UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Introduction
UFC 222: Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya. March 3, 2018. T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas. Cris Cyborg made her second UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship defence, stopping Yana Kunitskaya by TKO (ground-and-pound) at 3:25 of round one. Cyborg post-fight: ‘I want Amanda Nunes next. She called me out and I want to fight her.’
The card was significantly reshuffled. The originally planned main event — Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar for the FW Championship — collapsed when Holloway withdrew with a leg injury on February 3. Cyborg stepped up to save the PPV by defending against Kunitskaya. Edgar remained on the card in the co-main against Brian Ortega.
Brian Ortega became the first man in UFC history to stop Frankie Edgar— landing an elbow and right uppercut for a round-one KO at 4:44. Sean O’Malley won a unanimous decision despite fighting the final rounds with a severely injured ankle, doing his post-fight interview lying on the canvas.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: March 3, 2018
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Attendance: 12,041; Gate: $1,367,672; PPV: 260,000 buys
Planned main event: Max Holloway (c) vs. Frankie Edgar — FW Championship (Edgar withdrew with eye injury from UFC 218; rescheduled; then Holloway withdrew Feb 3 with leg injury)
Actual main event: Cris Cyborg (c) vs. Yana Kunitskaya — WFW Championship (Cyborg stepped up to save PPV)
Main Event Result: Cyborg def. Kunitskaya — TKO R1, 3:25 — Kunitskaya briefly took Cyborg down (RNC attempt); Cyborg escaped; striking dominance; G&P TKO; Cyborg called out Nunes post-fight
Co-Main: Brian Ortega def. Frankie Edgar — KO R1, 4:44 — FW; FIRST MAN EVER TO STOP EDGAR; elbow + uppercut; Ortega #1 FW contender
Notable: Sean O’Malley debut UD win with severe ankle injury; Mackenzie Dern UFC debut win; Hector Lombard DQ for post-bell strikes
Bonuses: FOTN: O’Malley/Soukhamthath ($50k each); POTN: Ortega + Hernandez ($50k each)
The Build-Up
Holloway’s leg injury on February 3 left the UFC scrambling with three weeks to PPV. Edgar’s fight title shot was in limbo. Cyborg agreed to move her title defence forward into the main event against Kunitskaya — a short-notice adjustment that was described by Dana White as the most professional handling of a card reshuffling by any champion in recent memory.
Edgar’s decision to stay on the card in the co-main against Ortega — sacrificing his FW title shot in a high-risk, lower-reward fight — was widely praised as exemplifying his competitive character. Ortega was unbeaten in 13 UFC bouts; Edgar had never been stopped in over 30 professional fights.
Main Event
Cris Cyborg (c) vs. Yana Kunitskaya — WFW Championship
Kunitskaya landed a takedown early and attempted a rear-naked choke — briefly creating a moment that looked like a potential major upset. Cyborg escaped and immediately took control with her striking. She landed a vicious combination and followed with ground-and-pound. Kunitskaya was unable to recover. TKO at 3:25.
Post-fight, Cyborg: ‘All glory to God. I took this fight on short notice but I felt very prepared. I am waiting for Amanda [Nunes] now. She called me out and I want to fight her. When you call out Cyborg, Cyborg will answer.’ The fight eventually happened at UFC 232 in December 2018.
Co-Main: Ortega vs. Edgar
Frankie Edgar vs. Brian Ortega — FW
Edgar’s frenetic pace landed well early. Ortega found his range and timed Edgar’s forward movement. He landed a stiff elbow that backed Edgar up, then followed with a right uppercut. Edgar dropped; the referee stopped it at 4:44. Brian Ortega became the first fighter in UFC history to stop Frankie Edgar— in over 30 professional fights across multiple weight classes.
Ortega’s FW contender record now stood at 14-0 with finishes of Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar. The Holloway title fight at UFC 231 was next.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Jordan Johnson def. Adam Milstead — Decision (Split) — R3 (29-28, 27-30, 29-28) — HW
Cody Stamann def. Bryan Caraway — Decision (Split) — R3 (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) — BW
Zak Ottow def. Mike Pyle — TKO — R1, 2:34 — WW
CB Dollaway def. Hector Lombard — Disqualification (Illegal Post-Bell Strikes) — R1, 5:00 — MW; Lombard threw punches after bell
John Dodson def. Pedro Munhoz — Decision (Split) — R3 (28-29, 30-27, 29-28) — BW; controversial; many felt Munhoz won
Alexander Hernandez def. Beneil Dariush — KO — R1, 0:42 — LW; POTN ($50k); explosive debut performance
Mackenzie Dern def. Ashley Yoder — Decision (Split) — R3 (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) — WSW; Dern UFC debut win; BJJ world champion
Main Card
Ketlen Vieira def. Cat Zingano — Decision (Split) — R3 (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) — WBW
Andrei Arlovski def. Stefan Struve — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) — HW; Arlovski win streak; 4 takedowns
Sean O’Malley def. Andre Soukhamthath — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 (29-27, 29-27, 29-28) — BW; FOTN ($50k each); O’Malley won with severe ankle injury; interviewed lying on the canvas
Brian Ortega def. Frankie Edgar — KO (Elbow + Uppercut) — R1, 4:44 — FW; POTN ($50k); FIRST MAN TO STOP EDGAR in 30+ fights; Ortega #1 FW contender; Co-Main
WFW Championship — Main Event
Cris Cyborg def. Yana Kunitskaya — TKO (G&P) — R1, 3:25 — WFW Championship; Kunitskaya took Cyborg down (RNC attempt); Cyborg escaped; dominant striking; Cyborg called out Nunes post-fight
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath — $50,000 to each fighter.
Performance of the Night: Brian Ortega + Alexander Hernandez — $50,000 each.
Records & Milestones
Brian Ortega — became the first fighter to stop Frankie Edgar in over 30 professional MMA bouts. Ortega’s unbeaten streak moved to 14 fights. He challenged Max Holloway for the FW title at UFC 231 in December 2018.
Sean O’Malley — his UFC debut marked him as a prospect despite the split decision win (not a finish). His injured-ankle performance and personality set up a future as one of the UFC’s most marketable fighters.
Cris Cyborg — the post-fight callout of Amanda Nunes set up the most anticipated WFW fight in history. They met at UFC 232 on December 29, 2018. Nunes knocked out Cyborg in 51 seconds to become a two-division UFC champion.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 222 is a card defined by disruption that produced an unexpected highlight. Cyborg’s willingness to step up and defend on short notice after the card’s reshuffling is the kind of professionalism that earns respect. Ortega’s KO of Edgar — first man ever to stop him in any context — was a statement performance.
O’Malley’s injured-ankle performance seeded what became one of the sport’s most anticipated BW careers. He became UFC BW Champion at UFC 280 in October 2022.
FAQ
Why was the UFC 222 main event changed?
The original main event was Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar for the FW Championship. Edgar had previously withdrawn from UFC 218 with an eye injury; the fight was rescheduled to UFC 222. On February 3, Holloway withdrew with a leg injury. Cris Cyborg stepped up to defend the WFW title against Yana Kunitskaya to save the PPV.
Was Brian Ortega’s KO of Frankie Edgar historically significant?
Yes. Ortega became the first fighter to stop Frankie Edgar in over 30 professional MMA bouts across two weight classes. Edgar’s durability was legendary; he had survived knockdowns and dominant performances without ever being stopped. Ortega’s elbow-uppercut combination at 4:44 of round one ended that streak.
What happened with Sean O’Malley’s ankle at UFC 222?
O’Malley suffered a severe ankle injury during the fight, but continued competing and won by UD. After the decision was announced, he did his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan lying flat on the canvas because he could not stand on the injured ankle. He later revealed the ankle had been significantly damaged.
How did Cyborg’s fight with Kunitskaya start?
Kunitskaya landed an early takedown and attempted a rear-naked choke on Cyborg, creating a briefly alarming moment for the champion. Cyborg escaped, stood up, and immediately took control with striking. Ground-and-pound finished the fight at 3:25 of round one.
What happened when Cyborg called out Nunes after UFC 222?
The fight between Cyborg and Nunes was made for UFC 232 in Las Vegas on December 29, 2018. Nunes stopped Cyborg by TKO in round one at 0:51 to become the UFC’s first simultaneous two-division women’s champion.
References
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