Kelowna woman wins UFC return

Moras secures armbar submission in 1st round

EDMONTON — Brazilian brawler Amanda Nunes played a tactical game Saturday night to defeat challenger Valentina Shevchenko by split decision, retaining her bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 215.

The judges scored it 47-48, 48-47, 48-47 to run Nunes’ record to 15-4.

It was a careful fight with many single shots and few extended skirmishes until Nunes took Shevchenko to the canvas in the fifth round.

The fans often booed and chanted “Fight, fight fight!”

Nunes raised her arms in the air as the decision was announced, while many of the fans booed the verdict. Shevchenko dropped to 14-3 in defeat. It was the second time Nunes had beaten Shevchenko in 18 months. Nunes took a unanimous decision over Shevchenko at UFC 196 in March 2016.

The two were set to fight again in July at UFC 213, but Nunes pulled out the day of the fight with sinus issues.

Nunes 29, has smashed her way to the top of her class like a wrecking ball over the past 14 months. She bloodied and submitted Miesha Tate in July 2016 to take the belt, and then defended it successfully in December with a 48-second dismantling of MMA superstar Ronda Rousey.

There were five Canadians fighters on the undercard.

The highlight was Sarah (Cheesecake) Moras of Kelowna. Pinned to the canvas by California’s Ashlee Evans-Smith in the opening seconds of their bantamweight fight, she worked herself into position to submit Evans-Smith with an armbar at 2:51 of the first round.

The lone heavyweight contest of the night saw Arjan Bhullar of Richmond win his UFC debut with a unanimous decision over Luis Henrique.

Bhullar brought the Rogers Place crowd to its feet in the second round, literally putting the 245-pound Brazilian up on his shoulder then slamming him to the canvas. Vancouver’s Kajan Johnson knocked out Adriano Martins of Brazil 49 seconds into the third round of their lightweight bout.

Edmonton’s Mitch Clarke was TKO’d in the second round by Missouri’s Alex White in a lightweight clash. Afterward, an emotional Clarke, 31, announced he was hanging up the gloves.

In a featherweight fight, Newfoundland’s Gavin Tucker was mercilessly grounded and pounded by Iowa’s Rick Glenn en route to losing a unanimous decision.

Ketlen Vieira of Brazil, ranked 13th, made a statement by submitting sixth-ranked American Sarah McMann with an armtriangle choke late in the second round of their bantamweight bout.

Also on the main card, former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos submitted sixthranked Neil Magny with an arm-triangle choke at 3:43 of the first round of their welterweight battle.

No. 2-ranked flyweight Henry Cejudo pounded Wilson Reis into a knockout win 25 seconds into the second round.