The buildup to UFC 190 was all about Ronda Rousey, but there were a few more fighters who used the opportunity to make a big statement and gain some momentum.
With a lot of Brazil's elder statesmen on the card, there were those who reminded the MMA world they're still a live dog. Then there were those (looking at you Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira) who showed they might need to start taking up a retirement hobby.
Here's a look at the complete results along with some of the more significant fights from the card in Rio de Janeiro.
UFC 190 Results
UFC 190 Main Card
- Ronda Rousey def. Bethe Correia, knockout (Round 1, 0:34)
- Mauricio Rua def. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Glaico Franca def. Fernando Bruno, submission (Round 3, 4:46)
- Reginaldo Vieira def. Dileno Lopes, unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
- Stefan Struve def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Antonio Silva def. Soa Palelei, TKO (Round 2, 0:41)
- Claudia Gadelha def. Jessica Aguilar, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Prelims on Fox Sports 1
- Demian Maia def. Neil Magny, submission (Round 2, 2:52)
- Patrick Cummins def. Rafael Cavalcante, TKO (Round 3, 0:45)
- Warlley Alves def. Nordine Taleb, submission (Round 2, 4:11)
- Iuri Alcantara def. Leandro Issa, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass
- Vitor Miranda def. Clint Hester, TKO (Round 2, 2:38)
- Guido Cannetti def. Hugo Viana, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 190 Highlights
Demian Maia Puts on Grappling Clinic Against Neil Magny
One of the most relevant fights to go down on the UFC 190 card actually closed out the prelims. No. 6 ranked Demian Maia put on a grappling exhibition against No. 13 Neil Magny.
The 27-year-old Magny has looked promising recently. He came into Rio on a seven-fight win streak that included finishes in his last three bouts. But the one thing that has plagued him throughout his run in the UFC has been grappling.
As Maia proved, it's an area he still hasn't taken the next step in. Michael Carroll of FightMetric broke down just how dominant the jiu-jitsu whizz was on the ground:
Unofficial Maia control time: Top position - 7:16 Half guard - 2:24 Side control - 0:26 Mount - 3:37 Back - 0:49
— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) August 2, 2015
According to FightMetric, Maia went a perfect 2-of-2 on takedown attempts, scoring one in each round. The relentless ground attack left Magny entirely helpless as he managed to throw only four significant strikes and landed none.
Magny still has the opportunity to evolve. He isn't the first to be submitted by Maia and he probably won't be the last. However, this will need to be a wake-up call.
For Maia, this is his third victory in a row. A step up in competition might be warranted.
Antonio Silva Shows He's Not Done Yet
You'd be excused if you'd written off Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva for dead. A loser by knockout in three of his last four bouts heading into his UFC 190 fight, it looked like the 35-year-old didn't have the chin to pick up another win in the power-heavy 265-pound division.
That notion was wrong.
Soa Palelei had his moments in the first round. He secured a takedown and landed ground-and-pound punches. According to FightMetric, he opened up an 18-4 advantage in the significant-strikes category. But in the end, this fight was about Silva's ability to take some damage, rally and utilize his power to score a knockout.
Jason Floyd of the MMA Report tweeted out final stats from the bout:
Updated #UFC190 Fight Stats: Antonio Silva vs Soa Palelei pic.twitter.com/E2aJK9rd17
— Jason Floyd (@Jason_Floyd) August 2, 2015
Silva was able to score a knockout win for the first time since he finished Alistair Overeem in February 2013. A win over Palelei isn't necessarily an emphatic return to heavyweight prominence, but it does mean the rumors of Silva's demise as a top-tier heavyweight may have been a bit premature.
Ronda Rousey Wastes No Time Defending Belt
The most impressive stat of the night was 34: That's how many seconds it took Ronda Rousey to let Bethe Correia know that she would be taking the belt back to the United States with her when she left Rio.
As ESPN Stats & Info noted, quick finishes have become Rousey's calling card of late. There are simply few women in the division who can handle the pressure that comes with fighting the champion for more than a minute.
.@RondaRousey needs just 34 seconds to knock out Bethe Correia. Her last 4 fights have lasted 130 seconds total. pic.twitter.com/woZLGlDBtl
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 2, 2015
The scary thing about Rousey's win this time around was that it didn't even follow the usual pattern. Yes, Rousey was able to get a clinch at will, but she legitimately earned this knockout in the stand-up department.
That's a scary development for the rest of the division. A division for which she sounded a warning, per Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting:
Rousey: I hope no one brings up my family anymore when it comes to fights. I hope this is the last time.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 2, 2015
After beating down yet another top-10 opponent, that's some advice anyone in the division probably wants to heed moving forward.
