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SPORTS Monday 31 deceMber 2018

Amanda Nunes KOs Cyborg in 51 seconds, Jones wins at UFC 232

By GREG BEACHAM belts simultaneously, joining
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Conor McGregor and Dan-
Amanda Nunes pulled off iel Cormier.
one of the most surprising "I knew this was happen-
wins in mixed martial arts ing, I told you all!" Nunes
history when she left the said. "I'm the new 'champ-
world's most feared female champ.' I said that before,
fighter face-down on the and now I'm just achieving
canvas. this dream."
Jon Jones merely did ex- Just six days after the UFC
actly what everyone ex- moved the entire 232 card
pects him to do whenever from Las Vegas to the fa-
he manages to get out of mous Forum south of down-
his own way. town Los Angeles, Jones
Nunes knocked out Cris (23-1, 1 no-contest) closed
"Cyborg" Justino 51 sec- the show with a methodi-
onds into the first round at cal dismantling of Gustafs-
UFC 232 on Saturday night, son (18-5). The bout was a
ending the featherweight rematch of Jones' toughest
champion's 13-year un- fight, a thrilling decision in
beaten run in spectacular 2013 over Gustafsson.
fashion. But in Jones' first bout since Amanda Nunues, left, lands a punch to Cris Cyborg during the first round of a featherweight title
Jones also reclaimed his completing his second mixed martial arts bout at UFC 232, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, in Inglewood, Calif.
light heavyweight title in drug-related suspension, Associated Press
his return from a 17-month the star picked apart Gus-
cage absence. The two- tafsson with kicks in the first fought only twice in the Nunes' punching power right hands in the second
time champ stopped Al- two rounds. He got a take- previous 47 months, losing is often too much for her round of a back-and-forth
exander Gustafsson with down in the third and fin- an enormous chunk of his male sparring partners, and bout. Michael Chiesa also
strikes on the ground in the ished the fight with several fighting prime due to his she carved up Justino with won his welterweight debut
third round. brutal shots to Gustafsson's misbehavior. He held the astonishing ease despite a with a second-round sub-
Nunes (17-4), the UFC's head on the ground. UFC's 205-pound title twice size disadvantage. Justino mission of former champ
bantamweight champion, "It was always about be- before, but had it stripped had won 20 consecutive Carlos Condit, who lost his
made history after she fear- ing the champion again," both times. fights since her MMA debut fifth straight fight.
lessly moved up 10 pounds Jones said. It was never Jones returned from his first in 2005, and she had domi- Former UFC lightweight
to challenge Justino (20- about the opponent, noth- doping suspension with a nated since the inception champion BJ Penn tapped
2), widely considered the ing personal. I'm just happy stoppage of Cormier in of the UFC's 145-pound di- out for the first time in his
most accomplished female with my belt, and for now I July 2017 to reclaim his light vision, which was created MMA career, losing to Bra-
fighter in MMA. want to go back to the gym heavyweight title, but lost largely as a showcase for zilian jiu-jitsu whiz Ryan Hall
The undersized underdog and improve my game." the belt again after testing Cyborg's talent. on a heel hook in the first
dominated her fellow Brazil- The UFC made the extraor- positive for steroids. "I know I hit hard, but some- round. Penn (16-13-2), an
ian from the start, buckling dinary decision to move its A capacity crowd of 15,862 times you never know," MMA pioneer who turned
Justino's knees and knock- show 280 miles to Califor- in Southern California Nunes said. "When I hit her, 40 this month, is 0-6-1 in his
ing her down twice before nia during a holiday week watched another ground- I could see she got rung a last seven fights since 2010.
landing the overhand right just to keep Jones on the breaking achievement by little bit. I'm thinking, 'I'm go- Despite the late move to
that ended it. card. The former champion Nunes, the ferocious brawl- ing to be fast, I'm going to LA, the UFC sold out the
"Nothing was going to stop recently tested positive for er who calls herself "The Li- move my head, and I know Forum after just six days of
me from what I wanted to low levels of a banned ste- oness." Nunes also knocked I'm going to get a knock- ticket sales. The crowd in-
do tonight," Nunes said. roid, but California regula- out Ronda Rousey in less out.'" cluded Justino friend Halle
"When she connected with tory officials didn't consider than a minute two years Earlier, Australian feather- Berry, Dolph Lundgren, Da-
a couple of punches, I just the result serious enough to ago, and she has victories weight prospect Alexan- vid Spade, NL MVP Chris-
said, 'I'm going to walk right keep the long-troubled star over bantamweight cham- der Volkanovski (19-1) won tian Yelich of the Milwau-
through her.'" out of the octagon, while pion Miesha Tate and fu- his 16th straight bout in the kee Brewers, Travis Barker,
Nunes is the third fighter in Nevada's commission did. ture 125-pound champion PPV opener, stopping vet- Mick Foley and Amber
UFC history to hold two title The 31-year-old Jones had Valentina Shevchenko. eran Chad Mendes with Valletta.q