a full five rounds to pick up the unanimous-decision victory. Whether any of that wrestling led to the damage that RDA caused in his moments of open space is up for debate.
However, Covington's sheer volume was enough to catch the judges' attention, and he's officially the No. 2 guy in the division behind reigning champion Tyron Woodley.
It was a distinction that he wasted no time in letting people know:
UFC @ufc"I'm coming for you @TWooodley." @ColbyCovMMA #UFC225 https://t.co/MeKN7GfSDF
Covington might be a lousy trash-talker, but he did show that his skills in the Octagon are effective, if not entertaining. Like it or not, a legitimate contender for the welterweight title emerged in Chicago in the most frustrating way possible.
Megan Anderson vs. Holly Holm
The 6'0", 145-pound Megan Anderson might have an interesting blend of size and power that makes her a featherweight title contender later in her career, but Holly Holm showed that time is not now.
The Preacher's Daughter put on a grappling clinic against a much larger Anderson to take a unanimous-decision victory over the UFC debutant.
Anderson flashed the power that made her UFC debut worth putting on a pay-per-view early in the fight, but that salvo turned out to be the only highlight for Anderson:
UFC @ufcOne round in. @MeganA_MMA has showed NO NERVES. #UFC225 https://t.co/g5Wk0hHJzp
It was a rare side of Holm that she usually doesn't go to in the cage. The former boxing champion isn't normally a dominant wrestler, but she showcased grappling chops in taking the larger opponent down numerous times and transitioning to dominant positions.
Her performance was enough to generate buzz about Holm's return to 135 pounds, where she could challenge Amanda Nunes for the title she lost to Miesha Tate in 2016:
Matt Parrino @MattParrinoI may be in the minority here but I really want to see Holm challenge Amanda Nunes for the title. I think her style presents problems for the champ. #UFC225
After the bout, she declared her aspirations to get that belt back:
MMAFighting.com @MMAFightingHolm: The 135-pound belt is dear to me. I want it back. #UFC225
Tai Tuivasa vs. Andrei Arlovski
Anyone questioning whether Tai Tuivasa could make it out of the first round with enough cardio to win a fight got their questions answered. The Australian slugger came out of the first frame with enough vigor to capture a unanimous-decision win over Andrei Arlovski.
Tuivasa is known for his knockout power, which has led to a first-round KO in each of his first seven fights, but it took a more refined approach to topple The Pitbull.
He did flash his power with a left hook that floored Arlovski in the first, but the former champion continued fighting:
UFC @ufcThe power from Down Under. @BamBamTuivasa #UFC225 https://t.co/CyY4Kxi8TB
Overall, this is probably a better result than another first-round knockout. If Tuivasa is to become a legit heavyweight contender, he'll find fighters who can withstand his power.
This was a good sign that he'll be able to stick to a game plan that works over the course of three rounds, not just become a knockout-or-bust fighter.
CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson
There were a lot of doubters who said CM Punk would never make the transition from WWE Superstar to successful UFC fighter.
They were right.
Punk lost his second attempt at professional cage fighting against a fellow 0-1 fighter when he and Mike Jackson forced a pay-per-view audience to watch low-level MMA for three rounds. Jackson took his sweet time in building a lead over Punk with solid, unremarkable boxing.
Punk attempted to grapple with Jackson, but his techniques were less than stellar, as MMA analyst Phil Mackenzie noted:
Phil Mackenzie @EvilGregJacksonSo that was sort of jump guard or jump guillotine... but also sort of that thing where kids jump into their parents arms and cling on for dear life. Innovative.
Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting summed it up best:
Dave Doyle @davedoylemmaYes, I know, props to Punk for chasing his dream and blah blah blah. Now let's never turn a PPV over to amateur hour again, thanks.
This is likely to be a one-off for Jackson, who won't make any noise in the UFC if he can't finish a neophyte like Punk.
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