UFC Vegas 55: Holm vs Vieira – Take a look at the results and also the ones who received the bonus
This weekend’s UFC Fight Night featured a bantamweight clash between top-ranked fighters Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira. A multiple-time world champion in boxing, who defended her titles 18 times in three weight classes, and a two-time Ring magazine fighter of the year Holly Holm returned to action this weekend. Holly Holm broke into every MMA fan, publication, and expert radar when she captured the bantamweight title and gave Ronda Rousey her first loss in the sport in front of a record-breaking crowd. The card absolutely delivered, with some fantastic performances, capped off by an extreme showcase of high-level fighting in the main event.
The fight began with both fighters landing low kicks in the early going. Vieira tried to land some combinations, including a crisp one-two. The Brazilian realized that her best chance at winning would be to initiate grappling early, and she did just that. Holm reversed the clinch position with solid over-under, and denied a Whizzer kick, but ended up eating a couple short punches. Holly used some shoulder shrugs and knees to the thigh to wear out her opponent. Holm got comfortable with dominating the clinch, and kept smothering her opponent with short punches. Vieira unsuccessfully tried another whizzer kick, while Holly’s pressure kept mounting on her. It looked like Holly had done enough to win the round.
The second round began with a similar approach by both fighters. While Holm began with low leg kicks, Vieira tried a head kick and 1-2 and both fell short. Holm did an incredible job of peppering shots, and backing away from return fire. During one of Holly’s clinch advances, Vieira finally landed the Whizzer kick that caught Holly’s attention. The biggest moment of the fight came when Holm tried to run through her opponent’s defense and got caught in a tight no-hooks Rear naked choke. The choke looked deep, but Holly toughed it out with textbook defense, reversed the position and got the fight back to her desired clinch. She ended the round by landing short elbows from the clinch.
In the last round. Vieira attempted an early head kick, and followed it up with a spinning elbow and good punches inside when Holm tried to tie her up. Overhand left by Holm caught the Brazilian off guard. Holm continued to attack from the outside with leg kicks and side kicks, attempting to close distance with clinch. Vieira on the other hand looked a bit rusty in the last round, and lacked sting in her attacks like before. Eventually Holly hauled Vieira to the fence and connected with a right hand on the exit. She hauled Vieira again to the fence again with a minute to go and landed a Two-piece this time on the exit. Vieira won the fight by split decision, although many fighters and MMA experts scored the fight the other way around.
In other notable performances, Featherweight youngster Chase Hooper returned to action for the first time in nearly a year to stop Felipe Corales with a dominant third-round TKO. Welterweight contenders Michel Pereira and Santiago Ponzinibbio went toe-to-toe in a wild barn-burner co-main event, which ended in a split-decision win for “Demolidor.”
UFC Vegas 55 Main Card results and winners
Ketlen Vieira def. Holly Holm by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47)
Michel Pereira def. Santiago Ponzinibbio by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Chidi Njokuani def. Dusko Todorovic by KO (elbow) at 4:48 of Round 1
Tabatha Ricci def. Polyana Viana by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Jun Yong Park def. Eryk Anders by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
UFC Vegas 55 Preliminary Card results and winners
Joseph Holmes def. Alen Amedovski by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:04 of Round 1
Jailton Almeida def. Parker Porter by submission (face crank) at 4:35 of Round 1
Uros Medic def. Omar Morales by TKO (punches) at 3:05 of Round 2
Jonathan Martinez def. Vince Morales by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Chase Hooper def. Felipe Colares by TKO (punches) at 3:00 of Round 3
Sam Hughes def. Elise Reed by TKO (strikes) at 3:52 of Round 3
UFC Vegas 55 Bonuses
These are the fighters who cashed in the extra $50,000 bonus for their brilliant performances at UFC Vegas 55.
- Fight of the Night: Michel Pereira vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
- Performance of the Night: Chidi Njokuani
- Performance of the Night: Chase Hooper
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