Live: UFC 212

THE UFC returned to Brazil for one of the most explosive cards of 2017. Max Holloway claimed the featherweight belt after defeating Jose Aldo and Claudia Gadelha defeated Karolina Kowalkiewicz in the co-main event at UFC 212.

MAX Holloway reigned supreme at UFC 212, taking our the champion vs. champion main event, while Claudia Gadelha made a statement and Vitor Belfort proved he is not done just yet with the UFC.

2.30pm

Max Holloway defeated Jose Aldo by TKO RD3

In his second fight since his title loss to Connor McGregor, Aldo hoped to defend his recently regained 145-pound belt.

The Rio de Janeiro crowd was clearly on his side before he engaged with rising star Max Holloway. After touching gloves Holloway pushed forward and worked to exploit openings.

Aldo landed some huge shots in a combo just before the midway point of the first round.

Holloway took the damage, both fighters remained quite. In the final minute the Hawaiian was hit once again by the champ.

Both fighters looked looser in the second round, with Holloway the first to land.

Aldo didn’t use leg kicks, yet landed good combinations.

Holloway expected the toughest rounds to be early and his fighting showed this as he tried to weather the storm. He landed a nice combination on the champ around two minutes into the second round. Holloway then landed a big right as he started to get more damage all around.

Both fighters exchanged as Holloway raised the pace and taunted Aldo toward the end of the round.

As the fighters headed back to their corners, Aldo had a large lump on the side of his head.

Aldo just missed with a big knee in the third of possible five rounds, but was then taunted as his opponent dropped his hands.

Holloway started to find his rhythm, throwing punches with a higher work rate.

The challenger landed two heavy shots, which knocked down Aldo.

Holloway pounced and tried to mount Aldo, who scrambled to recover.

The Hawaiian started landed heavy rights from the top, before getting a sturdy mount.

Amazing ground work saw him take the champ’s back before going back to beating a bloodied Aldo from the top.

He once again took the back, with the ref calling the fight after deeming Aldo was not safely protecting himself.

The victory was met with boos, as Aldo protested the stoppage.

I'm so happy for Holloway, who's taken a hard road to get to the top, but Aldo is my favorite fighter ever. Hard to watch the end. #UFC212 — Patrick Wyman (@Patrick_Wyman) June 4, 2017

Great fight. Aldo showed a ton of heart at the end, but Holloway was relentless. End of an era and maybe the start of a new one. #UFC212 — Justin Ivey (@JustinIvey_) June 4, 2017

If the ref doesn't stop it, the last 50 seconds of the round involve Aldo getting punched in the back of the head. It was right call #UFC212 — Nick Kostos (@TheKostos) June 4, 2017

Holloway had a message for former featherweight king Conor McGregor post-fight.

“That guy was the 2015 champ. I’m the champ. If he wants to come back down, he can get it,” he said.

Holloway was previously beaten by McGregor in 2013 and has been chasing redemption ever since.

McGregor himself is angling for his long publicised showdown with boxing king Floyd Mayweather, but fans are still hanging out for a fight against Holloway

Statement made. Max Holloway. 11 fight win streak. Finishes Jose Aldo. New champ. Unbelievable #UFC212 — Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) June 4, 2017

Well that settles that....Rumble on the rock @TheNotoriousMMA and @BlessedMMA in the great state of Hawaii 🤙🏾 #ufc212 — Johnny Nunez (@JohnnyBoyMMA) June 4, 2017

Does Holloway beat McGregor in a rematch? #UFC212 — Matt Saccaro (@MattSaccaro) June 4, 2017

wow, the featherweight division officially belong to max holloway or does mcgregor come back? #UFC212 — Brandon Caldwell (@_brandoc) June 4, 2017

This is obviously way to premature (and it probably won't happen), but imagine Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2. I'd watch. #UFC212 — Danny Segura (@DannySeguraTV) June 4, 2017

2pm

Claudia Gadelha defeated Karolina Kowalkiewicz by submission in RD1

Brazil’s Claudia Gadelha faced off against Polish fighter Karolina Kowalkiewicz in the co-main event.

The talented fighters both landed shots early in the round, with a beautiful elbow from Gadelha the biggest blow.

The Brazilian then got her opponent to the ground with two and half minutes remaining.

She was then able to get the Polish fighter’s back and win via a submission victory with a rear naked choke.

The first finish inside the Octagon for @ClaudiaGadelha_ AND the first woman to finish Kowalkiewicz as a pro! Round of applause 👏 #UFC212 pic.twitter.com/X9KqrwnJju — UFC (@ufc) June 4, 2017

1.30pm

Vitor Belfort defeated Nate Marquart by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Middleweight veterans Vitor Belfort and Nate Marquardt clashed next.

The former champ went into the fight as the underdog, yet the crowd was very vocal for the local hero.

Marquardt got the take-down one minute into the round, with Belfort holding him in his guard.

The referee stood both fighters up, with Belfort landing a left hand and kick with two minutes remaining. Both fighters remained quite for the rest of the round.

With Marquardt up on points, the second round saw him come out with confidence, finding his range early. Belfort struck back with some heavy hits to his opponent who was forced into the fence.

Neither fighter was overly aggressive until the final minute of the round which saw a fury from both fighters. A bloody Belfort headed to his corner.

The third and final round was painfully slow to start.

It was a tactical approach from Marquardt, who most felt was two rounds ahead on points by this time in the fight. With two minutes left, he landed a nice left hook on Belfort.

The Brazilian landed big shot and was looking for the finisher, with his opponent physically hurt. Marquardt was able to recover and go the distance.

Despite it seeming like Marquardt had won the fight on points, the judges gave a controversial unanimous decision to Belfort (29-28 on all three cards).

Well that decision was....not good #UFC212 — Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) June 4, 2017

Can we have two losers? #UFC212 — Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) June 4, 2017

Wow, Viktor Belfort got a little bit of homecoming with that decision...#UFC212 — Evan Turner (@thekidet) June 4, 2017

1pm

Paulo Borrachinha defeated Oluwale Bamgbose by TKO RD2

The second fight of the night had local Paulo Borrachinha battle American Oluwale Bamgbose.

It was a strange start to the fight, with Bamgbose forced to have his toenails clipped before entering the octagon.

FYI: I'm totally cool without a closeup of someone's toenails. #UFC212 — Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) June 4, 2017

As well-known knockout artists, both fighters were eager to get the victory in the first round and came out fast.

Bamgbose landed a right early in the fight, with Borrachinha struggling to get a fix on his opponents unorthodox movement.

The American got an early take-down and then kept aggressive using a lot of energy in his attacks.

After the halfway mark of the round, Borrachinha started to chase his opponent and landed some big kicks.

A huge inside leg kick, followed by shots to the body saw the Brazilian strike back.

An exhausted Bamgbose weathered the storm and was able to pin his opponent against the fence for the remainder of the round.

Bamgbose looked tired during the break and the second round showed this.

The Brazilian set the pace and landed some clean shots, while his opponent did strange double hand chops.

Borrachinha quickly took the opponent to ground and beat him with punches until the fight was stopped by the referee.

The victory keeps Borrachinha undefeated in the octagon.

12.30pm

Nancy Medeiros defeated Erick Silva by TKO in RD2

Brazilian Erick Silva faced off against Hawaiian Nancy Medeiros for the opening fight of the main fight card.

The welterweights had a slow start, with both fighters feeling each other out.

Silva got stung with three and a half minutes left in the round, but was able to regain his composure. Medeiros mostly controlled the first round, with the Diaz brother protege having early success with shots.

Silva was able to break the rhythm toward the end of the round, landing his own shot at the end of the round.

OHHHHH what a left hook by @YMedeiros!! He drops Silva here in round 2! #UFC212 pic.twitter.com/KrCO6RDeab — UFC (@ufc) June 4, 2017

The second round saw both fighters come out strong.

Medeiros kept the pressure early into the second, but was tagged with multiple shots from his opponent.

It was a short lived combo, with Medeiros landing a huge overhand right followed by a left hook, which dropped Silva.

He then jumped on the down opponent with a flurry of punches, before the ref called a stop to contest at 2:01 into round two.

There was some dispute regarding the stoppage, as some fans on social media felt the referee called a conclusion too early.

I’d rather a referee stop it early than too late. Probably could have let that one go a bit longer, though. #UFC212 — MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) June 4, 2017

Yeah I'm fine with that stoppage. Went down with arms out got tagged over and over after. Ref has to do the best he can. #UFC212 — Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) June 4, 2017

Kind of an early stoppage situation at #UFC212. It was close, and Silva was out at one point, but he seemed to come back quickly. — Robbie Fox (@RobbieBarstool) June 4, 2017

12.00pm

Assuncao escapes with win

THE UFC 212 preliminary card finished with a brilliant all Brazilian affair.

Bantamweight contenders Raphael Assuncao and Marlon Moraes brought the house down, as both men exchanged strikes for three rounds.

The fight proved a tough introduction to the UFC for Moraes, who came in on a thirteen fight winning streak.

But his first fight in the UFC was very different, Moraes ran into number three ranked bantamweight Raphael Assuncao.

It was a tough introduction for the 29-year-old, but he managed to settle into the fight, out striking his more experienced opponent.

Both men exchanged strikes over the three-round contest, the all action fight eventually going to the judges.

The result could have gone either way, but officials handed a split-decision decision victory to Raphael Assuncao. 28-29, 29-28, 30-27.

Despite the defeat Moraes proved he can match it with the best in the bantamweight division, while Assuncao edges closer to a title opportunity.

Didn't like the 30-27 score but can't argue with the result whether Assuncao or Moraes ultimately won the fight. Very close. #UFC212 — Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) June 4, 2017

The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat. #UFC212 pic.twitter.com/LaHYTvTdhP — Mike Fridley (@mikefridley) June 4, 2017

11.20am

Brazil get one back

Antonio Carlos Junior finally has a win for the local fans.

Carlos Junior is one of the best on his back in the middleweight division and once he had Spicely in his clutches, it was a matter of time before the Brazilian would end things.

He’d eventually force Spicely to tap midway through the second round.

The fight changed rapidly for Spicely, who opened well, scoring an early take-down. But the longer the fight went, the more Carlos Junior took control.

Carlos Junior landed eleven more strikes than Spicely and after being on the back foot for the opening stages, he nearly forced a submission in the closing seconds of the round.

Carlos Junior opened the second round with a take-down and from there the fight was all his.

Spicely had no escape from a guillotine choke and the Brazilian forced the tap to take the victory in the second round.

10.40am

Lopez ends it early

Luckily Matthew Lopez isn’t being paid by the minute.

The American blew through local hope Johnny Eduardo at UFC 212.

Lopez scored an early take-down, assumed top position and literally pounded home his advantage, stopping number ten ranked bantamweight Eduardo with vicious ground and pound.

The referee called a stop to the contest inside two minutes of the opening round, ensuring an easy night in Rio for Lopez.

It has not been a good start to UFC 212 for local hopes, Brazil going 0-2 on the preliminary card.

10.15am

Shock starts UFC 212

UFC 212 needed little time to deliver a shock.

Brian Kelleher took ten years to get to the UFC, and he needed less than two minutes to make a statement.

Debutant Kelleher stunned the local Brazilian fans choking out number 13 ranked bantamweight Iuri Alacantra in the opening round.

Alacantra started fast, landing several strikes, but he had no answer to Kelleher’s submission skills.

OHHHHH THAT'S IT!! @BrianBoom135 gets the tap on Marajo in the FIRST ROUND!! This arena is SILENT. What an upset! #UFC212 pic.twitter.com/XzL2OgSqcg — UFC (@ufc) June 4, 2017

Kelleher scored a take-down and wasted little time locking in a guillotine choke, forcing Alacantra to tap.

“I had no nerves, I felt like I belonged here,” Kelleher said post-fight.

“Feed me to the sharks, I’m ready.”

Winner by guillotine choke, Brian Kelleher 1:48 minutes into Round 1.

Don’t know how that debut could have gone better for Kelleher. First-round sub over a ranked fighter, then tears it down on the mic. #UFC212 — Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) June 4, 2017

9.30am

13 seconds that define Jose Aldo

For all but 13 seconds, Jose Aldo has been the greatest featherweight fighter in mixed martial arts history.

Unfortunately for Aldo, his career can’t be discussed without prominently mentioning those 13 seconds between the opening bell and his knockout loss to Conor McGregor, who ended Aldo’s UFC title reign and 18-fight winning streak with one incredible punch.

Aldo (26-2) has fought just once since that loss in December 2015, but the Brazilian star has already regained the 145-pound title belt after McGregor moved up in weight. Aldo will attempt to defend it again Saturday at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro against rising star Max Holloway.

Even with a difficult fight against a well-deserving contender looming this weekend, Aldo hasn’t been able to get far from the spectre of his loss to McGregor — partly because people never stop asking him about it. “I try to see the good in it, the silver lining in everything,” Aldo said.

“But the UFC tried to make this (rematch) happen, and it didn’t. The guy does not want to fight with me again. It may be the last time that people ask. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore and that’s fine. It happened. It’s in the past.”

McGregor taunted and infuriated Aldo throughout the promotion for that stunning upset. The Irishman went on to become the biggest star in MMA, and it seems improbable that he would ever want to get back down to 145 pounds, let alone to give Aldo another chance to erase the embarrassment.

Aldo knows he’ll have to live with it, and the only way to make the situation palatable is to resume his domination of the division.

After beating Frankie Edgar in his return fight last July to win the belt back, Aldo gets home-cage advantage when the Rio resident takes on Holloway (17-3) at the Jeunesse Arena in front of his fellow Cariocas.

“There’s definitely a different feeling to it,” Aldo said. “Everyone is rooting for me and they all speak Portuguese, so I can interact with everybody. There is a different side to that. It’s close to my gym. My family and friends can be there.”

During his entire fighting prime, Aldo’s work rate and skill have been too much for every opponent except McGregor. Yet he realises the danger posed by Holloway, the Hawaii-born contender who stands 4 inches taller and presents confounding challenges.

“He’s one of the greatest to do it,” Holloway said of Aldo. “Since I was 17, I watched this guy. He stayed on top of the division. Now it’s time for a new era.” Holloway is also well-tested after clawing his way to the top of a talent-jammed division. He has racked up 10 consecutive victories since losing a decision to McGregor in August 2013, even winning an interim version of this belt in McGregor’s absence.

What’s more, Holloway is a precise, creative striker whose superior height could put him in many advantageous situations against Aldo, who might need to increase his already formidable activity. Since Aldo has been nearly impossible to take down, Holloway could spend the fight on his feet — and that probably wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Holloway also is singularly focused on MMA. While Aldo has been open about considering retirement or moving on to a boxing career in recent months, Holloway’s hunger for the sport’s biggest prizes hasn’t been satisfied. “Everybody can get a belt,” Holloway said.

“I don’t care. I want an undisputed career. I want the best damn career. I want to be the best guy ever to do this. When I’m done a long time from now, (I want) people still talking about my name as being the undisputed (best) fighter in the world, not only of the featherweights.”

The rest of the UFC 212 card doesn’t pack the visceral appeal of the main event, although former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort conceivably could be in his final bout against fellow veteran Nate Marquardt. Top-ranked Brazilian strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha takes on Poland’s Karolina Kowalkiewicz in an intriguing penultimate fight.

9.00am

UFC 212 preliminary card

Bantamweight — Raphael Assuncao def. Marlon Moraes by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)

Middleweight — Antonio Carlos Junior defeated Eric Spicely by submission RD2

Bantamweight — Matthew Lopez defeated Johnny Eduardo by TKO RD1

Bantamweight — Brian Kelleher defeated Iuri Alcantara by submission, RD1