Nunes knocks out Cyborg in 51 seconds for title
LOS ANGELES — Amanda Nunes just Cris Cyborg-ed Cris Cyborg.
In one of the most anticipated female fights in UFC history, bantamweight champion Nunes (17-4) successfully moved up in weight and knocked out dominant featherweight Cris “Cyborg” Justino with an overhand right just 51 seconds into the opening round. The championship fight co-headlined UFC 232 at the Forum.
Jon Jones stopped Alexander Gustafsson in Round 3 to reclaim the 205-pound title and had a message for rival Daniel Cormier: “I’m here. Get your belt back.”
Before UFC 232’s main event between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, a multitude of undercard fights had major implications. Here’s how it all went down.
The victory makes Nunes, 30, the first female fighter to win UFC titles in multiple weight classes. It also gives her a strong case as the greatest female fighter of all time, with wins over Justino, Ronda Rousey and Valentina Shevchenko.
“Incredible, oh my God,” Nunes said. “I can’t handle this.”
Justino, who fights out of Huntington Beach, California, has made a career out of bullying opponents against the fence and knocking them out in devastating fashion. Going into Saturday, Justino had won 20 consecutive fights, 17 of them by knockout. She has collected 10 first-round finishes in her illustrious career.
Known for her punching power at bantamweight, Nunes met fire with fire. She clipped Justino early with a right hand after knocking her off balance with a strong leg kick. As Justino looked to aggressively move forward, Nunes dropped her to a knee with a right hand.
Although she was clearly dazed by the shot, years of bullying came into play for Justino, and she refused to take a step back. As she moved forward again, Nunes rotated away from the fence, dropped her to her knees with a left hook and then knocked her out cold with an overhand right.
“Yeah, for sure,” Nunes said when asked if she thought the fight would play out the way it did. “I said, ‘This is for the title. I’m gonna be the first female two-champ in the UFC.’ It happened. I told you. I told you.”
It was Justino’s first loss since her professional debut in May 2005. The Brazilian has said she has one fight remaining on her UFC contract, and she has discussed the possibility of transitioning into boxing.
“Cris is a great fighter — nothing but respect. It was an awesome opportunity to share the octagon with her,” Nunes said. “I’m very thankful to her for this. I’m the new ‘champ-champ.’ I said that before, and now I’m just achieving this dream.”