UFC 222 results: Cris Cyborg (predictably) destroys Yana Kunitskaya, retains Featherweight title

Invicta Bantamweight champion, Yana Kunitskaya, accepted a short-notice fight to lock horns with the most dominant female mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter ever, Cris Cyborg, in UFC 222’s pay-per-view (PPV) main event tonight (Sat., March 3, 2018) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

That’s right: Three weeks + one weight division higher + Cris Cyborg = likely disaster. And that’s exactly what came out of the oven, as Cyborg bullied and battered her way to another successful title defense.

Cyborg came out dropping bombs, tagging Kunitskaya with an overhand right that seemed like it would have stopped a moose dead in its tracks. But, Kunitskaya absorbed it and actually used her momentum to slip under Cyborg and score a takedown. She was able to briefly angle for a rear-naked choke while on the mat, but Cyborg quickly made her way back to her feet. The pair battled for position along the fence as Kunitskaya struggled hard to get the fight back down to the mat once again. Cyborg broke free, though, and nailed Kunitskaya with a combination that dropped her. Kunitskaya got back to her feet, but Cyborg dropped her again and started unloading on her at the bottom of the cage. Kunitskaya covered up her ears as Cyborg violently boxed them until the referee stepped in to rescue her.

That was all she wrote.

Kudos to Kunitskaya for stepping up, literally a weight class, on short notice to tangle with a Brazilian chupacabra. She put up a good fight while it lasted, which was less than four minutes. Ho-hum.

Now it’s up to UFC to find Cyborg a worthy title challenger her own size. Of course, though, Cyborg called out UFC Bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes. Unfortunately, that’s probably the best — and only — lopsided option remaining at this point.

For complete UFC 222: “Cyborg vs. Kunitskaya” results, including play-by-play updates, click here.