Who were the winners at UFC 209: Woodley vs Thompson 2? Click below to get the results for all the fights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, March 4, 2017.
Woodley vs Thompson | Vannata vs Teymur | Evans vs Kelly | Cooper vs Calvillo | Overeem vs Hunt | Tybura vs Henrique | Bektic vs Elkins | Alcantara vs Sanders | Godbeer vs Spitz | Pedro vs Craig | Morales vs Soukhamthath
UFC 209: Woodley vs Thompson 2 main card
Main event: Tyron Woodley defeated Stephen Thompson
Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson went to battle in a tactical chess match in their rematch, and Woodley came away with the win on a majority decision, 48-47, 47-47, 48-47. The champion out-stuck Thompson for the second straight fight, landing 66-42 in total unofficial strikes. Woodley had the two biggest sequences in the fight. In the third round he took Thompson down and landed some ground and pound. Then in the final minute of the fifth, Woodley dropped Wonderboy and came close to the finish before the end of the round. Woodley makes his second straight title defense and puts the Wonderboy chapter of his career behind him for the time being.
Co-main: David Teymur defeated Lando Vannata
After getting elevated into the co-main event spot, David Teymur and Lando Vannata delivered in a big way with a Fight of the Night worthy scrap. In the end, Teymur took three rounds that were super close to win the unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. Vannata had Teymur rocked in the first round, but Teymur survived and used his exquisite striking attacks to out-score Vannata, 73-66 in total strikes. Teymur improves to 6-1 and a perfect 3-0 in the UFC.
THEY SAID IT:
David Teymur: “I feel awesome. I deserve this. I’ve said this since day one, the day I come to the UFC, I didn’t come just to say hi, I’m coming for the world title. I am going to take MMA striking to a new level. The time will show this. When you go the distance you get more experience – time equals experience – it’s not important if you win in the first minute or in the last minute; the important thing is that you win and put on a good show for the crowd. Right now, I’m going to take vacation and then I’ll go home and train and get ready for my next opponent. Maybe you’ll see me on the Stockholm card.”
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Daniel Kelly defeated Rashad Evans
Rashad Evans never seemed to get into a rhythm in his middleweight debut and Daniel Kelly capitalized, out-striking the former light heavyweight champion to earn a split decision win, 28-29, 29-28, 29-28. Kelly landed 89 to just 53 for Evans, who has now lost three in a row. Kelly extends his win streak to four in a row.
THEY SAID IT:
Daniel Kelly: “It means the world to me to fight someone like Rashad Evans. I really appreciate Rashad picking me to fight him and it just shows that us Aussies can fight at the top level in the UFC.
“I think I had more forward pressure, I think I hit him a little bit more than he hit me; granted he took me down, but he couldn’t get any control. I think the forward pressure probably won me the fight. That, and the dirty boxing.
“Next has to be a ranked opponent; it has to be. That is four wins in a row, I’ve just beaten a former champion so give me anyone inside the top-15. As long as I have time to train, I’m ready to go.”
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Cynthia Calvillo defeated Amanda Cooper
Cynthia Calvillo made quick work of Amanda Cooper in her UFC debut, submitting her by rear naked choke at 3:19 of the first round. Calvillo got a hold of Cooper with an anaconda choke during a scramble and used it to transition to her back. Once there, Calvillo applied the pressure until she was able to submit Cooper. Calvillo is a member of Team Alpha Male and improves to 4-0.
THEY SAID IT:
Cynthia Calvillo: “I feel amazing, I feel great, but overall this doesn’t surprise me. I’m prepared, I train with the best team in the world and it went just the way we planned it. We are the best team in the world (Team Alpha Male), we have the world champ, Cody “No Love”, we have the best coach in the world – I don’t know how Justin Bucholz didn’t even get nominated for coach of the year, he was hands down coach of the year.
“I just want to keep climbing the ranks. My ultimate goal is to be a world champion, so I just need to work my way up there until I get that shot. I’ll fight anybody. I have respect for all of the women in the division and I’m willing to fight whoever I need to to get to where I need to be.”
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Alistair Overeem defeated Mark Hunt
Alistair Overeem landed a pair of savage knees to the head of Mark Hunt, dropping the power puncher in the third round to win by TKO. Hunt did some damage with the little offense he was able to mount in the fight. He had Overeem wobbled in the second round with an elbow that landed right on the button. Overeem employed the same gameplan he’s been implementing lately, using his distance to stay outside and getting out of the pocket to not allow Hunt to use his power. Overeem now has won five of his last six and said after the bout that he’s not done yet.
THEY SAID IT:
Alistair Overeem: “I am very proud, but I am also very proud of my team. This is a great group of guys surrounding me and we might be old, but we’re not done yet. We see a lot of things (when we watch film), we studied my opponent very extensively, all my coaches do, and I think that combined with my ability, technical ability, athletic ability, I’m able to put these guys away.
“I don’t know what’s next, probably some time off, but I don’t want to be away too long. There are a couple of new guys coming, so I’d like to put them away. There’s also the title fight, Stipe vs. JDS, if JDS would win that fight I could see myself lining up against him as I was his last loss; I think he’d want revenge and I’m very open to that idea. Francis Ngannou is one of the new guys I mentioned. I know Francis from France and I’m definitely interested in him as an opponent.”
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UFC 209: Woodley vs Thompson 2 FS1 prelims
Marcin Tybura vs Luis Henrique
It was a pretty even fight through two rounds, but in the third frame Marcin Tybura turned up the pressure and the output, landing 24 significant strikes that ultimately led to the TKO finish at 3:36 of the third round. Tybura improves to 15-2 and picks up his second UFC win.
THEY SAID IT:
Marcin Tybura: “I didn’t expect him to go to the clinch so much. He’s got a lot of strength. I feel like maybe it wasn’t a lot of fun to watch, but it wasn’t my fault. I tried to fight standup and he didn’t want to. I like to fight in the United States. Home is good as well, but for now I just want to rest because I had a couple problems making this fight happen. I am just so happy that this fight happened and that I won. I want to wait until the UFC offers an opponent.”
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Darren Elkins defeated Mirsad Bektic
Darren Elkins was on the receiving end of 121 strikes as he was battered for the better part of 13 minutes against Mirsad Bektic. But the Team Alpha Male product, resilient as anybody on the roster, showed off his toughness, taking all the elbows and punches dealt by Bektic before turning the tables and landing the finishing head kick at 3:19 of the third round. Elkins roared with all the energy he had left in his body as he walked away from the downed Bektic. Elkins hands Bektic his first-ever loss and extends his own win streak to four in a row.
Amazing come back by @DarrenElkinsMMA!!! @FS1 pic.twitter.com/02stuSWDC4
— Dana White (@danawhite) March 5, 2017
Iuri Alcantara defeated Luke Sanders
In a crazy fight, Iuri Alcantara pulled off the comeback win with a kneebar out of nowhere to submit previously undefeated Luke Sanders at 3:13 of the second round. Sanders dominated the first run and it seemed like he was close to finishing on a few occasions as he was raining down big shots from top on the ground. Sanders also was deducted a point because of an illegal knee to the head of a downed Alcantara toward the end of the first round. In the second, Sanders was having his way once again and seemed to rock Alcantara but just as quickly Alcantara scrambled and got a hold of Sanders’ leg and the finish followed.
They said it:
Iuri Alcantara: “I train so much jiu jitsu that I was able to make the leg lock a natural submission for me, so I saw the opening immediately and was able to secure the victory. Accidents happen and the knee did not bother me. In training these types of things happen and so it had no effect. I would like to fight in Rio in June against a top-five opponent.”
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Mark Godbeer defeated Daniel Spitz
Mark Godbeer picked up his first UFC win with a dominant win over previously undefeated Daniel Spitz by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. Godbeer landed 90 significant strikes and rocked Spitz on several occasions, but both fighters had their gas tank on “E” by the final horn. Spitz landed the only takedown of the fight but was out-struck 98-64 overall in the bout.
THEY SAID IT:
Mark Godbeer: “It feels great to get my first UFC win. The nerves still got to me and it showed in my performance. I gassed a little bit and I will admit it, the fans don’t need to get at me. I held tight, I stayed in there, the nerves of being in Las Vegas and I still got the win. He was tough, wasn’t he? I hit him with some big shots. My hat is off to Daniel, he’s a tough guy and it was his first UFC fight and I know what that feels like. I’m still nervous after my second, but I’m just going to keep working, keep improving and hopefully keep entertaining you guys. What would I like to see? A pint of lager. Who would I like to see next? I’ll be ready for anyone the UFC puts in front of me. I know I have to work on things and get better, so I don’t want to call anyone out until I can review my performance.”
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UFC 209: Woodley vs Thompson 2 FIGHT PASS prelims
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Tyson Pedro defeated Paul Craig
Tyson Pedro continues to impress inside the Octagon, picking up his second straight UFC win to improve to a perfect 6-0. In a division hungry for prospects, Pedro has declared himself the one with the most potential. Pedro made quick work of Craig, landing a straight right hand that rocked him before a pair of knees landed to drop Craig. Pedro followed up with some ground and pound elbows before the referee pulled him off, declaring him the winner at 4:10 of the first round.
THEY SAID IT:
Tyson Pedro: “I’ve said it before every fight, I come to finish the fights and I finish them in the first round. I respected my opponent completely, I think he underestimated me a little bit going into the fight, so that’s not bad on his part – a lot of people think I’m immature in the sport. I’ve been doing this for a long time and my record doesn’t speak for what my experience is. All I need to do is keep coming in as the underdog, because I like that.
“I don’t know if I’m in the top-15. My opponent asked for a top-15 opponent for this fight, he thought that I shouldn’t be in the Octagon with him. There were a couple things said before the fight, that I knew he should’ve walked through me if he’s going to be asking for top-15 opponents. Wherever I go from here, I’ll go back with my team, take a look at it and we’ll go from there.”
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Albert Morales defeated Andre Soukhamthath
In a back-and-forth affair, Albert Morales pulled off the win in a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) against Andre Soukhamthath in the evening’s opening bout. Morales landed a few key takedowns to sway the judges after the two did about the same amount of damage on the feet. Soukhamthath had his most success in the second round and then in the third round he landed a number of left hooks to the body, but Morales got a takedown to clinch the round and end Soukhamthat’s momentum. Morales picks up his first win in the UFC over the debutant Soukhamthath.
THEY SAID IT:
Albert Morales: “It’s amazing, it’s a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to fight in Las Vegas, this is the best performing grounds that you can be in. I got to get my first UFC win in the T-Mobile Arena and just getting this win feels so good. Dana pumped us up right before the fight. He said the first fight takes it off, so I felt I had to perform. I’m here for the fans and my main this is I want to perform and get the crowd very excited. I feel like that’s my job and I need to pick it up every fight. I want to fight in Anaheim. I want to be at home and I want Thomas Almeida.”
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