UFC 245 Results: Usman vs. Covington

UFC 245 closed the promotion’s 2019 pay-per-view schedule at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 14. Three championship bouts led the card: Kamaru Usman against Colby Covington, Max Holloway against Alexander Volkanovski, and Amanda Nunes against Germaine de Randamie.

Usman settles a relentless title fight

Usman and Covington entered with strong wrestling credentials, but their first title meeting unfolded primarily as a striking battle. Both maintained a demanding pace, trading combinations and body shots through increasingly punishing exchanges. Usman found the decisive opening in the fifth round, scoring knockdowns before the referee intervened at 4:10.

The TKO gave Usman his first successful welterweight title defense. A competitive fight became a clear finish, creating the defining moment of a card that otherwise sent its championship bouts to the judges.

Volkanovski takes the belt; Nunes retains hers

Volkanovski challenged Holloway with a disciplined mix of low kicks, movement and well-timed attacks. He won a unanimous decision after five rounds to become featherweight champion, ending Holloway’s reign without needing a dramatic late stoppage.

Nunes retained the women’s bantamweight championship by unanimous decision. De Randamie remained dangerous in striking exchanges, so Nunes repeatedly used takedowns and ground control. Her adjustment showed why a champion’s ability to change the terms of a fight can matter as much as punching power.

Bantamweights and preliminary finishes

Marlon Moraes edged Jose Aldo by split decision in Aldo’s bantamweight debut. Petr Yan knocked out Urijah Faber with a head kick, adding another significant result in the same division.

The preliminaries supplied finishes from Geoff Neal, Irene Aldana, Matt Brown, Chase Hooper and Punahele Soriano. Brandon Moreno’s decision over Kai Kara-France also mattered at flyweight. With 13 completed bouts, UFC 245 offered both title-level contests and a substantial supporting card.

Complete UFC 245 results

• Kamaru Usman def. Colby Covington — TKO (punches), R5, 4:10; retained welterweight title.
• Alexander Volkanovski def. Max Holloway — unanimous decision, R5, 5:00; won featherweight title.
• Amanda Nunes def. Germaine de Randamie — unanimous decision, R5, 5:00; retained women’s bantamweight title.
• Marlon Moraes def. Jose Aldo — split decision, R3, 5:00.
• Petr Yan def. Urijah Faber — KO (head kick), R3, 0:43.
• Geoff Neal def. Mike Perry — TKO (head kick and punches), R1, 1:30.
• Irene Aldana def. Ketlen Vieira — KO (punches), R1, 4:51.
• Omari Akhmedov def. Ian Heinisch — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Matt Brown def. Ben Saunders — KO (elbows and punches), R2, 4:55.
• Chase Hooper def. Daniel Teymur — TKO (elbows and punches), R1, 4:34.
• Brandon Moreno def. Kai Kara-France — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Jessica Eye def. Viviane Araujo — unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Punahele Soriano def. Oskar Piechota — KO (punch), R1, 3:17.

Sources

UFC; Sherdog: UFC 245 complete event record.

Article Tags

UFC, UFC 245, Mixed Martial Arts