UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Tito Wordsmith
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 224: Nunes vs. Pennington. May 12, 2018. Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Amanda Nunes made her third UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship defence, stopping Raquel Pennington with hammer fists at 2:36 of round five. UFC 224 was the first event in UFC history headlined by two openly gay fighters.
The fight’s most discussed moment came at the end of round four: Pennington, her nose broken and face battered, told her corner she wanted to stop. Her corner sent her out for round five regardless. Nunes took her down with a minute remaining and finished with hammer fists.
Kelvin Gastelum defeated Ronaldo Souza by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) in a controversial co-main to earn a MW title shot. Lyoto Machida stopped Vitor Belfort with a front kick KO in round two in front of a Brazilian crowd that went wild for both hometown legends.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: May 12, 2018
Venue: Jeunesse Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
PPV: 85,000 buys (low; Brazilian card; limited international appeal)
Main Event: Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Raquel Pennington — WBW Championship (3rd title defence; FIRST UFC HEADLINE BY TWO OPENLY GAY FIGHTERS)
Result: Nunes def. Pennington — TKO (Hammer Fists) R5, 2:36 — Nunes 149/300 strikes; Pennington wanted to stop after R4 but corner sent her out; TKO R5
Co-Main: Kelvin Gastelum def. Ronaldo Souza — SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) — MW; controversial; Gastelum earns MW title shot
Notable: Machida KO front kick Belfort R2; Mackenzie Dern RNC win R1; Strickland loss to Zaleski
Bonuses: Post-fight performance bonuses awarded; Machida KO and Oleinik Ezekiel choke recognised
The Build-Up
Nunes’s two previous defences had been stoppages (Rousey in 48 seconds; Shevchenko by controversial SD). Pennington — ranked #2 WBW — had won three consecutive fights since losing to Rose Namajunas at UFC 205. The fight drew attention for being the first UFC title fight headlined by two openly gay athletes, with Nunes and Pennington both publicly out.
The card was held in Rio de Janeiro with a strong Brazilian contingent. Machida vs. Belfort was the card’s most culturally loaded fight: two Brazilian legends who had both held UFC title shots, meeting for the first time in the Octagon.
Main Event
Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Raquel Pennington — WBW Championship
Nunes was the cleaner and more accurate striker throughout. She landed 149 of 300 punches thrown. Pennington had moments: she landed counterpunches and showed good durability. Nunes landed heavy knees in the clinch in round four and broke Pennington’s nose. Blood poured from the break.
At the end of round four, Pennington told her corner she wanted to stop. The corner sent her out for round five. Nunes secured a takedown in round five and landed hammer fists until the referee stopped it at 2:36. Pennington’s corner’s decision to send her out after she requested a stoppage became one of the most discussed corner calls of 2018.
Co-Main: Gastelum vs. Souza
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Ronaldo Souza — Middleweight
Jacare Souza’s grappling controlled round one: he secured a takedown and dominated position, draining Gastelum’s energy. Gastelum reversed in rounds two and three on the feet, landing heavy overhand rights. The SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) for Gastelum was immediately controversial; many observers scored the fight for Souza. Gastelum earned a MW title shot.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Ramazan Emeev def. Alberto Mina — Decision — R3 — WW
Jack Hermansson def. Thales Leites — TKO — R3 — MW; Hermansson’s rise
Warlley Alves def. Sultan Aliev — TKO (Doctor Stoppage) — R2 — WW; eye wound
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Sean Strickland — Decision — R3 — MW; Strickland early career loss
Davi Ramos def. Nick Hein — Sub — R? — LW
Aleksei Oleinik def. Junior Albini — Sub (Ezekiel Choke) — R1, 1:45 — HW; Oleinik escapes losing position for signature Ezekiel choke
Cezar Ferreira def. Karl Roberson — Sub (Arm-Triangle) — R1 — MW
Main Card
John Lineker def. Brian Kelleher — KO — R3 — BW
Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Cooper — Sub (RNC) — R1 — WSW; Dern’s second UFC win
Lyoto Machida def. Vitor Belfort — KO (Front Kick) — R2 — MW; Machida’s signature front kick finishes Belfort; massive moment for Rio crowd
Kelvin Gastelum def. Ronaldo Souza — Decision (Split) — R3 (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) — MW; Co-Main; CONTROVERSIAL; Gastelum earns MW title shot
WBW Championship — Main Event
Amanda Nunes def. Raquel Pennington — TKO (Hammer Fists) — R5, 2:36 — WBW Championship; Pennington requested stoppage after R4; corner sent her out; TKO R5
Bonuses & Awards
Performance of the Night bonuses were distributed. Notable performances: Aleksei Oleinik (Ezekiel choke from bottom position), Lyoto Machida (front kick KO of Belfort), Amanda Nunes (dominant championship finish).
Records & Milestones
UFC 224 was the first event in UFC history headlined by two openly gay fighters: Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington.
Amanda Nunes — third consecutive WBW title defence; 7-fight winning streak. Her next fight was a WFW title bout against Cris Cyborg at UFC 232 (December 2018), which she won in 51 seconds.
Lyoto Machida vs. Vitor Belfort — Machida’s signature front kick, the same technique he used to knock out Randy Couture for the LHW title at UFC 113 in 2010, ended Belfort’s final meaningful UFC appearance.
Legacy & Impact
The main event’s lasting discussion is about the corner’s decision to send Pennington out for round five after she asked to stop. Pennington’s nose was broken; she had absorbed significant punishment. What would have been a voluntary stoppage between rounds became a TKO by hammer fists 2:36 into round five. Both approaches are defensible from a competitive standpoint; the question of what was best for Pennington’s health was less clear.
The Machida-Belfort front kick is the event’s most pure athletic moment: a technique perfected over a career applied at the perfect moment, in the right city, in front of the right crowd. Belfort’s career effectively ended in Rio; Machida’s career got one more highlight.
FAQ
What happened with Pennington’s corner at UFC 224?
At the end of round four, Raquel Pennington told her corner she wanted to stop the fight. Her corner decided to send her out for round five rather than stopping between rounds. Nunes secured a takedown early in round five and finished with hammer fists at 2:36. The corner’s decision was widely criticised after the fight.
Was UFC 224 historically significant beyond the main event?
Yes. It was the first UFC event headlined by two openly gay fighters — Amanda Nunes and Raquel Pennington. UFC president Dana White acknowledged the significance of the occasion in his pre-fight promotion.
How did Machida beat Belfort at UFC 224?
In round two, Machida landed his signature front kick (muay thai teep/front thrust kick) directly to Belfort’s chin. Belfort dropped immediately; Machida followed and the fight was stopped. Machida had previously used the same technique to KO Randy Couture for the LHW title at UFC 113 in May 2010.
Was the Gastelum vs. Jacare decision at UFC 224 controversial?
Yes. Jacare Souza controlled the grappling in round one and most observers scored him that round. Gastelum fought the second and third rounds well on the feet. The final scorecard was 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 for Gastelum. Multiple media outlets scored the fight for Souza. The result earned Gastelum a MW title shot.
What happened between Nunes and Cyborg after UFC 224?
Following UFC 224, Cyborg (who had won at UFC 222) continued her callout of Nunes. The fight was made for UFC 232 on December 29, 2018. Nunes stopped Cyborg by TKO at 0:51 of round one, becoming the first woman to hold two UFC titles simultaneously.
References
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