Nunes snaps Justino’s UFC unbeaten streak
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Amanda Nunes knocked out Cris “Cyborg” Justino 51 seconds into the first round at UFC 232 on Saturday night, ending the featherweight champion’s 13-year unbeaten run with one of the most surprising victories in mixed martial arts history. Jon Jones also reclaimed his light heavyweight title in his return from a 17-month cage absence, stopping Alexander Gustafsson with strikes on the ground in the third round.
Nunes, the UFC’s bantamweight champion, made history when she moved up 10 pounds to challenge Justino (20-2), widely considered the world’s greatest female fighter. Nunes became the third fighter in UFC history to hold two title belts simultaneously, joining
Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier.
Nunes (17-4) was thought to be an undersized underdog, but she seized her second title belt by overwhelming her fellow Brazilian. Nunes buckled Justino’s knees in the opening seconds, and she eventually knocked down Justino twice. She ended the fight spectacularly with an overhand right to the ear, putting Justino face-down on the canvas.
Nunes also knocked out
Ronda Rousey in less than a minute two years ago.
Jones (23-1, 1 no-contest) followed up that bout with a methodical dismantling of Gustafsson in a rematch of Jones’ toughest fight. Jones earned a thrilling decision in 2013 over Gustafsson, who tested the champion to the limits of his ability.
But in Jones’ first fight since completing his second drug suspension, the star picked apart Gustafsson with kicks in the first two rounds. He got a takedown in the third and finished the fight with several brutal shots to Gustafsson’s head on the ground.
The UFC made the extraordinary decision to move its show 280 miles from Las Vegas to California to keep Jones on the card. The former champion recently tested positive for low levels of a banned steroid, but California regulatory officials didn’t consider the result serious enough to keep the longtroubled star out of the octagon, while Nevada’s commission did.