Kayla Harrison remains the UFC’s bantamweight champion after submitting Amanda Nunes in the fourth round tonight at UFC 334.
Round One
Both ladies feeling each other out from range. Nunes looks for a punch but doesn’t connect. Missed low kick from Harrison.
One-two from Nunes grazes the target. Another missed low kick from Harrison.
Nunes picks out an uppercut. Harrison looking to come forward but Nunes lands a right hand. Kick for Nunes.
Nunes catches Harrison with a good punch, but Harrison clinches up for the first time. Nunes gets away.
Nunes lands again and Harrison is down trying to work for a takedown without success.
Harrison able to clinch up against the cage. Nunes does a good job of finding a way back out of that.
Left hand for Harrison. Nunes misses a punch and Harrison lands a takedown off that. Nunes rolls though and gets back to her feet.
Harrison with a good judo throw and traps an arm between her legs. Nunes is stuck here as Harrison works some punches with her free hand.
30 seconds of the round remaining. Harrison going for the crucifix now. A few light strikes from Harrison late in the round, but nothing too damaging.
Round Two
A couple of light punches for Nunes. She lands a left hand but Harrison clinches up. Nunes able to press her into the cage.
Knee strikes exchanged. Nunes trying for a takedown but nothing doing. Nunes patient from here, but now Harrison is trying to work her judo. Nunes prevents that though and stays in the dominant position against the cage for now and lands a few knees.
Nunes shunts around to the back and is able to bring Harrison down. Harrison able to stand back up, but Nunes still has the back. Risky gameplan from Nunes though and sure enough Harrison uses her judo to land a throw.
Harrison in side control here. She’s able to get to crucifix and lands some ground-and-pound. Nunes unable to get free. Final 10 seconds and she drops a couple of elbows down.
Round Three
Body punch from Nunes. Now she rushes in to land a right hand. She misses a front kick upstairs.
Harrison able to clinch up as Nunes lands a knee to the body. Nunes trying for a takedown, but then is able to break away.
Front kick to the body for Nunes but Harrison catches that partially and goes for a takedown. However, Nunes shifts and ends up on top.
Nunes able to shunt forward to get full mount, but Harrison has her back to the cage. Harrison almost manages to reverse. They got back to the feet and Harrison is still trying to clinch.
Harrison goes for the judo throw, but this time Nunes reads it and manages to land on top.
Nunes able to take the back and gets her hooks in. Harrison gets moving and Nunes slides off. Harrison able to get on top now and is in Nunes full guard. A few punches for Harrison.
Big elbow for Harrison opens up a cut above Nunes left eyebrow. Nunes getting her legs involved and pushes Harrison away, but the champ drops back down with a hard punch and ends the round on top.
Round Four
Body kick for Harrison. Now an inside leg kick. Jab from Nunes. Right hook for her. Harrison able to clinch up.
Nunes able to break away and lands a good hook in the process.
Front kick to the body for Nunes, but Harrison grabs it. Nunes turns away and pulls her foot free, but falls forward to the mat.
Harrison immediately seizes upon that by pouncing on Nunes back and sinking in a tight rear-naked choke and forces the former two-division champ to tap out at 1:29mins of the fourth round!
That’s a monumental win for Harrison against the woman that’s long been considered the G.O.A.T of women’s MMA.
Nunes got the better of the striking action here, but it seemed that wasn’t enough for her as too often she chose to engage with Harrison on her terms in the clinch and on the mat.
That proved to be a mistake as the rounds went on, but in the end it was a striking exchange in the fourth round that enabled Harrison to disrupt her balance and seize on the fight-ending choke.
