Holloway pummels Aldo, keeps UFC title

Max Holloway won the UFC featherweight title by battering an exhausted Jose Aldo late in the third round of their first fight in June.

He solidified his grip on the belt by duplicating the result in the rematch Saturday night in the main event of UFC 218 in Detroit.

“Aldo was a hell of a champion, but I told you the ‘Blessed’ era is something new,” Holloway said after knocking out Aldo at 4:51 of the third round to win his 11th consecutive fight. “I told you he’d get tired. My trainer said, ‘Let’s take him into deep water. We know he can’t swim there.’ ”

Also on the main card, Francis Ngannou hopes he secured his shot at winning the heavyweight belt by making quick work of Alistair Overeem, who was supposed to represent the toughest test of Ngannou’s young career.

Overeem proved to be no match, as Ngannou knocked him cold with a devastating left hand at 1:42 of the first round.

It was Ngannou’s 10th consecutive win and probably set him up for a title shot against champion Stipe Miocic.

Former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez handed Justin Gaethje the first loss of his professional career by knocking him out with a crushing right knee in the third round.

Flyweight Henry Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, moved one step closer to another title shot with a unanimous decision over Sergio Pettis.

Women’s strawweight contender Tecia Torres opened the pay-per-view card with a unanimous decision over contender Michelle Waterson.