Event UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2 [Results]

Covington wins unanimously.

Covington vs. Woodley will be a 5-star build-up and a 1-star fight, calling it now.

 

Results

• Robert Whittaker def. Yoel Romero via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)
• Colby Covington def. Rafael dos Anjos via via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 48-47) – to win interim welterweight title
• Holly Holm def. Megan Anderson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
• Tai Tuivasa def. Andre Arlovski via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Mike Jackson def. CM Punk via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
• Curtis Blaydes def. Alistair Overeem via TKO (elbows) – Round 3, 2:56
• Claudia Gadelha def. Carla Esparza via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
• Mirsad Bektic def. Ricardo Lamas via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
• Chris De La Rocha def. Rashad Coulter via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:53
• Anthony Smith def. Rashad Evans via knockout (knee) – Round 1, 0:53
• Sergio Pettis def. Joseph Benavidez via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
• Charles Oliveira def. Clay Guida via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:18
• Dan Ige def. Mike Santiago via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:50

 

Good card!

I jumped in at the Coulter/De La Rocha fight. DLR is a big Mexican with a big ol' head. He wasn't exactly pounding on Coulter but Coulter wasn't exactly doing anything to get out of trouble, either.

Bektic had a conservative performance that didn't really build his hype up like a win over Lamas could've. Lamas appears to be on the downside of his career, finally.

Esparza had a few good moments striking against Gadelha. More than I think most expected. Crowd was unhappy with the split.

Blaydes concussed TKOvereem. Scary to see him get flatlined again. Blaydes is a big bruiser and I have concerns about his ability to last into the championship rounds against the likes of DC or Miocic.

Okay, Jackson vs. Punk... this was about as low level a fight as you're going to see outside of TUF and the other show (Contenders?). Punk has no discernible skills. His striking his shit, his grappling is shit, and his conditioning is shit. If his goal in the UFC was to prove that he's a hardman, he's done that. He's a tough fucker for getting himself into this and sticking with it. With that being said Jackson would get molly-whopped by 9/10 UFC welterweights. He might actually get cut despite winning tonight for having such a showboating, uninspired performance. Punk will be disappointed that his UFC career has gone poorly and is going to take a lot of shit in the coming weeks but he's already a huge success in life and couldn't care less what we all think. I would imagine he's finished with pro MMA--the UFC at least.

Tuivasa defeated Arvloski in a slugfest. Tuivasa was a bit fortunate to survive this fight. I don't know what the equivalent is in Oceania but he appears to be a wild jock redneck type. Big personality that could carry him to stardom. Could work a little on his physique but I guess that's part of his charm.

Holm vs. Anderson was pretty bad. Holm is just not fun to watch at all. For all the adulation that Rogan provides she is not creative or exciting in the Octagon. Nunes' last performance showed that she too can be calculating and unenthusiastic in the cage and I would expect a title fight between these two to be a flat fight. Anderson was spared having to fight Cyborg who she is not ready for and may never be.

Covington vs. RDA was about what everyone expected with Covington's relentless pressure and wrestling being the difference in the fight. He is styling himself after Chael Sonnen, both in attitude and fighting style, and so far so good. He is becoming a huge heel. They need an injection of personality into the WW division after Woodley and Thompson have been stinking it up for the last year. However like with Nunes/Holm I think a Woodley/Covington title fight could be dreadful.

The main event was excellent. Romero is insanely dangerous and actually held up through 25-minutes making everyone wonder why the Illinois commission stopped him from making weight (something like 80-oz doesn't seem like an impossibility). Obviously Rogan's talk about him being a genetic freak of nature is fairly ironic given that Romero has already popped and completely fails the eye test, let alone him being 41-years old FFS. They think he can make weight if he works with snakeoil salesman Mike Dolce. How about getting him off the fucking juice?

Whittaker is one of the best champions the UFC has had in a long time. All of his fights are amazing and he fights with rare tenacity and bravery. Watching him develop is a joy.

 

Missed the card because of my sister's wedding. I'll have to check it out...glad Whittaker/Romero was a war!

 

If you do let me know how Pettis/Benavidez and Smith/Evans went, missed those.