UFC 196 results: Amanda Nunes outlasts Valentina Shevchenko for decision win

Amanda Nunes

LAS VEGAS – Amanda Nunes went from nearly putting Valentina Shevchenko away in the second to just barely surviving the third, but in the end her early work was enough.

Nunes (12-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) gutted the fight out late and relied on her strong first two rounds to carry her to a unanimous decision victory over Shevchenko (12-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with scores of 29-28, 29-27, and 29-27.

The women’s bantamweight bout opened up the main card of today’s UFC 196 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

After a close first round during which Shevchenko was perhaps a little too patient, conceding the initiative to Nunes in the striking exchanges, Nunes really took over early in the second.

After a takedown, Nunes unleashed a series of damaging elbows from half-guard that cut Shevchenko open and exposed some of her weaknesses on the mat. Nunes would spend the majority of the round beating Shevchenko up from the top position before passing and taking her back, locking in a body triangle late in the round and looking for the rear-naked choke.

Shevchenko not only survived that scare, but got the top position before the horn sounded to end the second. When the fighters came out to start the third, however, it became clear that Nunes had spent much of what she had in the gas tank trying to finish the fight in the previous round.

With Nunes lunging in on rubbery legs, Shevchenko turned the tables and went on the attack for sustained periods for the first time in the fight. After briefly controlling Nunes on the mat after a failed takedown attempt from Nunes, Shevchenko battered the Brazilian on the feet, with Nunes looking like she was just trying to survive to the final horn.

But Nunes did survive, and her efforts in the first two rounds were enough to convince all three judges to give her the fight, resulting in a unanimous decision win.

The victory is the third in a row for Nunes. Shevchenko loses for the first time in nearly six years.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 196 results include:

• Amanda Nunes def. Valentina Shevchenko via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
• Siyar Bahadurzada def. Brandon Thatch via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 4:11
• Nordine Taleb def. Erick Silva via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:34
• Vitor Miranda def. Marcelo Guimaraes via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:09
• Darren Elkins def. Chas Skelly via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-27, 30-26)
• Diego Sanchez def. Jim Miller via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Jason Saggo def. Justin Salas via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:31
• Teruto Ishihara def. Julian Erosa via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 0:34

For complete coverage of UFC 196, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan and Matt Erickson contributed to this report on site in Las Vegas.)