UFC 208: Holm vs. de Randamie | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Roe Jogan
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 208: Holm vs. de Randamie. February 11, 2017. Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York. Germaine de Randamie defeated Holly Holm by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) to become the inaugural UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion — the first WFW title in the promotion’s history.
The fight was immediately controversial. De Randamie landed punches clearly after the bell ending rounds two and three. Referee Todd Anderson issued warnings both times but deducted no points. Holm filed a formal complaint with the New York State Athletic Commission on February 15; the appeal was denied on February 28.
Anderson Silva def. Derek Brunson by UD in the co-main (controversial; Brunson outlanded Silva in significant strikes). Dustin Poirier def. Jim Miller by MD in the FOTN. Islam Makhachev won his second consecutive UFC fight. Cris Cyborg attended UFC 208 in Brooklyn, casting her shadow over the new WFW division.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: February 11, 2017
Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York (1st UFC in Brooklyn; 4th in New York state; record-highest-grossing sporting event at Barclays Center at the time)
Attendance: 15,628; Gate: $2,275,105
Main Event: Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie — Inaugural UFC WFW Championship (first WFW title in UFC history; first women’s FW bout in UFC history)
Result: De Randamie def. Holm — UD (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) — CONTROVERSIAL: de Randamie landed punches AFTER THE BELL in rounds 2 AND 3; no point deductions; Holm filed complaint; NYSAC denied appeal
Co-Main: Anderson Silva def. Derek Brunson — UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) — MW; controversial: Brunson outlanded Silva 73-52 in sig strikes
Notable: Cris Cyborg attended UFC 208; looming over entire WFW division
Bonuses: FOTN: Poirier/Miller ($50k each); POTN: Jacare Souza + others ($50k each)
The Build-Up
The UFC Women’s Featherweight division was created partly because Cris Cyborg — the sport’s most dominant 145 lb female fighter — was unable to make the WBW 135 lb limit. The WFW division was designed to eventually give Cyborg a home in the UFC. However, Cyborg was dealing with USADA anti-doping issues that precluded her from the inaugural title fight, leaving Holm and de Randamie to contest it.
De Randamie, a Dutch kickboxing specialist, had gone 3-0 in the UFC but against opponents with no UFC wins. Holm was a former WBW champion who had lost to Miesha Tate at UFC 196. The matchup made sense stylistically: two accomplished strikers with no prior meetings and the inaugural title on the line.
Main Event
Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie — Inaugural UFC WFW Championship
De Randamie controlled round one with a dangerous counter right hand. Holm worked from the clinch in round two, landing volume. At the end of round two, after the bell, de Randamie connected with a heavy right hand that rocked Holm visibly. Holm stumbled to her corner. No point was deducted.
Round three saw Holm land a question mark kick that knocked de Randamie down. At the end of round three, de Randamie again landed punches clearly after the bell. Again no deduction. Rounds four and five were shared. De Randamie’s early lead on the scorecards, accumulated partly via illegal blows, proved decisive. UD: 48-47, 48-47, 48-47.
De Randamie post-fight: ‘It was in the heat of the moment. I apologise and I didn’t mean to hit her after the bell.’ Holm filed an appeal, arguing two point deductions were warranted. With them, the scorecards may have favoured her. The NYSAC denied the appeal on February 28.
Co-Main Event
Anderson Silva vs. Derek Brunson — Middleweight
Silva was 42 years old. Brunson came out pressing with volume and aggression. Silva used evasive footwork, a spinning back kick in round one, and counter-striking to outpoint a heavier offensive output from Brunson. Silva’s 73-52 significant strike disadvantage was overlooked by judges who favoured his movement and ring generalship. UD: 29-28, 29-28, 30-27. Brunson was vocal about the result post-fight.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Ryan LaFlare def. Roan Carneiro — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-26, 30-27, 29-28) — WW; LaFlare’s NY return
Islam Makhachev def. Nik Lentz — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — LW; Makhachev’s winning run continues
Belal Muhammad def. Randy Brown — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) — WW
Wilson Reis def. Ulka Sasaki — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — FW [125 lbs]
Dustin Poirier def. Jim Miller — Decision (Majority) — R3 — LW; FOTN ($50k each); 13 performance bonuses between them entering the fight
Main Card
Glover Teixeira def. Jared Cannonier — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — LHW; Teixeira dominant with grappling
Ronaldo Souza def. Tim Boetsch — Sub (Kimura) — R1, 3:41 — MW; Souza dominant; POTN ($50k)
Anderson Silva def. Derek Brunson — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) — MW; Co-Main; CONTROVERSIAL: Brunson outlanded Silva 73-52 in sig strikes
Inaugural WFW Championship — Main Event
Germaine de Randamie def. Holly Holm — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (48-47 x3) — Inaugural WFW Championship; CONTROVERSIAL: late shots after bell R2 and R3; no point deductions; Holm filed appeal; denied
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Dustin Poirier vs. Jim Miller — $50,000 to each fighter.
Performance of the Night: Ronaldo Souza — $50,000.
Records & Milestones
Germaine de Randamie — first UFC WFW Champion; first women’s featherweight title fight in UFC history. She was stripped of the title in 2018 for refusing to defend against Cris Cyborg.
The Barclays Center gate of $2,275,105 was the highest-grossing sporting event in the venue’s history at the time.
Islam Makhachev — def. Nik Lentz at UFC 208 for his second consecutive win in the UFC following his only career KO loss at UFC 192. He went on to become UFC LW Champion at UFC 280 in October 2022.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 208 is remembered primarily for the controversy around the WFW title fight. The late shots after the bell in rounds two and three, neither penalised, gave de Randamie an advantage she used to build a lead on the scorecards that Holm’s late fight performance couldn’t overcome.
The WFW division’s shadow champion was Cris Cyborg, who attended UFC 208 in Brooklyn. De Randamie was stripped of the title in 2018 for refusing to fight Cyborg. Cyborg then won the WFW title at UFC 219 against Holm in December 2017.
FAQ
Why was the UFC 208 main event controversial?
De Randamie landed punches clearly after the bell ending round two (which badly hurt Holm) and again after the bell ending round three. Referee Todd Anderson issued warnings on both occasions but deducted no points. If he had deducted two points (one per infraction), the scorecards could have shifted in Holm’s favour.
Did Holly Holm appeal the result?
Yes. Holm filed a formal complaint with the New York State Athletic Commission on February 15, 2017, requesting a review of the referee’s ‘failure to deduct one or more points’ following de Randamie’s illegal shots. The NYSAC denied the appeal thirteen days later, on February 28, 2017.
Why wasn’t Cris Cyborg in the inaugural WFW title fight?
Cyborg was dealing with USADA anti-doping issues at the time UFC 208 was booked, which precluded her from participation. She attended the event in Brooklyn. She eventually won the WFW title at UFC 219 in December 2017 by stopping Holly Holm in round one.
Was Anderson Silva’s win over Brunson at UFC 208 controversial?
Yes. Derek Brunson outlanded Anderson Silva 73-52 in significant strikes and pressed the action throughout. The judges favoured Silva’s evasive movement, ring generalship, and counters. Brunson was vocal in his disagreement with the scorecards. Silva was 42 years old at the time.
What happened to the WFW title after UFC 208?
De Randamie was stripped of the WFW title in 2018 after refusing to defend it against Cris Cyborg. Cyborg won the vacant WFW title at UFC 219 in December 2017 by TKO, stopping Holly Holm. Amanda Nunes later became WFW champion in December 2018 by knocking out Cyborg in 51 seconds at UFC 232.
References
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