Join us today (Saturday, July 29th) on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring and play-by-play for UFC 214: Cormier vs. Jones 2 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Tonight’s incredible tripleheader of title fights includes the highly anticipated light heavyweight championship rematch between current titleholder Daniel Cormier and the only man to ever defeat him in MMA, former champion Jon Jones. The co-main event sees welterweight champion Tyron Woodley square off against BJJ specialist Demian Maia, while Cris Cyborg fights Tonya Evinger for the vacant UFC women’s featherweight title.
This post will cover the PPV main card, with the exception of Cormier vs. Jones 2, which will have its own post.
UFC Fight Pass will broadcast the opening three preliminary card bouts, beginning at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT. They then move over to FXX (not FX, FXX) at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT for the other four prelims bouts. The five-fight PPV main card kicks off at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT and are covered in a separate post. Check out this week’s MMA Vivisection for predictions, analysis and betting odds on the each match up.
Tyron Woodley vs. Demian Maia – UFC welterweight championship
Round 1 – Maia with the immediate takedown attempt and Woodley defends it brilliantly. Big right hand by Woodley and then another stuffed shot by the challenger. Third time the charm? Nope. Fourth time of asking on the single-leg and Woodley grabbed the fence to stop that one. Herb Dean warns that he’ll dock a point next time it happens. Maia with the left hand and then changes levels and he fails to complete the takedown again. Counter right hand by Woodley. Not much happening in the center of the Octagon. Lots of feinting and waiting by both men. Another sprawl by Woodley as Maia just can’t get this fight to the ground. Little of consequence happens for the rest of round 1. 10-9 Woodley. Replays showed that in the round, a right uppercut caused immediate swelling on Demian Maia’s left eye when he was going for a takedown.
Round 2 – Right hand from the champion backs Maia up. Inside leg kick from Woodley. Maia with the straight left. Woodley drops Maia with a right hand and despite Maia’s request to have Woodley jump into his guard, he is stood up. It’s Woodley on the front foot now. Single-leg by Maia and that wasn’t even close. Straight right to the body from Woodley. Leg kick by Woodley and Maia tries to hold on for dear life and get Woodley down. Tyron wriggles free and it’s another unsuccessful moment for Demian. Woodley sticks out the jab. Woodley just shucked Maia off on a takedown and he also may have landed another uppercut. Maia lands a left but whiffs on the follow-up. The seconds tick away and another round is in the books for the champ. 20-18 Woodley.
Round 3 – Maia shoots again and is denied again. Woodley’s right hand is blocked. Quick low kick from Woodley. He shows Maia the right hand and then fires off a jab. Maia is off target on the right hook. Maia retreats after Woodley’s right partially connects. Crowd is booing at the midway point of this title fight. Inside leg kick is on point for Woodley. Straight left catches Woodley but the moments are few and far between. There’s another poor takedown attempt by Maia, as Woodley sprawls with ease. Body kick from Maia. Hardly anything else happens. 30-27 Woodley.
Round 4 – Woodley goes to the head and body but doesn’t really land anything flush. Maia just failed on his 14th takedown attempt. Oh hang on, maybe he can get it on the 15th try? Woodley just about grabbed the fence again, turned the corner, and got himself free. Nice body punch by Woodley. Maia comes up short on a straight left. Another takedown, another stuff. Woodley’s TDD is flawless tonight. Woodley right hand lands over the top, then Maia lands a leg kick. Two right hands connect for the champion, who isn’t really dominating on the feet but he’s getting in the more damaging blows. This is absolutely tedious. 40-36 Woodley.
Round 5 – Same story as the other rounds. Maia can’t complete a takedown and can’t land enough big shots. Woodley with a left hook. Try #20 for Maia is as effective as the other 19. Nice left hand by Maia. Woodley avoids a single-leg. Maia threw a head kick before that and you can probably guess the end result of that. The crowd is entertaining itself by waving their cell phone lights in the air. Crowd is now chanting “BORING!” and based off the earlier night’s action, can you blame them for their displeasure? Maia may have clipped Woodley with a counter left. Right hand by Woodley catches Maia at the end of the punch. Left hand lands again for Maia. One last takedown attempt by Maia. What a surprise. No dice. Honestly I’m giving that round to Maia just ‘cuz. He actually had some decent moments. This was wretched to watch. 49-46 Woodley.
Official result: Tyron Woodley def. Demian Maia by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-46) to remain UFC welterweight champion
Cristiane Justino vs. Tonya Evinger – UFC women’s featherweight championship
Round 1 – Here we go! Left hook (shovel hook?) immediately drops Evinger inside of 10 seconds. Leg kicks from Evinger. Cyborg is just unleashing massive shots and Evinger ties up. Evinger tries for the takedown and winds up on the bottom. Cyborg has her stand back up. Big right hand by Cyborg. Vicious leg kick by Cyborg. Evinger throws out the jab. Head kick misses for Cyborg and Evinger is in on a takedown but she’s finding it hard to get her down. Cyborg is briefly down but back to her feet again. Evinger with another takedown but Cyborg is back up and drills Evinger with a knee. Eye poke by Evinger and it’s a clear one. Cyborg needs time to recover. The doctor checks in and she’s good. Fight restarts with about 2 minutes left. Cyborg with the inside leg kick. Vicious knee to the body by Evinger. Cyborg is showing off her strength in the clinch. Hard right hand by Cyborg rocks Evinger. Here comes Cyborg just teeing off against the fence with power punches and head kicks. Evinger threw possibly the worst right hand I’ve ever seen. Another crushing right and then a knee at the horn. 10-9 Cyborg.
Round 2 – Leg kick by Cyborg. And again. Evinger eats a jab. She’s tough but she’s horribly overmatched thus far. Head kick sends Evinger backwards. She checks Cyborg’s leg kick and clips Cris with a right hand. Left hook and a right hand by Cyborg. Evinger clinches and can’t get the takedown, then she takes a knee to the body. Two-punch combo and a knee to the body by Cyborg, and a head kick. Cyborg is just picking her apart with any strike she pleases. These leg kicks are lethal. Massive right hand again and one more for good measure. Knee to the body by Cyborg. Evinger clinches up and the round. That’s a 10-8. 20-17 Cyborg.
Round 3 – Leg kick by Cyborg for the millionth time. What a right hand by the Brazilian. Then a head kick. Cyborg drops Evinger with a right hand and now she’s going off on Tonya’s legs. Evinger is back to her feet but on borrowed time. Superman punch by Cyborg. I don’t know how much longer this will last or needs to last. It’s knee after knee after knee after knee against the fence and down goes Evinger again. That’s a wrap. Cyborg is a UFC champ.
Official result: Cris Cyborg def. Tonya Evinger by TKO (strikes) at 1:56 of round 3 to win the UFC women’s featherweight title
Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone – Welterweights
Round 1 – Lawler comes out swinging and throwing knees and punches in the clinch. Huge knees! Lawler is just all over Cerrone. Knees and uppercuts and punches to the side of the head. This could be over quickly. Lawler with Cerrone against the fence. Big ROBBIE! ROBBIE! chants. Hard elbow by Cerrone. They exchange knees to the body. Lawler remains pressuring Cerrone. Takedown by Cerrone is stuffed. Not a very good single-leg. Head kick by Cerrone just misses. Cerrone ducked into a knee. Another knee by Lawler and Cerrone has him down his time. That’s a huge relief for him. Cerrone with some punches in Lawler’s guard and he’s in half-guard now. Looking for the quick pass to mount but Lawler denies him. Cerrone in side control, then north-south. One minute to go. Knee to the body by Donald and then he tries to spin to the back but Lawler escapes to the feet. Elbow by Cerrone may have stunned Lawler. Head kick by Cowboy! Lawler just takes it and I think he partially blocked it. What a round. 10-9 Lawler.
Round 2 – Leg kick by Lawler buckles Cerrone as he was coming forward. Body kick by Cerrone. Now he kicks the right thigh of Lawler. Nice combination by Cerrone. Side kick to the body by Cerrone and then Lawler has a head kick blocked. Vicious elbow by Cerrone off the top of Robbie’s noggin. Another high kick by Cerrone. Lawler misses on the uppercut. Now Cerrone doing some pressuring. Solid set of kicks by Cerrone again. Cerrone swarms and scores with the left hand. Hard knee to the body by Cowboy. Lawler with a liver kick. Cerrone ducks and fakes the takedown and lands a knee, punch, and head kick! Lawler’s chin is nothing short of legendary. Beautiful standing elbows by Cerrone as he charges forward again. Lawler off on the left hook. Straight right by Cerrone to end this round. 19-19.
Round 3 – Head kick by Lawler but it’s toes to the face. Cerrone ducks another head kick. Lawler is coming out aggressively but Cerrone is answering back. Lawler with another head kick and then Cerrone can’t take Lawler down after getting the body lock. Lawler is working the body with kicks. Cowboy with another elbow. Jab and a left hook by Cerrone. Sharp left hand by Lawler. Just misses on a massive uppercut. Cerrone clinches up but nothing comes of it. Both men exchange strikes on the inside. Upward elbow by Cowboy! Takedown isn’t there for Cerrone at the halfway mark of the final round. Another body kick by Lawler. Head kick partially blocked by Lawler. What an exchange! Both men get tagged hard but I think Lawler landed the harder punches. Body kick and a jab from Cerrone. Nice knee up the middle by Cerrone. Lawler with the combination. This is a great fight. A great fight! Left hook from Cerrone with 40 seconds. A body kick from Lawler. Cerrone may have gotten hurt to the eye but John McCarthy didn’t see a poke. They swing away in the final seconds. Head kicks are traded. Tight call but I score it 29-28 Lawler.
Official result: Robbie Lawler def. Donald Cerrone by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Jimi Manuwa vs. Volkan Oezdemir – Light Heavyweights
Round 1 – Oezdemir with an outside leg kick to get the main card underway. He closes the distance and throws a knee to the body. Manuwa backs him to the fence. This fight has already lasted longer than Volkan’s last one. Oezdemir with an uppercut and a left hand in the clinch. Manuwa is rocked! Big left hand and down goes Manuwa! Three punches on the ground and Manuwa is out! Well it didn’t last that much longer than the Cirkunov bout. Oezdemir is on a roll.
Official result: Volkan Oezdemir def. Jimi Manuwa by KO (punches) at :42 of round 1
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