Amanda Nunes got her sweetest revenge.
After being submitted in one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, Nunes reclaimed her women's bantamweight championship with a dominant unanimous decision over Julianna Pena in the main event of UFC 277 on Saturday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Nunes said that she would be at 100 percent for the rematch after having to deal with a knee injury and COVID in their first meeting. The difference showed in the second fight; Nunes dominated on the feet and ground. Outside of Pena's toughness and a few submission attempts, "The Lioness" was in control throughout the fight.
Nunes dropped Pena five times in the first half of the fight and then used her wrestling in the second half as she put all of her tools on display. Pena was left with a crimson mask as Nunes sliced her open with elbows on the ground.
Judges saw the fight 50-45, 50-44 and 50-43 in favor of Nunes. The Brazilian cemented her status as the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time and is once again a two-division champion.
In the co-main event, Brandon Moreno used a vicious liver kick to stop Kai Kara-France in the third round for the interim UFC flyweight title. Moreno used constant pressure against Kara-France but found himself in trouble in the third round before firing the kick that froze Kara-France in his tracks.
The victory puts Moreno in line for a fourth fight vs. flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. The two met in the Octagon following Moreno's win and were respectful to each other. That fourth fight will certainly a good one.
The Sporting News tracked results and highlights of UFC 277. Here's how it all went down:
UFC 277 live results, highlights
Amanda Nunes regains title with a dominant decision victory
12:50 a.m.: A calculated approach has Nunes back in possession of the UFC women's bantamweight championship. Scores were 50-45, 50-44 and 50-43. The GOAT is back!
Round 5: Nunes wastes no time taking Pena down. Pena looks for a triangle but can't get it. They are back up again. Nunes is raining down elbows from side control after another takedown. Pena looking for a kimura but gives up her back. Nunes back in half guard with two minutes left. A hard right hand hurts Pena. Nunes gets her back and sinks in a choke! Pena escapes. Nunes gets to her feet and dances with a smile as the fight comes to a close.
SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Nunes (50-45, Nunes)
Round 4: Nunes ducks under and immediately takes Pena down. Nunes crushes Pena with a pair of punches but Pena is still hanging around. Pena has an armbar!!!! She loses it and Nunes has side control. Sheesh, that was close. Nunes lands elbows and Pena nearly snatches the arm again. They both pop up but Pena's face is streaming blood. Nunes with another takedown. They are back to their feet and Nunes takes Pena down again. That round felt like it was 30 minutes long.
SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Nunes (40-36, Nunes)
Round 3: Nunes lands a spinning elbow that wobbles Pena. Pena clinches with Nunes and Nunes pulls right out. Pena rushes in and they throw hands. Both land. Nunes takes Pena down. Nunes sneaks an elbow in. Pena is active off her back and looking to snatch a limb. Nunes smacking her with elbows and Pena is split open. More ground and pound from Nunes as the round comes to a close.
SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Nunes (30-27, Nunes)
Round 2: Nunes crushes Pena with that right hand when she rushes in and down she goes. Pena is up but clearly shaken. Pena rushes in again and gets snuffed out with another right hand. Down she goes. She's up again. Pena lands a combination. Right hand from Pena. She's tough as nails. Nunes clocks Pena again. Left hand puts Pena down again! She's up and gets clipped.
SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Nunes (20-18, Nunes)
Round 1: Nunes is switching from southpaw to orthodox stances while looking for leg kicks. Pena lands a right hand. Nunes with an uppercut and a hard leg kick. Hard overhand right. Pena takes it but Nunes isn't rushing anything. Right hand over the top wobbles Pena. Another right hand briefly drops Pena. Another right hand puts Pena down. She pops up but is now realizing that this is a different fight. Pena lands a right hand and a hard jab. Another right hand and they exchange. Nunes rocks Pena with a combination to close the round.
SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Nunes
12:07 a.m.: It's time for the main event! Can Julianna Pena pull off the unthinkable for a second time against Amanda Nunes? Both fighters are in the Octagon with everything on the line. We'll find out if Nunes' claim that she wasn't 100 percent the first time is true or was just an excuse. We'll also find out if the Pena era is underway or if she's just Buster Douglas.
Brandon Moreno claims interim title with third-round TKO of Kai Kara-France
11:56 p.m.: What a finish from Moreno! Just when it looked like Kara-France was turning the tide, Moreno slams a kick into Kara-France's liver with under a minute left in the round. Kara-France's body shut down and Moreno's follow-up strikes sealed the deal. If you were yearning for a fourth fight against Deiveson Figueiredo, you're going to get it. Figueiredo enters the Octagon and goes face to face with Moreno. But it's a very respectful faceoff between the two as they make it clear they want to fight each other.
Round 3: Moreno presses forward but Kara-France sweeps the leg and takes his opponent down. Some quick ground and pound cuts and an elbow opens Moreno's face. Kara-France lands some pounding shots and Moreno barely misses a spinning backfist. Big body shot from Kara-France and he follows with a beautiful lead right. The momentum is swinging in Kara-France's favor. Moreno is back to pressing the action and forcing Kara-France to fight him off. Kara-France shoots for a takedown, Moreno defends and fires a kick that connects with Kara-France's liver. Kara-France goes down! Moreno follows with some ground and pound and it's over!!
Round 2: Moreno lands a jab but Kara-France lands a kick to the ribs. Moreno is applying a lot of forward pressure but is unable to secure a takedown. Neither is landing flush but Moreno's pressure is likely going to earn him a few scorecards. A late flurry by Moreno probably sealed the round but Kara-France has continued to pepper in some leg kicks.
SN unofficial scorecard: 10-9, Moreno (20-18, Moreno)
Round 1: Both fighters are very cautious in the opening minutes. Moreno is a little more aggressive and landing jabs while Kara-France is hitting some leg kicks. They exchange hooks and Moreno attempts a takedown. Kara-France defends but Moreno keeps the pressure high and launches some bombs as the round comes to a close.
SN unofficial score: 10-9, Moreno
11:16 p.m.: The interim flyweight title is on the line as Brandon Moreno meets Kai Kara-France in what is expected to be an exciting bout scheduled for five rounds.
Sergei Pavlovich scores controversial first-round stoppage of Derrick Lewis
11:12 p.m.: Another unfortunate finish. Pavlovich pounced on Lewis and stunned him in the first few seconds of the fight with a barrage of punches. Lewis was in clear trouble and hit the canvas, but as he popped back up the referee stepped in to stop the fight. Pavlovich gets the victory but the fans are not happy with the ending. It was certainly premature, but you can't blame Pavlovich for how the fight ended. He looked excellent.
11 p.m.: Derrick Lewis and Sergei Pavlovich are up next in a fight that is expected to render the judges unnecessary. Pavlovich is 3-1 in the UFC and all of his fights have ended in the first round. Lewis is the UFC leader in knockouts with 13 but is looking to rebound after being stopped by Tai Tuivasa in February.
Alexandre Pantoja steamrolls Alex Perez in first-round submission
10:54 p.m.: That's the Pantoja we've been waiting to see. He wasted no time running over Perez and secured the early submission. After launching bombs, Pantoja took Perez down, sneaked around to Perez's back and neck-cranked his opponent to get the submission. It was a very impressive victory, but will it be enough to put Pantoja into the championship conversation?
10:45 p.m.: Up next, we have Alex Perez vs. Alexandre Pantoja in flyweight action. Perez hasn't fought since losing to Deiveson Figueiredo in a title fight in 2020. Pantoja has won two straight since losing to Askar Askarov. Both are aiming to put themselves in line for a title opportunity in the near future.
Magomed Ankalaev scores second-round TKO of Anthony Smith
10:34 p.m.: Another injury has come to haunt a UFC fight. Ankalaev stopped Smith in the second round, but Smith had suffered an injury to his left leg in the first round and was compromised in the second. With his opponent unable to use both legs, Ankalaev took advantage and used ground and pound to finish the job. An unfortunate end. We'll see if this was enough to thrust Ankalaev into the title picture.
10:18 p.m.: We're kicking things off with Magomed Ankalaev taking on Anthony Smith in a light heavyweight showdown that could have some significant title implications. Ankalaev appears to be on the cusp of a title opportunity after winning eight fights in a row, while Smith has reeled off three consecutive wins and is considered the true litmus test for the Russian.
10 p.m.: We're about to go live with UFC 277 as the final prelim has gone a little long. There wasn't much to talk about aside from Drew Dober's blistering body-shot finish of Rafael Alves. But this main card is loaded and we're about to get underway.
MORE: How to bet UFC 277: Expert picks for card featuring Pena vs. Nunes 2
What times does UFC 277: Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes 2 start?
- Date: Saturday, July 30
- Fight Pass prelims: 6 p.m. ET
- Prelims: 8 p.m. ET
- Main card: 10 p.m. ET
- Main event: 12:15 a.m. ET (approximate)
UFC 277 takes place Saturday, July 30. The Fight Pass prelims start the show at 6 p.m. ET, with the prelims at 8 p.m. ET. The main card PPV will start at 10 p.m. ET. Pena and Nunes should make their way to the Octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
How to watch UFC 277: Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes 2
- TV channels: ESPN+, ABC
- Live stream: ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass
The main card for UFC 277 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost.
Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+, ABC, the WatchESPN app and, for the early prelims, on UFC Fight Pass.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on TSN, Bell, Rogers, Shaw, Eastlink and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
In the United Kingdom, the main card will be available on BT Sport 1, with the prelims available on UFC Fight Pass.
In Australia, the main card will be on Main Event, Kayo Sports, FOXTEL and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
Julianna Pena vs. Amanda Nunes 2 price: How much does UFC 277 cost?
- $74.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $99.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 277 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 277 is $74.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $99.98 for the UFC 277 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch UFC 277 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $13.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $74.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $99.98, then $69.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle | $88.98, then $13.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
* On Aug. 23, ESPN+'s monthly subscription price will change from $6.99 per month to $9.99 per month. The annual ESPN+ subscription package will change from $69.99 per year to $99.99 per year.
There is no change to the standalone PPV, or to the Disney Bundle.
UFC 277 fight card
Main card
- Amanda Nunes def. Julianna Pena (c) via unanimous decision for the UFC bantamweight title (50-45, 50-44, 50-43).
- Brandon Moreno def. Kai Kara-France via 3rd-round TKO for the interim UFC flyweight title.
- Sergei Pavlovich def. Derrick Lewis via 1st-round TKO; heavyweights.
- Alexandre Pantoja vs. Alex Perez via 1st-round submission; flyweights.
- Magomed Ankalaev def. Anthony Smith via 2nd-round TKO; light heavyweights.
Prelims
- Drew Dober vs. Rafael Alves; lightweights
- Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Don’Tale Mayes; heavyweights
- Rafa García vs. Drakkar Klose; lightweights
- Alex Morono vs. Matthew Semelsberger; Welterweights
Fight Pass prelims
- Adam Fugitt vs. Michael Morales; welterweights
- Ji Yeon Kim vs. Joselyne Edwards; bantamweights
- Orion Cosce vs. Mike Mathetha; welterweights
- Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Ihor Potieria; light heavyweights
The Sporting News may earn an affiliate commission when you sign up for a streaming service through our links. The Sporting News' affiliates have no influence over the editorial content included in this article.
