UFC News & FeaturesCharles Oliveira Submits Dustin Poirier, Julianna Pena Dethrones Amanda Nunes at UFC 269
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The cries of those who question Charles Oliveira’s validity as champion have grown faint, their sound blunted by yet another virtuoso performance from the finely tuned Brazilian.
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Oliveira (32-8, 20-8 UFC) assaulted the Louisianan with vicious kicks and knees to the body for much of the first round, all while pushing a merciless pace. Poirier answered in spurts and even dropped the Chute Boxe rep with a right hook, but it soon became clear that the champion’s strategy was taking its intended toll. Oliveira scrambled into top position early in the second round and paired stifling top control with elbow-laced ground-and-pound. He snuck behind a fatigued Poirier at the start of Round 3, climbed onto his back and secured the choke. Oliveira’s squeeze did the rest.
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Underdog Pena Dethrones Nunes
“The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner Julianna Pena sprang one of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts history, as she submitted Amanda Nunes with a rear-naked choke and claimed the undisputed women’s bantamweight championship in the second round of their co-main event. Nunes (21-5, 14-2 UFC) checked out 3:26 into Round 2, suffering her first defeat since Sept. 27, 2014.
Pena (11-4, 7-2 UFC) waded through considerable difficulty in the first round, where the champion zeroed in on her leg with kicks, dumped her to the mat and transitioned to her back. She turned it into a brawl in Round 2, and Nunes could not keep up. Pena battered the American Top Team star with jabs and clubbing right hands, walked through the shots that were fired in response and waited for the Brazilian to exhaust herself. She then executed a takedown, moved to the back when faced with little resistance and cinched the choke for the finish.
On a two-fight winning streak, Pena now sits atop the 135-pound mountain.
Neal Edges Ponzinibbio in Split Verdict
Fortis MMA export Geoff Neal recorded his first win in nearly two years and closed the book on a two-fight losing streak, as he eked out a split decision over “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil” Season 2 semifinalist Santiago Ponzinibbio in a three-round welterweight attraction. Judges Derek Cleary and Sal D’Amato scored it 30-27 and 29-28 for Neal, while Douglas Crosby saw it 29-28 for Ponzinibbio.
There was not much to differentiate the two well-matched contenders. Ponzinibbio (28-5, 10-4 UFC) chipped away with inside leg kicks, fired off basic one-twos and mixed in a second-round takedown but failed to gain traction in terms of momentum. Neal (14-4, 6-2 UFC) seemed to find another gear in Round 3, where he strung together two, three and sometimes four punches at a time while doing just enough to counteract the American Top Team-trained Argentinian’s efforts.
The setback was Ponzinibbio’s second in three outings.
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France Ambushes Flyweight Garbrandt
City Kickboxing’s Kai Kara France put away former 135-pound champion Cody Garbrandt with punches in the first round of their flyweight feature. Garbrandt (12-5, 7-5 UFC) bowed out 3:21 into Round 1. He could not have envisioned a ruder welcome to a new division.
The 28-year-old France (23-9, 6-2 UFC) floored the Team Alpha Male export with an overhand right and gave chase. Still resourceful in a compromised state, Garbrandt briefly stymied the Kiwi with a takedown. However, France returned to his feet, reset and cut loose with punches. He pinned Garbrandt to the fence, wobbled him with a multi-punch volley that included a right uppercut and then punctuated the finish with one final right hand while his opponent tried to retreat.
France has rattled off 11 victories in 13 appearances.
Sensational O’Malley Stops Paiva
Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Sean O’Malley chopped down Raulian Paiva with punches in the first round of their bantamweight showcase. Paiva (21-4, 3-3 UFC) met his end 4:42 into Round 1, his three-fight winning streak having run its course.
O’Malley (15-1, 7-1 UFC) kept the Team Alpha Male-trained Brazilian at a manageable distance with a punishing jab and let his punching power do the rest. The Tim Welsh protégé staggered Paiva with an overhand right, swarmed with follow-up punches and sprawled out of a desperate takedown attempt. O’Malley continued to fire punches until his counterpart hit the canvas, at which point referee Jason Herzog moved in to prevent further damage.
The 27-year-old O’Malley will ride a three-fight winning streak into his next assignment.
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