UFC 277: Who were the winners and losers in Dallas?
From dominance, to ‘never say die,’ to an upset, UFC 277 had a bit of everything for everyone. Join us for a closer look at who won and who lost.
With two title fights on the card, UFC 277 didn’t disappoint. Since you’re probably wondering how it all went down, join us for a look at who the winners and losers were, on a night when new champions emerged.
Taking a closer look at UFC 277.
On Saturday night, the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas play host to UFC 277 and in keeping with such a famous venue, there were actually two title fights scheduled. The headline bout, was of course the showdown between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena, while in the co-headlining spat, we got to witness Brandon Moreno go toe for toe with Kair Kara-France for the interim Flyweight title. With that said, let’s get into who deserves recognition and who gets the ridicule on a night that was everything we hoped it would be.
Brandon Moreno stopped Kai Kara-France in the third round to win the interim Flyweight strap, securing a potential fourth title fight against current division kingpin, Deiveson Figueiredo (highlights).
Amanda Nunes was the biggest winner of the night
Though many were hoping for a finish, the reality is Nunes will have to feel pleased with her dominant performance against Pena. Not only did she win herself a unanimous decision victory after 25 minutes of action, but the “Lioness” reclaimed her women’s 135-pound title and in so doing, is once again the “champ-champ.” To be clear, Pena will have good reason to feel aggrieved about her loss, as she put on a show of grit and toughness throughout the fight, but in the end, it was Nunes’ night. As things stand, the Brazilian champion now has the option to either defend her 135-pound title or the Featherweight belt. Make no mistake, this is a woman at the top of her game and as such, is now rightfully back on sitting on the throne of women’s MMA.
Brandon Moreno gets second place
There were some who had doubts before Moreno stepped into the octagon, but the Mexican left little room questions about his ability, when he floored top contender Kai Kara-France with a ruthless blow to the liver, which in turn presented him with the opportunity to complete a tidy finish in round 3. Having now dispatched the threat to his title march, “Assassin Baby” has got himself yet another shot at the belt against his rival and division legend, Deiveson Figueriedo. Interestingly, the pair have now apparently buried the hatchet following a curious turn of events post fight. It would appear that Moreno has laid to rest whatever friction there was between them after seemingly apologizing to Figueriedo. Indeed, Moreno spoke of a truce with the man he hopes to fight next. Understandably, this makes for an even more interesting bout when the two finally meet. We can only hope that we don’t have to wait long.
Derrick Lewis has to take the big ‘L’
Though many will draw attention to what appeared to be a premature stoppage by the referee, the reality is this: Derrick Lewis shouldn’t have been in that situation to begin with. That’s not to take any credit away from Sergei Pavlovich, but truthfully, he simply took what was given. “Black Beast” had already taken a number of clean shots by the time that Pavlovich really put the hurt on him. Regardless of those who claimed they may have seen it coming, it was undoubtedly a surprise to see Lewis get rocked by the Russian, considering the difference - on paper - in punching power. None the less, here we are and there Lewis was. With that, the American is now left to contemplate who he’s lost three of his last four fights via TKO.
Let’s also talk about Magomed Ankalaev and Alexandre Pantoja
Without going into long winded stories about either fighter, let’s just say that the two men provided UFC fans with more than a pleasant surprise. To be frank, the pair probably earned themselves title shots with not just their respective wins, but the manner in which they earn them as well. Where Magomed Anakalaev is concerned, the Russian dismissed former title contender, Anthony Smith, in the second round via a brutal ground-and-pound. It was his ninth straight win and with that a stepping stone to what could be a place in the Top 3 of the Light Heavyweight division. Alexandre Pantoja on the other hand, pretty much demolished Alex Perez to clinch his third straight win. Indeed, the encounter took less than two minutes and so now he can expect to face the winner of Figueiredo vs. Moreno sometime in 2023, assuming he’s ok with staying out of the octagon for that long.