By decision, Taraves takes down Weidman
Brad Tavares swung a powerful kick in the second round, connecting with the outside of Chris Weidman’s left knee. Weidman, the former UFC champion, grimaced in pain as he limped backwards.
Fighting for the first time since shattering his right leg in a fight on April 24, 2021, Weidman lost a unanimous decision to Tavares in the feature bout of the preliminary card of UFC 292 Saturday night at TD Garden.
After the bout, Weidman required assistance leaving the octagon. Tavares, in a show of tremendous respect, walked his ailing competitor down the stairs and past the Octagon, where Weidman’s family ran over and embraced him. The sportsmanship displayed reflects the underlying admiration the two combatants hold for one another, given the brutality of the sport.
Thrilling bouts lined the card. Sixthranked bantamweight Marlon “Chito” Vera earned a unanimous decision over No. 10 Pedro Munhoz. Vera’s jab paid dividends, bloodying Munhoz as the pair combined to land 254 strikes in a stand-up affair. Thirteenth-ranked welterweight Ian Machado Garry wowed the crowd with a striking clinic, battering the veteran No. 11 Neil Magny for 15 minutes in a convincing unanimous decision win to improve his record to an undefeated 13-0.
Fellow bantamweight Mario Bautista used slick jiu-jitsu to record over four minutes of control time on the mat, earning a unanimous decision win over Da’Mon Blackshear. Middleweight Gregory Rodrigues earned the first knockout of the night, stopping Denis Tiuliulincq 1:43 into the first round with vicious elbows.
Kurt Holobaugh won The Ultimate Fighter 31 lightweight finale, submitting Austin Hubbard with a triangle choke in the second round. Brad Katona won The Ultimate Fighter 31 bantamweight finale, earning a unanimous decision victory over Cody Gibson.
The Ultimate Fighter is a reality TV show where eight fighters per division compete in a tournament, with the winner earning a UFC contract. Lightweight superstars Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler served as coaches for the season, which aired on ESPN.
A multitude of celebrities descended upon Causeway Street. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, former Red Sox stalwarts Johnny Damon and Jonathan Papelbon, former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich, and former Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton all kept a close eye on the action. Vegas Golden Knights star Jack Eichel, a native of North Chelmsford, watched several rows back. Local UFC stars Calvin Kattar, Rob Font, and Joe Lauzon were also in attendance.
Anticipation has built all week for the soldout show, which recorded a gate of over $7 million. The UFC returned to Boston for the seventh time in promotional history and the first time since 2019. This is the first UFC payper-view card at TD Garden since UFC 220 on January 20, 2018.
“Everywhere we go, we want to put on the best card possible,” said UFC President Dana White at Thursday’s press conference. “There was a ton of hype to get back to Boston. I love this card, so I’m excited for Saturday. The fans have been incredible here, the gate has been amazing, sell out. I couldn’t say enough good things about it — it’s great to be back.”
In the main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling looked to defend his title for a promotional record fourth consecutive time against second-ranked Sean O’Malley. A fan favorite, O’Malley has risen to stardome with a mix of highlight reel knockouts and brash talk on the microphone.
Following Sterling’s most recent title defense, a split decision victory over former twodivision champion Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 in May 6 in Newark, N.J., O’Malley entered the octagon and exchanged words with Sterling. The trash talk in the center of the octagon served as fuel for heated exchanges between the two men and added another level of intrigue to an already fascinating matchup between a dominant champion and rising star.
In the co-main event, the women’s strawweight championship was up for grabs as twotime champion Zhang Weili looked for her first title defense against fifth-ranked Amanda Lemos. Both women possess devastating knockout power, evidenced by a combined 19 knockouts between the two athletes.