Jessica Andrade is the new UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion. The diminutive but powerful Brazilian scored an amazing highlight-reel KO in her native Brazil on Saturday to win the title in the main event of UFC 237.
After being picked apart by Rose Namajunas’ boxing skills in the first round and most of the second, Andrade’s raw power and ferociousness prevailed. Andrade never stopped coming forward and ultimately, a vicious slam knocked Namajunas out cold and resulted in a victory for Andrade.
What a knockout by Jessica Andrade over Rose Namajunas. #UFC237 #Brazil pic.twitter.com/IWDBufjoqQ
— ern.s3 (@ErnestSIII) May 12, 2019
This was an especially tough loss for Namajunas. She’d come back from a neck injury and a long layoff, but she was fighting brilliantly through most of the first round. However, Andrade was doing damage with an outside leg kick and beginning to wilt Namajunas’ spirit with her pressure. Technically, Namajunas appeared to have an answer for Andrade, but her will to win seemed to falter as the Brazilian was able to eat her 1-2 combinations while coming forward.
Also, Andrade did solid work to the body, which also appeared to have an impact on Namajunas’ movement. If Namajunas had been able to maintain her pace throughout the five rounds, she would have skated to a decision, but Andrade got inside, landed the slam and took away the title.
That was the 11th KO via slam in UFC history, 4th in a title fight, per @ESPNStatsInfo. The other 3? UFC 16: Frank Shamrock vs. Igor Zinoviev, UFC 30: Tito Ortiz vs. Evan Tanner and UFC 34: Matt Hughes vs. Carlos Newton.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 12, 2019
During the post-fight interview, Namajunas said something interesting. She said losing was a major weight off her shoulders, and the comment seemed to unnerve Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier who questioned it on the broadcast.
Namajunas was unlike most champions in MMA, but nonetheless, she is still only 26 years old. If she can lift herself up after this defeat, she can and will still have an amazing career. The win earned Andrade a $100,000 in bonus money. Half of that total was a part of the Performance of the Night, and the other came from the Fight of the Night, which Namajunas will also receive 50K for as well.
Cannonier Leg Kick Kos Anderson Silva
Jared Cannonier scored a second-round TKO after landing a nasty inside leg kick on the legendary Anderson Silva in the first round. The Brazilian legend’s knee buckled and he went down. Immediately, Silva realized he couldn’t continue and the referee stepped in to call a halt to the fight.
Jared Cannonier kicks Andreson Silva’s knee off to get the R1 TKO. Much to the dismay of the Rio de Janieiro crowd. #UFC237pic.twitter.com/T3mjaJ9Yaj
— MyBookie Sportsbook (@betmybookie) May 12, 2019
Cannonier was having some success with his power strikes and forcing Silva against the cage. That said, Silva was in the fight, though Cannonier had landed a series of kicks to the leg without the former ever checking the strike. As soon as the fight was halted, the Brazilian crowd rained down boos on Cannonier who initially responded with his own taunt.
As he realized Silva was injured, he went to check on Silva, but the crowd didn’t relent. I can’t remember hearing a crowd boo any fighter louder. In reality, Cannonier did nothing wrong. He used the leg kick as a part of his approach, and it paid off. We’ll have to wait to see the extent of Silva’s injury. At 44 years old, an injury like this can be a disaster for a fighter.
Compare my predictions to the official results below, it was a pretty strong night.
| Matchup | Weight Class | Results | Bonus | Prediction Record |
| Talita Bernardo vs. Viviane Araujo | Women’s Bantamweight | Araujo by R1 KO (Punch) | 0-1 | |
| Raoni Barcelos vs Carlos Huachin |
Men’s Bantamweight | Barcelos by R2 TKO (Elbows) | 1-1 | |
| Warlley Alves vs Sérgio Moraes |
Welterweight | Alves by R3 KO (Uppercut) | Alves – POTN | 2-1 |
| Luana Carolina vs Priscila Cachoeira |
Women’s Flyweight | Carolina by UD (30-26×2, 29-27) | 3-1 | |
| B.J. Penn vs Clay Guida |
Lightweight | Guida by UD (29-28×2, 29-27) | 4-1 | |
| Irene Aldana vs Bethe Correia |
Women’s Bantamweight | Aldana by R3 SUB (arm bar) | 5-1 | |
| Thiago Moises vs Kurt Holobaugh |
Light Heavyweight | Moises by UD (30-26×2, 30-27) | 6-1 | |
| Antônio Rogério Nogueira vs Ryan Spann |
Light Heavyweight | Spann by R1 KO | 7-1 | |
| Francisco Trinaldo vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira |
Lightweight | Canceled | ||
| Thiago Alves vs Laureano Staropoli |
Welterweight | Staropoli by UD (30-27×2, 29-28) | 8-1 | |
| Jose Aldo vs. Alexander Volkanovski | Men’s Featherweight | Volkanovski by UD (30-27×3) | 9-1 | |
| Anderson Silva vs. Jared Cannonier | Middleweight | Cannonier by R2 TKO (Leg Kick) | 10-1 | |
| (c) Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade | UFC Strawweight Championship | Andrade by R2 KO (Slam) | Andrade – POTN FOTN |
11-1 |
Araujo Pulls Upsets Bernardo With Vicious 3rd-Round KO
Despite coming in as a plus-282 underdog and a late replacement for Melissa Gatto, Viviane Araujo dominated Talita Bernardo in the opening bout of UFC 237. Her quickness and striking accuracy proved to be too much, and in the opening moments of the third round, she scorched Bernardo with a punch that put her out.
She’s a STRAWWEIGHT!@ViviAraujoMMA wins her Octagon debut – at bantamweight – by KO! Wow! #UFC237 pic.twitter.com/j5phUibTXB
— UFC (@ufc) May 11, 2019
That was a strong early candidate for a Performance of the Night bonus. Aside from a brief rally to close out the second round, this bout was mostly a masterclass from Araujo who looks to be here to stay after such an impressive debut performance on short notice.
What a “wow!” of a UFC debut right there by Viviane Araujo, who was fighting above her usual weight class and competing as a late replacement on three days’ notice. Araujo (7-1), a strawweight fighting at bantamweight, crushed Talita Bernardo with a… https://t.co/bp1p6PKYUo
— Jeff Wagenheim (@jeffwagenheim) May 11, 2019
I picked Bernardo because I thought she’d be able to initiate her ground game, but Araujo never allowed her to get anything going, and then turned out the lights in the third round. It’s hard to make a more definitive statement in your promotional debut. The 32-year-old Brazilian displayed some high-level striking and the ability to get a takedown. I can’t wait to see her again.
Raoni Barcelos Pounds Out Carlos Huachin to Win By 2nd-Round TKO
Barcelos came in as the most significant betting favorite on the card, and he was as dominant as expected. His power was his trump card as he pounded Huachin and the standing advantage ultimately led to control in top position.
Agree w/ the stoppage? @RaoniBarcelos stops Huachin at #UFC237! pic.twitter.com/43w6Gi23Um
— UFC (@ufc) May 11, 2019
In the second round, the referee stopped the bout as Barcelos dropped elbows on Huachin. While many of them looked to be blocked, there shouldn’t be much of a complaint about what some may describe as a quick stoppage. The ref made a mercy call to save Huachin from more and unnecessary damage.
Luana Carolina Beats up Priscila Cachoeira En Route To UD Win
Priscila Cachoeira is insanely tough, and she has great cardio, but her skills are far beneath the level necessary to effectively compete in the UFC. She took another beating on Saturday, and this time the hammer was Luana Carolina.
Flush!#UFC237 pic.twitter.com/iIWoShZIlt
— UFC (@ufc) May 11, 2019
With slick striking and a varied attack overall, Carolina peppered Cachoeira’s face throughout. Cachoeira has had three fights in the UFC and opponents have battered her in all of them. If I’m honest, I’m not even enjoying Cachoeira’s matches at this point. It’s one-way traffic, and she’s the one caught in the middle of the highway.
Meanwhile, Carolina looks like an exciting prospect. Her length, athleticism, and fighting spirit are great base qualities.
Clay Guida Outfights BJ Penn in a Bad Fight
It’s like a broken record, but BJ Penn should have retired about seven years ago. Guida smashed away at Penn’s leg with kicks and kept up the pressure that led to the predictable tiring of the Hawaiian legend.
Guida could have gotten the stoppage by pounding Penn’s body as the latter held on for dear life with his mouth agape, but instead Illinois native elected to shoot for takedowns and wing wild headshots. Okay. This tweet from ESPN’s Ariel Helwani says it all.
Penn’s 7 losses in a row is a new UFC record.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 12, 2019
Warlley Alves Destroys Sergio Moraes With 3rd-Round KO
Warlley Alves’ vicious assault on Sergio Moraes’ left leg set the tone and weakened the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, but it was a leaping knee and a right uppercut from hell that led to the KO finish.
Warlley Alves puts Moraes away in the third!!@WarlleyAlvesMMA #UFC237 pic.twitter.com/MF1tQ3jaaE
— UFC (@ufc) May 12, 2019
Moraes had no answer for Alves’ speed and overall stand-up game. Alves was on his way to a comfortable unanimous-decision victory, but he showed he wanted to end the evening in style. Alves earned the other POTN bonus for his domination and finish.
Thiago Moises is Too Much for Kurt Holobaugh
With a nice display of striking and wrestling, Moises easily controlled and defeated the rugged Holobaugh. Moises’ timely takedowns and some wicked strikes that would have stopped lesser men, the Brazilian built on the foundation he laid on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender series.
Ryan Spann Makes Quick Work of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Ryan Spann was too fast and strong for the aging Brazilian legend. After nearly submitting the Jiu-Jitsu master in the opening moments, Spann would ultimately get the nasty finish via knockout. The short combination put Nogueira out.
SUPERMAN!!@Superman_Spann silences the Rio crowd and puts Lil Nog away in round 1! #UFC237 pic.twitter.com/KjiqceRpD0
— UFC (@ufc) May 12, 2019
Spann is huge as a light heavyweight, but he does need to work on getting his right hand back to his chin when he’s jabbing. Nogueira was able to touch him there a few times. Perhaps a quicker and more energetic opponent might have taken advantage of the opening. As it is, Spann made the statement in the choice spot as the featured prelim.
Aldana Adjusts and Taps Out Correia
After a rocky first round, Irene Aldana overcame a motivated and aggressive Bethe Correia to secure a third-round submission via armbar. In the first round, Correia moved forward, landed solid combinations that forced Aldana to be on her back foot. In the second, she planted and fired jabs and straights to subdue her opponent’s momentum.
In the third, an exhausted Correia (who missed weight) inexplicably shot for a takedown. That was a mistake as Aldana wrapped her up with an armbar and forced the submission.
Irene Aldana derrota a Bethe Correia por sumisión (armbar) en el 3 asalto. La mexicana consigue su 3 victoria en fila al imponerse a una Correia que llegó con 5 libras extras al pesaje y que solamente ha conseguido una victoria en sus últimas 6 peleas #UFC237 pic.twitter.com/TwqyeKp1X7
— El rincón de las MMA (@RinconMMA) May 12, 2019
It was easily Aldana’s best performance in the UFC to date.
Staropoli Turns Back Alves
In a competitive and spirited battle, Laureano Staropoli was more active as he eeked out a razor-thin decision over Thiago Alves. The latter was motivated to improve upon some recent poor performances, but Staropoli kept stamping out Alves’ attempts to take control of the fight.
The win sent Staropoli to a 9-1 record and he’s a perfect 2-0 in the UFC. Alves is in a tough situation. He’s lost three of his last four and five of his last seven bouts. At age 35, he’s approaching must-win territory or facing some serious questions about his future.
Thankfully, he wasn’t stopped. He’s only been KO’d three times in his career. Because of long layoffs, he may not have endured as much punishment as others his age who are active in the sport.
Volkanovski Outfights Aldo
It wasn’t an action-packed affair, but Alexander Volkanovski did what he had to do to win. He outworked the legendary Jose Aldo over three rounds and swept the decision on all three of the judges’ scorecards. Volkanovski beat Aldo to the punch on the feet, and just when it seemed the Brazilian might be trying to find a rhythm, the former would smother him against the Octagon fence.
He used that strategy throughout and Aldo never tried to change the identity of the bout. Stylistically, this wasn’t a good matchup for Aldo. Volkanovski is a problem for anyone in the lightweight division, and that includes Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
