UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Ariel Helwhiney
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC 215: Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2. September 9, 2017. Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada — the first UFC event in Edmonton. Amanda Nunes retained the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship against Valentina Shevchenko by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) in a controversial verdict. Shevchenko issued a lengthy post-fight statement blasting the judges.
The event was originally headlined by Demetrious Johnson defending the FW title against Ray Borg. Borg was diagnosed with a viral illness the day before and withdrew. Johnson completed his walkout, walked to the cage alone, addressed the crowd, and walked back to the dressing room. The Nunes-Shevchenko co-main was elevated to headline.
Rafael dos Anjos submitted Neil Magny with an arm-triangle in round one. Henry Cejudo KO’d Wilson Reis in round two. Junior dos Santos and Francis Ngannou were both removed from the card — dos Santos for a USADA violation; Ngannou’s opponent couldn’t be found.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: September 9, 2017
Venue: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (first UFC in Edmonton; 2nd in Alberta; sold out 16,232; Gate: $2.03M)
PPV: ~100,000 buys
Cancelled: Demetrious Johnson vs. Ray Borg — FW Championship (Borg diagnosed viral illness day before; DJ did walkout alone, addressed crowd)
Main Event: Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Valentina Shevchenko — WBW Championship (rescheduled from UFC 213 where Nunes was hospitalised)
Result: Nunes def. Shevchenko — SD (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) — CONTROVERSIAL; Shevchenko blasted judges; one judge gave to Shevchenko
Also removed: Junior dos Santos (USADA violation); Francis Ngannou (no opponent found)
Bonuses: POTN: Rafael dos Anjos + Henry Cejudo ($50k each)
The Build-Up
Nunes-Shevchenko 2 was the fight that should have happened at UFC 213 in July. Nunes’s illness on that fight day had denied Shevchenko a rematch she had been seeking since their UFC 196 meeting in 2016. The rescheduled bout was built on Shevchenko’s argument that she had won the first fight’s later rounds and deserved a longer bout to display her full technical superiority.
The DJ cancellation completely changed the event’s narrative on the eve of fight day. Johnson had been on the cusp of breaking Anderson Silva’s record for most consecutive title defences in UFC history. A win over Borg would have given him 11. Instead, the fight was rescheduled to UFC 216 in October 2017.
Main Event
Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Valentina Shevchenko — WBW Championship
Shevchenko’s technical striking and movement were visible from round one. She landed crisp combinations and used her kickboxing range effectively. Nunes landed her power right hands and controlled with grappling moments. The fight was extremely close; multiple rounds were swing frames.
The final scorecards: 48-47, 47-48, 48-47. One judge gave it to Shevchenko; two gave it to Nunes. Shevchenko was visibly upset in the post-fight interview and subsequently issued a lengthy public statement saying she had won the fight. The UFC moved her to the newly created Women’s Flyweight division, where she eventually won the inaugural title at UFC 231.
DJ Walkout — Borg Cancellation
Demetrious Johnson had been standing 11 title defences away from breaking Anderson Silva’s all-time record at UFC 215. The morning before the event, Ray Borg was diagnosed with a viral illness and deemed unfit to fight. Johnson was informed but proceeded with his full fight-night routine.
When Johnson’s walkout music played, he made the walk to the cage alone. He entered the Octagon, took the microphone from Bruce Buffer, and addressed the Edmonton crowd. He expressed his disappointment, apologised for the cancellation, and thanked the fans. He then walked back to the locker room. The crowd gave him a standing ovation. The record attempt was rescheduled to UFC 216.
Full Results
CANCELLED — FW Championship
Demetrious Johnson vs. Ray Borg — CANCELLED — FW Championship; Borg viral illness day before; DJ walkout alone then addressed crowd; rescheduled UFC 216
Preliminary Card
Sarah Moras def. Ashlee Evans-Smith — Sub (Armbar) — R1, 2:51 — WSW
Kajan Johnson def. Adriano Martins — KO — R3, 0:49 — LW
Arjan Bhullar def. Luis Henrique — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-28 x3) — HW
Alex White def. Mitch Clarke — TKO — R2, 4:36 — LW
Rick Glenn def. Gavin Tucker — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-27, 30-25, 30-24) — FW
Ketlen Vieira def. Sara McMann — Sub (Arm-Triangle) — R2, 4:16 — WBW
Main Card
Jeremy Stephens def. Gilbert Melendez — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (30-26, 30-25, 30-26) — FW; Melendez FW debut; Stephens dominant
Ilir Latifi def. Tyson Pedro — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-28 x3) — LHW
Henry Cejudo def. Wilson Reis — KO — R2, 0:25 — FW [125 lbs]; POTN ($50k); Cejudo back on track after UFC 197 TKO loss to DJ
Rafael dos Anjos def. Neil Magny — Sub (Arm-Triangle) — R1, 3:43 — WW; POTN ($50k); RDA transitions to WW
WBW Championship — Main Event
Amanda Nunes def. Valentina Shevchenko — Decision (Split) — R5, 5:00 (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) — WBW Championship; CONTROVERSIAL; Shevchenko blasted judges; later moved to WFW [125 lbs]
Bonuses & Awards
Performance of the Night: Rafael dos Anjos + Henry Cejudo — $50,000 each.
Records & Milestones
Valentina Shevchenko — after the UFC 215 loss, moved to the newly created Women’s Flyweight division. She won the inaugural WFW title at UFC 231 in December 2018 by defeating Joanna Jędrzejczyk, beginning one of the most dominant title reigns in UFC women’s history.
Demetrious Johnson — the record-breaking 11th title defence was rescheduled to UFC 216 in October 2017. Johnson defeated Ray Borg by submission in round four at UFC 216 to break Anderson Silva’s record of 10 consecutive title defences.
Rafael dos Anjos — def. Magny to establish himself at WW. RDA had been the UFC LW champion in 2015-16; his transition to WW brought new life to his career.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 215 is remembered for what didn’t happen. Johnson’s walkout alone and address to the crowd is one of the most quietly powerful moments in UFC history — a record-breaking fight denied at the last moment, handled with complete class.
The Nunes-Shevchenko verdict was the catalyst for the creation of the Women’s Flyweight division. Shevchenko’s transition there produced one of the most dominant title reigns the UFC has seen in any weight class.
FAQ
What happened with Demetrious Johnson and Ray Borg at UFC 215?
Borg was diagnosed with a viral illness the day before the event and was deemed unfit to fight by UFC doctors. Johnson completed his walkout, entered the Octagon alone, took the microphone and addressed the crowd with a brief emotional speech, then walked back to the locker room. The fight was rescheduled to UFC 216, where Johnson broke Anderson Silva’s record with an 11th consecutive title defence.
Was Nunes vs. Shevchenko 2 at UFC 215 controversial?
Yes. Shevchenko issued a lengthy post-fight statement saying she had won the fight. One of three judges scored it 47-48 for Shevchenko; two scored it 48-47 for Nunes. Shevchenko believed she had controlled the bout with her technical striking. The UFC subsequently moved her to the Women’s Flyweight division rather than granting a third bout at bantamweight.
Was UFC 215 the first UFC event in Edmonton?
Yes. Rogers Place in Edmonton was hosting its first UFC event, making it the second UFC event ever held in Alberta (after UFC 149 in Calgary in 2012). The card sold out with 16,232 fans and generated a gate of $2.03 million.
What happened to Junior dos Santos at UFC 215?
Junior dos Santos was removed from UFC 215 on August 18 after being notified by USADA of a potential doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition test on August 10. He tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic. Francis Ngannou, who had been his scheduled opponent, was also removed from the card after no suitable replacement could be found.
Where did Valentina Shevchenko go after losing at UFC 215?
After her split decision loss at UFC 215, the UFC moved Shevchenko to the newly created Women’s Flyweight division. She won the inaugural WFW title at UFC 231 in December 2018 by defeating Joanna Jędrzejczyk by UD. She held the WFW title through multiple dominant defences.
References
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