The showpiece event of UFC’s International Fight Week delivered the goods, and then some, on a night of spectacular finishes in Las Vegas.
One fight that did go the distance was the main event, as Jon “Bones” Jones went all five-rounds with Brazilian challenger Thiago Santos.
Sitting at octagon-side, we had Jones as the clear winner, but the three judges saw it much closer than that.
One actually scored it 48-47 to Santos, but the other two scored it for Jones by the same scoreline.
And New or And Still? #UFC239 pic.twitter.com/hq46wuffuC
— UFC (@ufc) July 7, 2019
It was another technical performance that the purists will have enjoyed watching but his name won’t be on the lips of the fans who watched the event, because the main card featured a trio of stunning finishes that had the Las Vegas crowd on their feet.
Amanda Nunes “Holly Holms” Holly Holm
Two division UFC women’s champ Nunes produced another brilliant finish as she added former bantamweight champion Holm to her list of victims to join the likes of Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey.
To make it even more impressive, she did it by using the signature move that saw Holm defeat Rousey back at UFC 193 – the head kick.
THE LEGACY GROWS! ?@Amanda_Leoa with the knockout in the FIRST ROUND at #UFC239! ??
? Watch LIVE now: https://t.co/rcVxsIv47u pic.twitter.com/VyRV4ZbWTb
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 7, 2019
Holm won the title from Rousey with a brilliant head kick, and Nunes repeated the trick as she connected perfectly to drop Holm to the mat before finishing her with strikes.
WOW! Amanda Nunes just Holly Holm'd Holly Holm. Huge head kick KO by the two-division UFC champion. #UFC239
— Simon Head (@simonhead) July 7, 2019
“I told my coaches I wanted to knock her out the same way she knocks people out (and) I did it tonight,” she said.
Jorge Masvidal obliterates Ben Askren for the fastest knockout in UFC HISTORY! ? #UFC239 pic.twitter.com/wv6sCpsMKG
— FightingMatrix ? (@FightingMatrix) July 7, 2019
Masvidal smashes Askren in record time
Last time we saw Jorge Masvidal in action, he starched Darren Till inside the octagon, then gave Leon Edwards a “three-piece and a soda” backstage afterwards. It was always going to need something pretty spectacular to trump that appearance, but Masvidal did that in some style.
Masvidal launched himself straight at Askren and connected with a full-blooded flying knee that instantly knocked out the previously unbeaten welterweight contender.
WOW! Flying knee, connects flush, lights out. Jorge Masvidal by knockout. That might well be the fastest KO in UFC history. #UFC239
— Simon Head (@simonhead) July 7, 2019
The official time was five seconds, but in truth, it should have been quicker, as it took at least a second or two for ref Jason Herzog to react and stop the contest.
Blachowicz batters Rockhold
When Jan Blachowicz and Luke Rockhold faced off at media day earlier in the week, Rockhold mocked Blachowicz’s feet for supposedly being “small”.
The big Pole put that somewhat strange trash talking moment into his memory and answered it in the perfect manner on fight night.
Blachowicz hammered Rockhold with a huge left hook to knock him out, then stood over him, pointing to his foot. Point made, indeed.
"Rockhold felt my Polish power!"
Jan Błachowicz is a scary man… ??
Luke Rockhold found that out first hand at #UFC239
? @CarolinePearce pic.twitter.com/zrdFJJ6UBB
— Watch UFC 239 live on BT Sport Box Office (@btsportufc) July 7, 2019
“Trash talk doesn’t work on me,” he said after his win.
“I have the legendary Polish power and I’m proud of it.”
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