The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada tonight for UFC 240: “Holloway vs Edgar.” The event was headlined by a UFC Featherweight Championship bout between champion Max “Blessed” Holloway and challenger Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.
In tonight’s featherweight co-main event, Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino battled Felicia “FeeNom” Spencer. Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal squared off with fellow rising star Niko “The Hybrid” Price in a featured welterweight bout. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s UFC 240 main card.
UFC Featherweight Championship
Max “Blessed” Holloway vs Frankie “The Answer” Edgar
Round 1:
Edgar scored with a lead left hook early on and he followed with quick leg kicks. A big uppercut landed for Holloway and Edgar responded with a chopping leg kick. Three punches landed over the top for Edgar and he followed with a hard right hand. Holloway responded with one of his own and Edgar countered with a right hook and a leg kick. Holloway connected with an uppercut that snapped Edgar’s head back, but Edgar fired back with stiff jabs and leg kicks. 10-9 Edgar.
Round 2:
The second round began with a punch-kick combo from Edgar, but Holloway fired back with a lead left hook to the liver and a right cross to Edgar’s face. Edgar shot in for a takedown and Holloway stayed on his feet. The fighters traded punches and Holloway landed a nice lead left hook. He stuffed a takedown attempt and cracked Edgar with a hard right hand. More punches landed for Holloway and he knocked Edgar off-balance with a spinning back kick to the body at the bell. 10-9 Holloway.
Round 3:
Holloway fought off an early takedown attempt in round three, but Edgar tagged him with a chopping leg kick and a right hand. Hard right hooks landed for both men and Holloway fought off a takedown attempt with a knee to the body. Big punches were exchanged and both men landed hard shots. Edgar missed with spinning backfist attempts and Holloway established his jab. A nice combination and a body kick landed for Holloway, who hurt Edgar with punches and a knee. Edgar scored a much-needed takedown in the final minute, but Holloway returned to his feet and he landed two knees before the bell. 10-9 Holloway.
Round 4:
Edgar struck first with a lunging right hand in the fourth round and he followed with more right hooks over the top. Holloway shrugged off a takedown attempt and he landed jabs and a quick flurry. Edgar landed a body kick and he ducked under a head kick from Holloway. Edgar flurried with punches, but Holloway hurt him with a counter combination and a big right hand to the jaw. Edgar tried in vain for a takedown, but Holloway stayed on his feet and landed a spinning back kick to the body at the bell. 10-9 Holloway.
Round 5:
The final round began with Edgar throwing grazing head kicks and Holloway countering with straight right hands. Edgar shot in for a takedown and Holloway stuffed it. He picked his shots with stiff jabs and straight right hands that snapped Edgar’s head back. Edgar landed a nice combination to the head and body, but Holloway fired back with an uppercut and he sprawled out to stuff a takedown attempt. Holloway landed jabs and quick right hands as the fight entered the final minute. Holloway missed with a spinning back kick and both men landed body kicks late in the round. 10-9 Holloway.
Winner: Max Holloway by Unanimous Decision (50-45, 50-45, 48-47) after five rounds. He improves to 21-4-0 and remains the UFC Featherweight Champion.
Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino vs Felicia “FeeNom” Spencer
Round 1:
Justino pressed the action right away with right hands and head kicks. Spencer cut her with a slashing elbow, but Justino landed more punches in an exchange. Spencer pinned her against the cage and Justino countered with knees and looping punches. A leg kick knocked Spencer off-balance and Justino followed with another hard flurry. Two step-in elbows landed for Spencer and Justino rushed at her with punches. She mixed in knees to Spencer’s body as Spencer used elbows to try to set up a takedown. 10-9 Justino.
Round 2:
Spencer caught a kick and backed Justino up against the cage in round two. She threw back elbow strikes to Justino’s face and worked for a takedown. Spencer tried to pull guard, but Justino punched her way free. Spencer landed an upkick from the bottom, but Justino passed to North-South and scored with a hard knee to the body as Spencer attempted a loose omoplata. The fight returned to the feet and both women landed punches. Justino landed a leg kick and a brutal right cross, but Spencer was unfazed. A lunging right hand landed for Justino before the bell. 10-9 Justino.
Round 3:
Justino used knees and elbows to fight off a clinch attempt from Spencer in the final round. A head kick landed for Spencer, but Justino recovered quickly and she landed hard knees to the body. Spencer was stunned by a flurry of punches and elbows, but she held on and clinched with Justino again. The fighters separated and Justino landed a solid leg kick. She followed with another one and a combination to the body. Justino put together a flurry to the body and head, and she backed Spencer up with punches and kicks to the head in the final seconds. 10-9 Justino, if not a 10-8.
Winner: Cristiane Justino by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. She improves to 21-2-0, 1 ND.
Geoff “Handz of Steel” Neal vs Niko “The Hybrid” Price
Round 1:
Price opened the action with kicks and Neal countered with a one-two. A Superman Punch landed for Price, but Neal took him down and tried for a rear-naked choke. Price scrambled up to his feet and Neal landed short punches after a break. Price countered Neal’s punches with a step-in knee, but Neal cracked him with three punches and the fighters clinched again. Big punches landed for both fighters and both men were hurt by left hooks. Neal fell to his back and Price landed a right hand before Neal got back to his feet. He took Price down and moved from back control to mount before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Neal.
Round 2:
The fighters traded heavy punches in the second round and Neal shot in for a desperation takedown after getting hurt on the feet. He threatened with a shoulder choke from the top and then punished Price with power punches. Price held on as Neal blasted him with more heavy shots. Neal postured up with a final barrage of punches and the fight was waved off.
Winner: Geoff Neal by TKO (Punches) at 2:39 of round two. He improves to 12-2-0.
Arman “Ahalkalakets” Tsarukyan vs Olivier “The Canadian Gangster” Aubin-Mercier
Round 1:
Tsarukyan countered an early kick from Aubin-Mercier with a lunging flurry and a takedown attempt against the cage. Aubin-Mercier stayed on his feet, but Tsarukyan clinched again after catching a kick. Aubin-Mercier broke free and landed a lead right hook. He followed with a knee and a body kick, but Tsarukyan caught it and took him down against the base of the cage. He threw knees to the thighs of Aubin-Mercier and followed with an elbow before the bell. Close round. 10-9 Tsarukyan.
Round 2:
Aubin-Mercier avoided a takedown attempt in round two and he landed kicks to the body and knee of Tsarukyan. Aubin-Mercier hurt Tsarukyan with a kick and he followed with more as Tsarukyan tried for a takedown. The fighters separated and Tsarukyan countered a wild knee from Aubin-Mercier with a left hook. A one-two and a jab landed for Aubin-Mercier and Tsarukyan closed out the round with a body kick. 10-9 Aubin-Mercier.
Round 3:
Two huge right hands landed for Tsarukyan right away in the final round and he tried unsuccessfully for a takedown. Both men landed kicks to the body and Aubin-Mercier pinned Tsarukyan against the cage. Tsarukyan reversed a takedown and wound up on top in Aubin-Mercier’s guard. Tsarukyan landed punches from the top and Aubin-Mercier countered with elbows from the bottom. More elbows were exchanged and Aubin-Mercier postured for a triangle choke. Tsarukyan elbowed his way free and the fighters traded elbows until the end of the fight. 10-9 Tsarukyan.
Winner: Arman Tsarukyan by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 14-2-0.
Krzysztof Jotko vs Marc-Andre “Powerbar” Barriault
Round 1:
Jotko opened the action with kicks and he clinched with Barriault against the cage. Barriault stayed on his feet and the fighters traded knees to the body. The fighters separated and Barriault fired off a right hand that was met by a knee from Jotko. Both men landed short uppercuts in close and Jotko stunned Barriault with a standing back elbow. Barriault recovered and landed a hard one-two, but Jotko took him down and landed a knee on the way up. Barriault lifted him up and dumped him on his head, but Jotko immediately reversed and the round ended in a clinch. 10-9 Jotko.
Round 2:
The fighters traded heavy punches early in the second round and Barriault pinned Jotko against the cage. Jotko broke free and he just missed with a standing back elbow. A knee and a left cross landed for Jotko, who followed with more knees and elbows soon after. Barriault punched to the body while fighting off a takedown attempt from Jotko against the cage. The fighters separated and Jotko countered a one-two from Barriault with an uppercut. Jotko landed a body kick in the final seconds and Barriault countered with a takedown, but Jotko swept into mount at the bell. 10-9 Jotko.
Round 3:
The final round began with Jotko landing a punch-kick combo and he tried for a takedown against the cage. Barriault broke free and he landed a left hook over the top. Barriault flurried with punches again and Jotko countered with knees and elbows. Barriault landed a nice elbow and Jotko shot in for a takedown. The fighters traded punches and Jotko sustained a cut near his left eye. He scored with a body kick, but Barriault pressured him with kicks and punches in the final minute. Punches and a spinning back elbow landed for Jotko, and he fought through punches from Barriault in order to secure a takedown late in the fight. Close round. 10-9 Jotko.
Winner: Krzysztof Jotko by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 21-4-0.